First Editions

First edition, of which no deluxe copies were issued.
Half brown shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands set with double black fillets, gilt date at foot, traces of rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding.
Signed autograph inscription from Emile Langlade to the poet Jean Ott.

First edition, one of 100 service de presse copies on colored paper.
Half marbled caramel sheep binding, spine with two raised bands decorated with gilt central fleuron, gilt date and double fillet at foot, some light rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, one upper corner bumped, top edge gilt, contemporary binding.
Very fine signed autograph inscription from Emile Poiteau to the poet Jean Ott ending in verse.
Illustrated with wood engravings and drawings by Arthur Mayeur.

First edition, one of 94 numbered copies on Rives laid paper.
Half brown shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands set with black double fillets, gilt date at foot, some light rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, two corners slightly bumped, contemporary binding.
Fine signed autograph inscription from Ernest Depré to the poet Jean Ott in the form of a quatrain.
Illustrated with 37 drawings by André Lavezzari.
Preface by Jean Richepin.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Half pink cloth binding, smooth faded spine decorated with gilt floral motif, gilt double fillet and date at foot, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, binding signed by A. Mertens.
Signed autograph inscription from Paul Adam to the poet Jean Ott.
Our copy is enhanced with a signed autograph postcard from the author addressed to the same.
We also include the funeral announcement for the requiem mass for the repose of Paul Adam.
Work illustrated with plates.

First edition, one of 900 numbered copies on crèvecoeur du Marais paper, the only printing, with 15 on China and 10 hors commerce.
With 4 original drypoint illustrations by Wols.
Two miniscule marginal wormholes to foot of lower cover, a good copy.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Arches vellum, the only deluxe copies.
Siena, Livorno, Lucca, Florence...
Spine very lightly sunned without consequence, endpapers uniformly and lightly shaded, a full-margined copy.

First edition, an advance (service de presse) copy.
Autograph inscription signed by Albert Camus to Henri Gouhier.
Paper yellowed as usual, spine sunned, retaining its advertising slip.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Autograph inscription from Albert Camus to J.P. Loiseau : "... pour le remercier encore...[to thank him once more]."
Spine lightly sunned.

First edition printed on ordinary paper.
Publisher's binding in full boards, with the illustrated dust jacket.
Signed autograph inscription from Georges Blond to Marcel Aymé's daughter, Colette Magne, and to her husband, Raymond: "A Colette Magne avec qui j'ai livré la bataille de l'hôtel Continental et à Raymond, en souvenir d'autres combats plus dramatiques" ["To Colette Magne with whom I fought the battle of the Continental Hotel and to Raymond, in memory of other more dramatic battles"].
Iconography, handsome copy.

First edition, one of 110 numbered copies on pure Lana rag paper, deluxe printing after 50 on laid paper.
Spine and boards slightly and marginally sunned, a full-margined copy.

First edition, one of 105 numbered copies on pur fil, this one of a few hors commerce copies justified by Gaston Gallimard, tirage de tête after 19 Hollande.
Spine slightly sunned.

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on Rives vellum, ours one of the few hors commerce copies, the only printing with 10 on Arches.
The work illustrated with 4 original etchings by André Dignimont.
Minimal loss to head of spine.
Rare and handsome copy.

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on vélin de Rives, ours one of the few hors commerce copies, the only issue with 10 Arches.
Illustrated with 3 original etchings by Gabriel Fournier.
A cut to the front cover also affecting the following pages up to the frontispiece etching and title page.

First edition, a Service de Presse (advance) copy.
Spine slightly sunned, handsome interior condition.
Precious signed autograph inscription from Marcel Aymé to his daughter Colette: ".. bien affectueusement. / Marcel." [".. with much affection. / Marcel."]

First edition printed on ordinary paper.
Publisher's binding in full red boards, with the cellophane wrapper.
Signed autograph inscription from the author to Marcel Aymé's daughter, Colette Magne.
Fine copy.

First edition printed on ordinary paper, with statement of second edition.
Half dark green sheep binding, spine sunned with four raised bands decorated with gilt fleurons, marbled paper boards, minor tears without consequence to top edges, top corners slightly bumped, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved with a small library shelf label pasted on bearing the printed mention "Paul Reboux", contemporary binding.
Precious autograph inscription from the author to Paul Reboux.
Some pages dog-eared at head by the dedicatee as reading markers, some marginal annotations in red colored pencil, a small marginal tear with minimal lack at head of the final pages of the volume.

First edition.
Full hazel cardboard binding, smooth spine decorated with blind fillets, boards slightly and marginally discolored, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary binding.
Occasional light foxing.

