First editions, fine papers and deluxe printings of French and foreign literature, 16th to 21st century

First edition, issued without any deluxe paper copies.

Occasional marginal tears to upper part of front cover, small lacks of paper to spine-ends, lack of paper to the lower left corner of the lower cover, and a small snag to lower part of lower cover.

Exceptional presentation copy from one woman writer to another, addressed by Georges de Peyrebrune to Jane Catulle Mendès: "pour mon exquise confrère / pour ma charmante amie / Madame Catulle Mendès / En souvenir / Peyrebrune".

First editions by Peyrebrune and even more so her inscribed copies are decidedly scarce: "it is still very difficult to find Peyrebrune's books nowadays" (Sophie Ménard).

First edition on ordinary paper.

Pages 10–11 lightly sunned owing to the presence of a newspaper clipping.

Fine presentation inscription signed by André Pieyre de Mandiargues: "à  Michel Tournier en très cordiale sympathie. André PM."

First edition, one of 1050 numbered copies on alfa paper.
Two very slight sunning without gravity to head of boards, handsome copy.
Paperboard binding after Mario Prassinos' original design.

First edition, with no deluxe paper issue.

A handsome copy, with the promotional leaflet loosely inserted; the verso is creased and shows a tear.

Fine dated and signed presentation inscription from Annie Ernaux to the writer Christiane Baroche: "Pour Christiane,qui m'a fait "naître" dans le bonheur il y a dix ans. Annie. 3/02/84."

First edition of the French translation.

Our copy is issued in its original state, preserved in a blue paper temporary wrapper and housed within a double chemise and slipcase in navy half-shagreen, smooth spine, marbled-paper boards; a modern binding signed by Devauchelle.

A rare and appealing copy.

Recorded in the CCF only at the BnF.

Sole edition of this theatrical jeu d’esprit, which bears little relation to China despite the purported setting of the action: "La scène se passe à Pé-King, l’an du monde 100, 857, et de Con-Fou-Tsée 6550". In reality, it is a play about the destructive nature of gambling, for which there was no real need to summon China as a pretext; moreover, the characters speak and behave like perfectly typical French petits bourgeois."

First edition, one of the review copies.
Spine just lightly rubbed.
Inscribed and signed by Patrick Modiano to the writer Christiane Baroche.
 

First edition, with no deluxe paper issue.

A small stain to the upper-left margin of the front cover; an attractive copy nonetheless.

Fine dated and signed presentation inscription from Annie Ernaux to the writer Christiane Baroche : "Voilà Christiane, je ne pouvais réellement écrire autre chose... Avec amitié AErnaux 6/01/88."

First edition of the French translation, one of 25 numbered copies on pur fil, the only copies printed on deluxe paper.

Blood red morocco binding, gilt title lenghtwise, gold stingray boards framed in morocco, gilt decorative paper endleaves, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, an elegant binding signed Boichot. Front free endpaper slightly toned, otherwise a handsome untrimmed copy.

Illustrated with original woodcuts by Jean-Gabriel Daragnès.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy, with only a few insignificant spots at the foot of the spine.

Warm presentation copy signed by Jean Echenoz to his friend, the writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker Jérôme Beaujour, also a specialist in Marguerite Duras’s cinema: "Pour mon cher Jérôme avec ma vive affection, Jean. 2.VI.10"

First edition, with no deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy.

Dated and signed presentation inscription from Annie Ernaux to the woman of letters Christiane Baroche: "Pour Christiane, très amicalement. Annie. 24/03/93."

A rare first edition, of which no subsequent reprint exists, complete with all his Neo-Latin poems, chiefly composed in Rome. The volume also contains two Greek poems at ff. 60 and 62, together with a poem which inspired the celebrated sonnet Happy he who like Ulysses.

Modern binding in full limp vellum, smooth spine, red edges, white pastedowns and endleaves.

Some defects within: discreet restoration to inner margin of title verso; small tear without loss at foot of ff. 2-3; dampstaining to lower margin of ff. 25-28 and 45-48; minimal marginal defect to f. 44, not affecting text.

Published in March 1558, this precious copy contains four books of Latin poems - Elegiæ, Varia Epigr[ammata], Amores [Faustinae], Tumuli - written by Du Bellay in Rome and Paris between 1553 and 1557. The collection, also referred to as Poemata or Œuvres latines, appeared in the same year as three other works from his Roman period: Les Regrets, Divers Jeux Rustiques, and Les Antiquitez de Rome.

