Le pauvre d'Assise

First edition of the French translation, one of 40 numbered copies on alfa paper, this one of 10 hors commerce copies, the deluxe issue.
Spine slightly sunned.
Rare signed and dated autograph inscription from Nikos Kazantzakis to Charles Orengo, then literary director of Éditions Plon.

Orengo, nicknamed “Père Joseph” by Françoise Verny, was a key figure in post-war French publishing. The founder of Éditions du Rocher, he went on to spend many years at Plon before being appointed to the management of the Librairie Hachette. He ended his career as chairman of Fayard. 

This life of Saint Francis as told by Brother Leo, his companion, was written in Antibes in 1953 and dedicated by Kazantzakis “au Dr Albert Schweitzer, le saint François de notre temps”.

On 22 May 1957, interviewed by Pierre Dumayet and Max-Pol Fouchet, the writer spoke of the book's composition in these terms: “J'avais une dette envers Saint François d'Assise”. He recounted having dictated the book to his wife during a serious illness and added: “ce n'est pas une biographie ce livre-là, c'est une synthèse”. The publisher saw in it the deepest themes of a writer “croyant et révolté, angoissé et serein, solitaire et pourtant en communion avec tous les autres hommes”.

Two days after this interview, Kazantzakis presented this copy to Charles Orengo. It was to be one of his last autograph inscriptions.

In June the writer left for China; he returned ill and died in Freiburg im Breisgau on 26 October 1957.

A precious hors commerce copy of the deluxe issue, presented by Kazantzakis to his French publisher in the month of publication, a few months before his death.