First edition, one of 820 numbered copies on vélin crème paper.
A good copy.

First edition.
Half green shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands bearing minor scratches, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, corners slightly bumped, binding signed by Meuthey.
Complete with its lithographed title vignette and frontispiece.
Occasional light foxing.

First edition, with no mention of deluxe copies.
Half burgundy cloth binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt floral motif, date and double gilt fillet at foot, head slightly rubbed, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, contemporary binding.
Autograph inscription signed by Paul-Louis Garnier to the Baroness de la Tombelle.
Publisher's printed tribute above the manuscript dedication.

First edition, one of 600 numbered copies on laid paper, ours unnumbered, the only deluxe copies.
Fine signed autograph inscription from Louis Gillet to the poet Armand Godoy mentioning Charles Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe
As frontispiece, a facsimile of an autograph letter from Sainte-Beuve to Vigny.
Spine and boards marginally sunned, handsome interior condition.

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on vélin Johannot, tirage de tête.
A very good copy of this text about Francis Ponge.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on pur fil, the only large paper copies.
A very good copy.

First edition, a unique copy printed on pink paper, tirage de tête along with a pale green paper.
A rare and good copy.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Japan, the only large paper copies.
A good and well-margined copy.

First edition on ordinary paper
Half cream-colored cloth Bradel binding over marbled paper boards by Gauché, dark brown morocco title piece (one scratch), covers lined and preserved
Rare autograph inscription from Charles Péguy over two pages, to Gounelle : " Mardi 29 Avril 1913, cher monsieur Gounelle voici encore un cahier emporté dans les présentes tempêtes
Je suis votre affectueusement dévoué Péguy [Tuesday 29 April 1913, dear monsieur Gounelle here is another notebook caught up in the present storms
I remain your affectionately devoted Péguy]."

First edition on ordinary paper
Contemporary half mint-green cloth Bradel binding over marbled paper boards, spine with gilt floral motif, dark brown morocco titlepiece (lightly rubbed), double gilt fillet to foot, covers (with slight angular lacks) preserved
Rare autograph inscription by Charles Péguy to Monsieur Saffrey : "Mardi 4 Mars 1913, je suis votre fidèle dévoué Péguy [Tuesday 4 March 1913, I am your faithfully devoted Péguy]." Paper yellowed as usual.

First edition.
Half black cloth binding with corners, smooth spine decorated with gilt fleurons and black fillets, double gilt fillets framing the marbled paper boards, price label pasted on front pastedown, contemporary binding.
Work illustrated with engravings in the text.

First edition.
Half cloth contemporary binding signed by Cabry.
Illustrated with a drawing by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes as frontispiece.
Occasional foxing.
Rare.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on Hollande, tirage de tête after 15 parcheminé azuré hors commerce reserved for the author.
A very good copy with good margins.

First edition, one of 36 numbered copies on Hollande, tirage de tête.
A good copy.

First edition, one of 14 numbered copies on pur fil, tirage de tête.
A good copy.

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on Hollande, the only large paper copies.
A good copy.

First edition, one of 329 numbered copies on Holland paper, deluxe issue after 97 Japan copies.
A pale dampstain to the margin at the foot of the first leaves, some deckled edges slightly sunned at corners, otherwise handsome full-margined copy.

First edition, one of 400 numbered copies on Hollande paper.
A good copy with good margins.

First edition, one of 825 numbered copies on antique laid paper, printed with 25 Japan and 50 Holland copies.
The work illustrated with a frontispiece by Jean-Gabriel Daragnès
Handsome copy.

First edition, one of 1625 numbered copies on vergé paper Lafuma, the only large paper copies after 387 on Hollande paper.
A good copy.

First edition, one of 250 numbered copies on Holland paper, deluxe issue after 30 on China paper and a few hors commerce copies reserved for the author.
Endpapers slightly shadowed, minimal pinpricks of no consequence, a small pasted label at the head of the verso of the front cover.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on wove paper, our copy unnumbered but properly justified on wove paper.
Spine very slightly faded as usual, otherwise a handsome copy.

First edition, one of 175 numbered copies on Holland paper, the deluxe issue after 35 on China paper.
Spine slightly sunned, one joint cracked at foot, endpapers shadowed, otherwise pleasant interior condition.

First edition, one of 15 numbered copies on Arches paper, the deluxe issue after 6 on Japan paper.
Half anthracite morocco binding with bands, smooth spine enhanced at the head with a mosaic piece of red and brown morocco, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, bookplate pasted on the front pastedown, elegant binding signed by Devauchelle.
Attractive cover illustrated by Lobel-Riche.
A handsome copy perfectly executed of this sequel to Jésus-la-Caille.