First edition, with no deluxe paper issue.

A well-preserved copy.

Fine dated presentation inscription signed by Annie Ernaux to the writer Christiane Baroche: "Pour Christiane, avec notre vieille amitié, de tendre pensées 'fraternelles' AErnaux 16/01/92."

First edition, one of 70 numbered copies on Arches wove paper.

Our copy is enriched with the autograph signatures of Jacques Prévert — who signed as Jacques Rêve-vert (with the word “vert” highlighted in green) — and of André Pozner, each accompanied by two small drawings: a little cat for Jacques Prévert and a camel’s hump for André Pozner.

A fine copy, complete with its slipcase.

First trade edition, one of only 50 numbered copies printed on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue.
Rare and very attractive copy in original condition.

First edition, printed on Vélin d’Angoulême, with the usual typographical errors, and containing the six proscribed poems; one of the few copies presented to the author and "intended for friends who render no literary services".

Full claret morocco binding, spine with five raised bands richly decorated with multiple gilt- and blind-tooled fillets; third-state covers; boards framed with multiple blind-tooled fillets; marbled endpapers; gilt turn-ins; all edges gilt; marbled paper slipcase with morocco border; signed binding by Semet & Plumelle.

Precious copy, enhanced with an autograph dedication in ink by the author on the dedication page, addressed to Paul Meurice, playwright, journalist, and close collaborator of Victor Hugo, « à Paul Meurice, témoignage d'amitié. Ch. Baudelaire » ["To Paul Meurice, in token of friendship. Ch. Baudelaire"]. Featuring twenty autograph corrections by the author to the printed dedication and four poems:

- At the dedication: two pencil corrections to the last words of the first line. Baudelaire adds a plural to “es langueS françaiseS,” “es” being, in fact, the contraction of “en les.” A surprising syntactical correction, sacrificing coherence, which the author later amended in 1861 to “Magicien es Lettres Françaises”.

- “La muse vénale”, p. 29: one ink correction to the final word of the last line of the first tercet, “Guère S,” one of the earliest misprints corrected by Baudelaire, which had nevertheless escaped him on the proofs, as with the following.

- “Le chat”, p. 110: one ink correction in the second line of the sixth quatrain, “au” logically changed to “un.”

- “Don Juan aux enfers”, p. 43: three ink corrections to the third line of the third tercet. The first, a simple misprint, “errant S,” had already troubled Baudelaire on the proofs, but its earlier correction had not been carried over.

The other two, “leS rivageS,” are not orthographic corrections but represent one of the very first poetic variants, absent from most presentation copies, foreshadowing the forthcoming complete revision of Les Fleurs du mal and the new original edition of 1861.

-"Le reniement de Saint Pierre", p. 217: a pencil correction on the fourth line of the second quatrain. The “D” replacing the “C” in “Cieux” is underlined three times. Curiously, the proofs reveal the exact opposite: “Les Dieux” was then corrected with a “C,” equally emphatically underlined. Anti-clerical remorse or altered alliteration? This correction, found in only a few copies, drew the poet’s attention to another misprint, still intact in our copy, later corrected in subsequent presentation copies: “au X doux bruit.”

-Baudelaire also inscribed a large “C” in pencil on pp. 52, 73, 91, 187, 191, and 206, at the head of the six poems condemned on 20 August 1857 for removal from copies in circulation. He transferred the same “C.” to the table of contents, opposite the six incriminated titles: Les Bijoux, Le Léthé, À celle qui est trop gaie, Lesbos, Femmes damnées: À la pâle clarté, and Les Métamorphoses du Vampire.

In total, twenty autograph interventions by Charles Baudelaire.

First edition of the French translation, issued without any large-paper copies.

A handsome copy, complete with its original promotional band: "Calvino et la préhistoire-fiction."

Inscribed, dated, and signed by Italo Calvino to Pascal Pia.

First collected edition of the works by the author of Les Étourdis ou le Mort supposé, a comedy that enjoyed great success just before the Revolution.

The set includes a portrait frontispiece in the first volume, four engraved plates, and ten engraved headpieces.