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on chiffon de Lana paper for the first two volumes and one of 64 numbered copies on vergé de Voiron for the last, the tirage de tête for the first two volumes and the only large paper copies for the last.
Trace of a transverse fold to upper cover of second volume, upper cover of third volume slightly sunned at foot, with transparent traces of adhesive paper to endpapers of same volume.
A very good and rare set that one rarely finds complete with the third volume, which appeared later.

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on vélin du Marais, tirage de tête.
Two small marginal traces of fol to foot of spine and first cover, otherwise a very good copy.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Hollande, the only large paper copies after 5 on China.
With a photographic portrait of the author as frontispiece.
Endpapers very lightly, marginally sunned (not seriously).
A very good copy.

The first edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Publisher's full blue cloth binding, smooth spine, retaining the illustrated dust jacket in perfect condition.
Rich iconography.
Light worming to endpapers, otherwise a handsome copy.

The first edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Signed autograph inscription from André Nougue to Michèle Pozzo.
Minor marginal worming of no consequence to the first cover, otherwise a handsome copy complete with its errata leaf.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Autograph inscription signed by André Spire to François Porché and his wife.
Spine very skilfully restored, handsome copy.

First edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Autograph inscription signed by Louise Weiss to Anne Deack.
A small marginal crease and minimal worming to boards, a small paper loss at foot of rear board left by a torn-off label.

First edition, one of 950 numbered copies on vélin de Rives paper.
A good copy.

First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on Japan paper, deluxe issue.
Spine sunned with repaired tears, light marginal tears with occasional tiny corner lacks to boards, pleasant interior condition.

First edition, one of 1350 numbered copies on Arches paper, the only large paper copies with 53 on Japan paper.
A good copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Half chocolate sheep binding, faded spine with two raised bands decorated with a central gilt fleuron, gilt date and double fillet at foot, cherry red shagreen title-label, some rubbing traces on spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding.
Signed autograph inscription from Nicolas Bourgeois to poet Jean Ott.

First edition, one of 18 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the tirage de tête (deluxe copy).

Jansenist red morocco, spine in six compartments, gilt date to foot of spine, pastedowns and endpapers in black morocco, covers and spine preserved, all edges gilt; half red morocco chemise, spine in six compartments, date in gilt at foot of spine, lined in black felt; slipcase edged in red morocco, lined in ochre felt, binding signed by Duhayon.

A superb copy handsomely bound in a triple binding by Duhayon.

BRETON André. La Lampe dans l'horloge [The Lamp in the Clock]
Robert Marin, Paris 1948, 11 x 17 cm, original wrappers with custom slipcase
First edition, one of the numbered copies on alfa mousse paper, this one not justified.
Wrappers in chemise and case.
With an exceptional and important presentation inscription from André Breton to Jean-Paul Sartre.
Case with almond-colored paper boards and chemise, red morocco title-piece and label with “exemplaire de J. P. Sartre [J.P. Sartre's copy]”.
This inscription from the Pope of Surrealism to the master of Existentialism – of whose rare meetings, most notably in New York, there remain barely any traces in their biographies – is all the more surprising since Sartre had just published a vitriolic article on Breton in Qu'est-ce que la littérature? [What is literature?]:
“The theoretical accord between Surrealism and the Communist Party against the bourgeoisie does not in fact go beyond the formal; it is the formal idea of negativity that unites them…Negativity subsists, no matter what anyone says, outside of history: it is, at the same time, of the instant and everlasting – it is the ultimate end of both literature and art. Somewhere, Breton approves of the… ‘sacred mission' of the proletariat. But in the end, this class – imagined as a legion of exterminating angels – is in reality nothing more for authors than a religious myth that plays a role (for the salving of their consciences) analogous to that played by the myth of ‘the People' in 1848 for well-intentioned writers.”
André Breton did not reply to Sartre's criticisms, nor even the ones formulated a year later by Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex.
This little work, as much political as it is poetical, is nonetheless a part of the common cause of these two intellectuals within the extremely ephemeral Rassemblement Démocratique Révolutionnaire. Founded in 1947 by Sartre, it very quickly floundered despite the active engagement of Breton.
1948 was therefore the only intellectual meeting of these two great “Masters of Thought” of the second half of the 20th century, whose personalities – intransigent and exclusionary – did not allow for a lasting philosophical union.

First edition, one of 26 numbered copies on Rives vellum, deluxe copy.
Publisher's binding with cream cloth spine, plexiglas boards, full mouse-colored cloth slipcase.
Work illustrated with 6 original drawings by Christian Bonnefoi on polystyrene tracing paper and tarlatane.
Signed by the author and illustrator on the justification page.
Slipcase very slightly and marginally discolored at head and foot of boards.
Rare and handsome copy.

First edition printed on ordinary paper, with only 2 Holland copies on deluxe paper.
Bradel binding in half mint green cloth, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleuron, gilt date and fillet at foot, brown shagreen title-label with scratches, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt.
Signed autograph inscription from the author.

The first edition printed in a small number of copies on laid paper and illustrated with original illustrations by the author.
Publisher's slipcase and chemise in full black cloth.
A minor corner tear inside the chemise slipcase.
A handsome copy.

First edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Autograph inscription signed by Michel Tauriac to André Kocher.
Handsome copy.

First edition, a Service de Presse (advance) copy.
Half caramel sheep binding, spine with two raised bands showing traces of rubbing, date and double gilt fillet at foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, original wrappers preserved, contemporary binding.
Autograph inscription signed by Henri Pourrat, in Spanish, to the Bacchic poet Jean Ott.

The first edition printed in a small number of copies on laid paper.
Half tan sheep binding, spine with five raised bands set with gilt fillets, traces of rubbing to spine, olive morocco title-label, marbled paper boards, a pale dampstain to head margin of front board, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, an angular stain to foot of rear endpapers, contemporary binding.
Some minor foxing of no consequence.
A rare and handsome copy.

First edition in French, one of 120 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only deluxe copies.
With a photographic portrait of the author as frontispiece.
A handsome copy.

First edition, one of 34 numbered copies on pur fil, the only large paper copies.
Spine and covers slightly and marginally sunned, not serious, otherwise a good copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Handsome autograph inscription from Blaise Cendrars to Jules supervielle : " à supervielle, voleur d'enfants."
A tiny marginal lack, not serious, on the first free endpaper, lacks to head of a leave (less than skillfully cut), small traces of folding to lower cover.
A handsome and rare copy.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on vélin pur fil, this one n°1, the only large paper copies.
A very good copy.

First edition, one of the advance (service de presse) copies.
Handsome autograph inscription from Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes to Joseph Delteil.
A very good copy.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the tirage de tête
Autograph inscription from Louis-Ferdinand Céline to his friend Pierre Duverger, the only photographer to have taken color photographs of Céline
Quality blueish paper covers, sunned (as is often the case)
Ex libris pasted onto foot of half-title
This copy has a half black morocco chemise, spine in six compartments, date to foot, and a slipcase edged in black morocco, both by Goy & Vilaine.

First edition for some parts, one of 75 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the tirage de tête.
A fine copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.
Autograph inscription dated and signed by the author to Lucien Mettai: "... ces histoires de nos turbulents ancêtres les vikings. / Hommage d'un gars de la côte salée." ["... these stories of our turbulent ancestors the Vikings. / Tribute from a guy from the salt coast."]
Preface by Pierre Mac Orlan. Illustrated cover after a vignette by Gustave Alaux. A fold mark along the entire length of the front cover.

Second edition, one of the numbered copies printed.
On the unity of Jean Moréas, the complexity of Rémy de Gourmont, Anatole France, on criminal sociology...
Marginal stains to first cover, handsome interior condition.

First edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Signed autograph inscription from the author to Pierre Quillard.
Illustrated work, with frontispiece portrait of Gérard de Nerval after Nadar engraved by Edouard Loevy.
Lack to foot of spine, joints rubbed at foot, tears and small marginal lacks to boards.

First edition, printed on ordinary paper.
Signed autograph inscription from Mathias Morhardt to Marcel Cottière.
Spine and boards uniformly sunned, small marginal spotting to boards.