Bound in contemporary full polished and mottled brown calf, gilt decoration, smooth spines with six false raised bands highlighted with gilt fillets and repeated gilt floral tools, gilt fillet frames on covers bordered with a garland roll, gilt tooling to head- and tailpieces, green morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt edges on boards, marbled edges, contemporary bindings.

Some foxing to a few leaves of volume IV and to the endpapers, with minor surface abrasions to the covers.

Poet and playwright F.-G.-J.-S. Andrieux (1759–1833) was for a time drawn to politics under the Consulate.

He is remembered for his famous retort to Bonaparte, who reproached him for his opposition in the Tribunate: « Citoyen Premier Consul, on ne s'appuie que sur ce qui résiste ».

In literature, however, his ultra-classical tastes prevented him from recognizing the genius of Balzac, of whom he said, after hearing Cromwell: « Ce jeune homme doit faire quoi que ce soit, excepté de la littérature ». A splendid copy in Bradel-Derome le jeune bindings (cf. Coligny, Bradel-Derome, type A-T2), bearing a printed label on the pastedown of the first volume and, beneath it, the bookplate of the library of Vicomte E. de Bourbon-Busset (1799–1863).

"New edition, with parts in first edition, incorporating an unpublished preface; the first edition had appeared in 1927 in Tokyo at the close of Claudel’s ambassadorship in Japan (1921–1927) and was issued in three fan-shaped quarto volumes. Work illustrated with Japanese characters calligraphed by Ikuma Arishima. Composed between June 1926 and January 1927, this essay (blending traditional calligraphy, haiku, and short Western-style verse) bears witness, among Claudel’s other creations, to the influence of the Far East on his poetic practice.

Moving and exceptional presentation inscription, signed and dated by Paul Claudel to his eldest daughter, Marie Claudel, known as "Chouchette" (1907–1981), and to his son-in-law Roger Méquillet, written at the head of the front endpaper and in pencil on the flyleaf: "A mes chers enfants Roger et Chouchette de tout mon coeur. claudel. Paris 30 juin 1942 Paul."

First edition printed on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy.

Affectionate signed presentation inscription from Jean Echenoz to his friend, the writer, screenwriter and filmmaker Jérôme Beaujour, also a specialist of Marguerite Duras’s cinema: "Pour Jérôme je t'embrasse, Jean. 6.XI.15"

First edition, one of 26 copies on pure wove paper, the only deluxe-paper issue.

A rare and handsome copy.

Antoine Tudal was the son-in-law and close confidant of Nicolas de Staël, who confided to him a few days before his death: "Tu sais, je ne sais pas si je vais vivre longtemps. Je crois que j'ai assez peint. Je suis arrivé à ce que je voulais..."

First edition on ordinary paper.

A pleasing copy.

Fine signed presentation inscription from Jean Echenoz to the writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker Jérôme Beaujour, also a specialist in Marguerite Duras’ cinema: "Pour Jérôme (qui m'a donné quelque chose p.109 à Pondichéry) et pour Elisabeth avec toute mon affection, Jean."

New edition, revised, corrected, and considerably enlarged.

Contemporary bindings in half mottled fawn calf over corners, smooth spines gilt with fillets, morocco title and volume labels, brown paper-covered boards, sprinkled edges.

Some minor rubbing to the spines, a few corners slightly bumped.

L'Esprit des lois occupies volumes I to IV; La Défense de l'Esprit des lois volume V (with a general index); Lettres persanes volume VI; volume VII gathers the Considérations and related pieces; volume VIII contains the posthumous works.

This collected edition of Montesquieu's works offers no particular bibliographical peculiarities in its contents but constitutes a very rare Zweibrücken printing bearing the false Saarbrücken imprint: Deux-Ponts was in fact an autonomous and conveniently located printing centre (by virtue of its proximity) for introducing into France titles that could not otherwise evade censorship.

First edition of the French translation, one of the scarce lettered copies printed on pur fil for private circulation, ours bearing the letter A, the only deluxe-paper copies together with 25 numbered copies on pur fil.
Wide-margined copy, boards and spine lightly and marginally sunned, a few scattered foxmarks affecting some leaves and deckle edges.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Half black long-grain morocco binding, smooth spine tooled in palladium with author, title, and date, anthracite-grey paper boards, original wrappers and spine preserved (the latter with two small stains at head and foot), endpapers and pastedowns of anthracite-grey paper, binding signed Thomas Boichot.

Precious and exceptional signed presentation inscription by Louis-Ferdinand Céline: "A Mac Orlan son admirateur et ami fidèle. LFerd"

Very rare first edition of the Japanese translation, accompanied by Taiichi Ogawa’s annotated commentary.

Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Alphonse Daudet.

Spine with two tears at head and foot, soiling to the wrappers, a few minor spots internally.

First Japanese edition of Alphonse Daudet’s masterpiece. Harshly received in Provence upon its publication in 1872, despite the support of Frédéric Mistral, the novel soon came to be regarded as one of the landmarks of French literature, and the character of Tartarin became the emblem—and finest ambassador—of the city of Tarascon.

First and only Franco-Chinese edition, illustrated with six etchings reproduced by Frédéric Chevalier.

A single copy recorded in the CCFr (Bulac).

Sole edition of this contemporary curiosity born of the French vogue for all things Oriental: born in 1831, Tin-Tun-Ling (or Ding Dunling) was a Chinese scholar from Shanxi and a political exile in France. Théophile Gautier met him in Paris, grew fond of him, and hired him to teach Chinese to his daughter Judith. Steeped in Far Eastern culture, she delighted in presenting herself as the reincarnation of a Chinese princess. Tin-Tun-Ling then lived in a pavilion built in the Chinese style, set in the garden of the Pré aux Oiseaux – Judith’s home in Saint-Enogat. After Gautier’s death in 1872, Tin-Tun-Ling married a Frenchwoman, Caroline Julie Liégeois, who later accused him of bigamy (he was in all likelihood already married in China); following a trial in 1873, he was nevertheless acquitted. A triple photographic portrait of Tin-Tun-Ling by Nadar survives, taken in 1874, one year before the publication of this work.

This copy is preserved in its original state, in flexible yellow cloth wrappers showing small spots and, as often, minor marginal tears.

Parisian first edition published simultaneously with that of Brussels. Seventh edition statement. Title pages in red and black.
Contemporary half black shagreen binding. Spine with raised bands decorated with blind compartments, series of bold fillets. Some scattered pale foxing on well-white paper. Handsome series agreeably bound.
 

First edition, one of 24 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue.

With sections devoted in particular to Cesare Pavese and Alberto Moravia...

A rare and attractive copy of Dominique Fernandez’s first published work.

First edition, printed on thick wove paper.
Bound in contemporary half brown shagreen, smooth spines decorated with black typographic motifs, marbled paper boards, hand-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, modern slipcase edged in brown morocco with matching marbled paper sides and olive-green felt lining. 
Some occasional foxing, the note "Henri Beyle" in black ink at the upper corner of the title page of the first volume, final catalogue leaf present at the end of the second volume, small corner restorations to four leaves of the first volume.
"Very rare and extremely sought after. Usually quite simply bound at the time. Often foxed" (Clouzot). "This work is of great rarity in fine condition" (Carteret).
A handsome and very rare copy, large-margined and attractively bound at the time, of this masterpiece by Stendhal—rarer still than Le Rouge et le Noir.

First illustrated edition, with a frontispiece portrait of the author and a plate of music inserted at the end.

Not listed in Schwab.

Contemporary binding in half polished Havana calf, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, chain motifs and floral tools, saffron paper boards, marbled edges.

Joints split at foots and slightly at heads, a pleasant copy overall.

An important work by the renowned Austrian orientalist (1774–1856) devoted to ancient Persian poetry, containing a large number of extracts translated into German and an extensive index.

The work, dedicated to the great French orientalist Silvestre de Sacy, was carefully printed in Gothic type; the Persian translations are presented in two columns.

A handsome, large-margined copy in a period binding.

First edition on vélin d'Angoulême (laid paper), complete with all six condemned pieces, with the usual typographical errors.
Contemporary red half sheepskin binding, spine with four raised bands framed in gilt adorned with gilt fleurons, red percaline boards,  marbled endpapers , speckled edges.

Rare and sought-after first edition.
 
Half-black shagreen binding, spine in four compartments, marbled paper boards, pebbled endpapers and pastedowns, speckled edges, contemporary binding.
Some occasional light foxing as usual.
 
Rare copy in strictly contemporary binding.

First edition of this periodical, the inaugural volume of which appeared in 1776. Publication continued until 1789 and ultimately comprised 112 volumes; sets are consequently very difficult to assemble, particularly in uniform bindings.

Copy bearing unidentified arms.

Contemporary full brown sheep. Smooth gilt-decorated spine. Red morocco lettering-piece and volume label. Upper cover stamped with armorial devices. Headcaps defective in five places. Various abrasions. A few early cracks at the head of the joints.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on Holland paper, the deluxe issue.

Full chocolate-brown morocco binding, spine with five raised bands framed with black fillets, date gilt at foot, gilt rolls on the caps, marbled paper endpapers and doublures, gilt double fillet borders on the doublures, gilt fillets along the edges, original wrappers and spine preserved, all edges gilt, slipcase edged with matching chocolate morocco, sides in marbled paper, interior lined with grey felt. A splendid binding signed by Semet & Plumelle.

A very handsome copy, perfectly bound in full morocco by Semet & Plumelle.

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on Outhenin-Chalandre pure wove paper for each volume, the only deluxe paper issue after 10 copies on Japon and 30 on Hollande.

In original wrappers. Very good overall condition; two covers show a few minor surface marks.
Pleasant and uncommon set, untrimmed and with full margins, complete in 27 volumes.

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on Ingres paper, deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, one of 500 copies on ordinary paper.
This copy has a chemise and slipcase.
A little light spotting, not serious, nice copy.
Retaining its advertising band and slip.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by René Char: “à Man Ray au voyant carnassier de tout cœur R. Char.” (“To Man Ray to the carnivorous fortune teller, with all my heart, R. Char.”)

First edition, with no deluxe-paper copies printed.
Illustrations.

A handsome copy despite the slightly faded spine.

Precious and fine signed presentation copy from Louis Aragon to Maurice Druon: "A Maurice Druon, pour qu'il sache que de temps je m'égarée dans Césarée. [sic] Louis".

First collective edition on ordinary paper.

Pleasing copy.

Valuable presentation copy signed by Louis Aragon: "A Maurice Druon, pour n'en pas perdre l'habitude. Louis."

 

First edition of this important account of Buffon, providing insights into his private life, his character, and his relationships with those around him; it also contains numerous references to his scientific work (cf. Quérard I, 119: "Lyon, Grabit, 1788"; Dureau, "Notice sur Joseph Aude," p. 15).

Half vellum binding, smooth spine with a red morocco title label in vertical layout, marbled paper boards, slightly rubbed corners, sprinkled edges.

Stains in the margins of the title page and final leaf.

The memoirs proper end on page 55.

The following pages contain the poems announced in the title.

The rarity of this volume was already noted by Dureau in 1868...

Chevalier Aude (1755–1841), a prolific dramatist and former secretary to Caraccioli, had also served as Buffon’s secretary and resided, in the manner of an “Eckermann,” with the great naturalist at his estate in Montbard.

Armorial bookplate "Sapere Aude" pasted on the verso of the front board, likely belonging to a descendant of the Chevalier.

First edition of the French translation by Georges Sautreau, review copy punch on the lower cover.

Spine slightly sunned, otherwise a pleasant copy.

Signed autograph inscription by Georges Sautreau, in Norwegian, to the philologist and literary historian Gunnar Fougner Høst, wishing him a joyful winter solstice: "Til Gunnar Høst glaedelig Jul Georges Sautreau Paris Nöel 1932;"

Rare and sought-after first edition, first issue.

Includes the subscribers' list and the foreword, later removed when the remainder of this edition passed into the hands of another publisher, Dion-Lambert. It also features the pagination error in volume two: page 164 instead of 364. 

Black half-morocco bindings, smooth spines with double gilt fillets and double blind-stamped compartments, black paper boards, slight superficial rubbing to some boards, marbled paper pastedowns and endpapers, sprinkled edges; contemporary bindings. Sparse foxing.

Outstanding copy in a contemporary binding of this masterpiece expertly described by Proust : "And when Chateaubriand even as he laments, allows the marvellous and transcendental being that he is to soar aloft we smile, for at the very moment he declares himself to have been annihilated he makes his escape, he lives with a life in which death is not." (Against Sainte-Beuve and other essays)

First edition of the French translation prepared by Jean-Nicolas Jouin de Sausseul (see Quérard VII, 330, who erroneously lists 4 parts; Cioranescu XVIII, 59 618; not in Sabin).

Full mottled fawn calf binding, smooth spines divided into compartments and decorated with gilt fleurons, some rubbing, light brown morocco title labels, green morocco volume labels, gilt rolls slightly faded at the headcaps, single gilt fillet framing the boards, gilt fillets along the edges, bumped corners, red edges, contemporary bindings.

Two small patches of missing leather to the lower cover of the second volume.

The original English edition appeared in 1781 under the title Emma Corbett.

One of the earliest English novels inspired by the loss of the American colonies; it enjoyed great success in Britain. Samuel Jackson Pratt (1749–1814) was a prolific man of letters whose works achieved a popularity comparable to that of Mme Cottin, a writer of a similar period and sensibility.

First edition of the French translation, of which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A fine copy.

Preface by Salman Rushdie, the work illustrated with drawings by the author.

Signed autograph inscription from Glen Baxter to Michel Crépu.

First edition, one of 750 numbered copies on vélin paper, this not justified, the only printing along with 50 on Japan.

A good copy.
Aesthetic Surrealist autograph inscription by Benjamin Péret: '...Pourquoi la chevelure, me direz-vous? Oui, pourquoi? Parce que les cheveux remplacent les parapluies...' to his friend Léo Malet.

First edition of this magazine led by Ivan Goll, uniting French surrealists then in exile in the United States with their American peers.
Several contributions including those from Saint-John Perse, Roger Caillois, William Carlos Williams, Alain Bosquet, Ivan Goll, André Breton, Aimé Césaire, André Masson, Henry Miller, Kurt Seligmann, Denis de Rougemont, Julien Gracq, Eugène Guillevic, Robert Lebel...
Illustrations by George Barker, André Masson, Wifredo Lam, Yves Tanguy.
Pleasant and rare collection despite a small piece missing at the foot of the spine on the double issue 2 & 3.
Complete collection in 6 issues and 5 deliveries (numbers 2 & 3 being double) of this important magazine that offers a panorama of the Surrealist movement in exile and provides an insight into the influence of the contributors on the New York art scene.

First edition.

Some light foxing.

Contemporary half aubergine sheep binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt and blind fillets, gilt friezes at head and foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

Our copy is enhanced with a photographic portrait of Victor Hugo (Souvenir du 16 septembre 1862) which he has countersigned in ink, serving as frontispiece; as well as an autograph inscription signed by Victor Hugo added on a blue paper leaf: "A mon vaillant et cher compagnon d'épreuve C. Berru",

Camille Berru (1817-1878), French journalist, was editor at l'Indépendance belge, a Brussels daily newspaper directed since 1856 by the Marseillais Léon Bérardi (1817-1897), who later made him his private secretary. He was closely connected to the Hugo family, not only to Victor, but also to his son Charles and to Adèle Foucher. During his stays in Brussels, it was at Berru's home that the exile from Guernsey regularly stayed, with his wife, who died there of a cerebral congestion on August 27, 1868.

First edition in French, for which there were no large paper copies.

A good copy.
Autograph inscription dated and signed by Ernst Jünger to Madeleine Clouzot : "... après notre excellent déjeuner..."

First edition, one of 480 numbered copies on laid paper, only grands papiers (deluxe) copies besides 20 Arches and 100 service de presse (advance) copies on laid paper.
Our copy is complete with the rare vignette etching drawn and engraved by Hans Bellmer printed 'en sanguine' present in only around 200 copies.
Preface by Jean Paulhan.
Spine very lightly faded.
A beautiful copy of this masterpiece of erotic literature.

First edition, one of the numbered copies on alfa paper reserved for the press.

Spine very slightly sunned, otherwise a well-preserved copy.
Signed autograph inscription from Irène Némirovsky to Charles Laval.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Holland paper, the deluxe issue.
Bound in full ebony morocco, smooth spine decorated with small inlays of garnet morocco and pearl-grey box calf, the latter framing the author’s initials and the title; the first numeral of the date, given in Roman numerals, appears within a square of pearl-grey box calf. Morocco boards framed with wide panels of chocolate suede, the upper cover with a large granulated paper panel lettered with the title and date of the edition set in garnet morocco, the initials framed by a rectangle of paper taken from a map of Haute-Savoie; bluish paper endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt; housed in a chemise with a rhodoid-backed spine and slipcase trimmed with ebony morocco. Binding signed by Pierre-Lucien Martin and dated 1964.

These “memoirs-autobiography” by Simone de Beauvoir trace her life from her success at the agrégation prepared with Jean-Paul Sartre to the Liberation of Paris in August 1944.

A superb and celebrated binding, produced in a few copies, each differing slightly, by Pierre-Lucien Martin, one of the masters of twentieth-century French bookbinding.

First edition, one of 160 hors commerce copies on Lana vellum, ours being one of 60 hors commerce copies, the only deluxe issue.

Half long-grain black morocco binding, smooth spine lettered with the author’s name, title, date, and the palladium inscription “EX. JOSEPH KESSEL 1958”, wood-patterned paper boards, grey endpapers and pastedowns, wrappers and spine preserved, binding signed by Thomas Boichot.

Some foxing, mainly affecting the wrappers and the first and last leaves.

Exceptional and moving signed autograph presentation from Maurice Druon to Joseph Kessel: "A toi mon grand Jef, cet Alexandre le grand né lui aussi sous le signe du Lion en même temps que du Bélier et que tu as aidé de tes conseils et de ton exemple en t'embrassant très fort. Maurice Juin 58"

First appearance of the 18 poems by Charles Baudelaire published on pages 1079–1093 of the Revue des Deux Mondes, showing numerous variations from the text of the first edition issued in 1857 by Poulet-Malassis & De Broise.

Full black shagreen binding, smooth spine, double blind-ruled borders on covers, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, slightly later binding.

A rare and attractive copy.

First edition.

Publisher’s binding, smooth olive-green cloth spine partially faded, upper headcap trimmed, cream boards speckled with pink, bumped corners, shadowed endpapers.

Signed autograph inscription by Thomas Nelson Page at the head of the title page.

First edition of this issue of the review consisting of two folded sheets.
Marginal lacks very skillfully filled on the sheets.
On the first, a color woodcut representing Paul Signac by Georges Seurat.
On the following ones, text by Félix Fénéon in first edition entitled "Signac".
Very rare issue.

First edition, one of 10 lettered copies on Holland paper, the only deluxe copies.

Illustrated on the cover with a portrait of Max Jacob by Pablo Picasso.

A rare and handsome copy.

First edition, one of 120 copies printed on pure laid paper.

Pleasant copy with wide margins throughout.

First edition, with no deluxe paper copies issued (except for No. 7) for each volume.
Our complete set comprises:
Céline Notebooks 1: Céline and the Literary Scene 1932–1957.
Céline Notebooks 2: Céline and the Literary Scene 1957–1961.
Céline Notebooks 3: Semmelweis and Other Medical Writings.
Céline Notebooks 4: Letters and Early Writings from Africa 1916–1917.
Céline Notebooks 5: Letters to Female Friends.
Céline Notebooks 6: Letters to Albert Paraz 1947–1957.
Céline Notebooks 7: Céline and Current Events 1933–1961.
Céline Notebooks 8: Progress followed by Works for Stage and Screen.
Illustrations.
Rare complete set.

First edition, one of 220 numbered copies printed on Vélin du Marais.

Rubbing to the slipcase and chemise, otherwise a clean and attractive copy.

Illustrated with 25 intaglio engravings by Elisabeth-Mary Burgin.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on alfa, only deluxe copies. Some light foxing, mainly on the endpapers.

Rare signed presentation copy in French: “To my friend René Jasinski, in token of gratitude and friendship, these few scenes of Jewish life in New York. T. Twersky”, with a sentence in Hebrew translated by the author in French on a laid-in leaf: “Translation of the Hebrew inscription: sixth day of the week ‘Pekoudè’, year 5692 since the creation of the world, in the holy community of Paris”, (Friday, 4 March 1932 according to our calculation).

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Ingres d'Arches paper, the deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, one of 50 copies numbered on pure wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed.

Spine faded with a small tear at the foot.

Inscribed by Roland Barthes to Pierre Dumayet.

First bilingual edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the deluxe issue.

The French translation, printed opposite the English text, was prepared by Patrick Guyon and Marie-Claude White.

A rare and attractive copy.

First edition, review copy.

Nice copy.
Signed autograph Andre Suares Georges Le Cardonnel: "... that should all read & do not think less ..."