HUGO Victor
La Pitié suprême [The Supreme Compassion] Calmann Lévy, Paris 1879, 150 x 240 mm (5 15/16 x 9 7/16 ”), half shagreen
First edition.
Elegant half dark blue shagreen over marbled paper boards by René Aussourd, spine in four compartments with gilt dots and double gilt compartments containing horizontal arabesques and gilt stars, date and “ex. de J. Drouet” in gilt to foot, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers and spine preserved (marginal repairs to covers), top edge gilt, ex-libris of Pierre Duché on one endpaper.
An exceptional autograph inscription from Victor Hugo to Juliette Drouet, the love of his life: “The first copy for you, my lady. V.”
Written in 1857, this long philosophical poem on the Revolution was originally meant to conclude the Légende des Siècles. Victor Hugo eventually published it in 1879 when he took a stand on behalf of the Communards.
Pleading for the abolition of the death penalty, La Pitié suprême highlights one of the first and most heartfelt of Hugo's political struggles, which he carried on till the very end of his 80s: “if my name stands for anything in these deadly times in which we live, it stands for Amnesty” (Letter to the citizens of Lyon, 1873).
Comparing Hugo and Machiavelli, J. C. Fizaine underlines the intellectual rigor of the poet who put himself at the service of a humanism elevated into a universal principle: “Machiavelli writes for those who wanted to become princes. Hugo writes, first and foremost, for the people, who have known tyranny. It is La Pitié suprême that defines what will remain immutably sacrosanct, human life, without hate, resentment and the memory of past suffering being justifications for the transgression of its sanctity; and the danger of such transgression is the impossibility of establishing any kind of political system and falling back into a pre-civilized state.” (Victor Hugo penseur de la laïcité – Le clerc, le prêtre et le citoyen)
It was together with Juliette Drouet that he waged this final struggle. Published in February 1879, not long after they had settled in the avenue d'Eylau, La Pitié suprême seems to be a political echo of the newfound legitimacy of the two old lovers after fifty years of clandestine relations. Hugo's last fight for amnesty and pardon reverberated in his emotional life, like with the poem he wrote on the death of Juliette in 1883:
“On my grave they'll write, as a great victory,
The cherished, deep, embattled memory
of a love that was not sanctioned but grew virtuous...”
A fine copy in a handsome binding and with an extraordinary provenance, the most desirable one could wish for.

First edition, one of 155 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the tirage de tête after 45 on Hollande.
A very good copy.

First edition in French, one of 100 numbered copies on pur fil paper du marais paper, the tirage de tête.
A good copy.

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies after 5 on Japan paper
Half black morocco Bradel binding by Alfred Farez (active from 1909 to 1930), gilt date at foot of spine, marbled pastedowns and endpapers
A fine copy in a handsome binding.

First edition of the introduction as well as the bibliographical essay by Guillaume Apollinaire, one of 500 numbered copies on Arches paper, this copy not justified, the only printing after 5 copies on Japan.
Contemporary half grey cloth Bradel bindings over marbled paper boards, spine with gilt floral motif (slightly sunned), double gilt fillets to foot, black sheep title-pieces, upper corners slightly bumped, the fragile parchment-effect covers preserved, two small snags to upper edges, top edge gilt.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by Guillaume Apollinaire to his publisher P.V. Stock at head of endpaper of first volume.
Paper lack to lower cover of second volume, the parchment-effect covers slightly wormed.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the tirage de tête.
Half morocco cerise to coins, spine to quatre nerfs sertis de filets noirs, covers, endpapers and pastedowns marbled, top edge gilt, covers and spine preserved.
A nice copy elegantly bound.

First edition with seven out-of-text plates printed on heavy paper, drawn by Poufsin and executed by Lambert.
Contemporary full red morocco binding, smooth spine decorated with compartments, geometric and floral gilt motifs, dotted and Greek fret gilt frame to boards, fine gilt roll surrounding marbled paper pastedowns, gilt roll on leading edges and headcaps, all edges gilt. Three corners slightly bumped and very minor and marginal worming to a few leaves, otherwise a handsome copy.

First edition of which there were no large paper copies.
A good copy.

Autograph manuscript by the author, 4 and a half octavo pages, published in the June 2, 1943 issue of the Journal des Débats.
Complete manuscript in very dense handwriting, with numerous deletions, corrections and additions.
Literary chronicle published on the occasion of the publication of Servius et la fortune by Georges Dumézil. The complete typescript is included.

By devoting his study to Dumézil's work on Servius, Blanchot established a crucial milestone in the evolution of his own thought, the passage from political conviction to literary engagement.
This reflection on sovereignty indeed led the former Maurrassian to reorient his value system, subjecting the prince's power to the people's benevolence: "La louange des hommes est une divinité sous le patronage de laquelle se place le souverain choisi par la voix publique" ["The praise of men is a divinity under whose patronage the sovereign chosen by public voice places himself"].
Starting from this legitimation of the sovereign by the poet's word and his alienation by the "puissance du blâme" ["power of blame"], Blanchot evolved toward a magical power of speech, first for the sovereign's use: "son pouvoir royal (...) n'est réel que par la maîtrise qu'il a sur les mots" ["his royal power (...) is real only through his mastery over words"]; then "dépassant toute forme d'échange. [La poésie] est par excellence ce qui est donné, ce qui manifeste le don des dieux en assurant le crédit des hommes." ["surpassing all forms of exchange. [Poetry] is par excellence what is given, what manifests the gift of the gods while ensuring the credit of men."]
Maurice Blanchot's position was now perfectly established: he did not sacrifice Politics for Letters, he affirmed the predominance of the literary over the political and henceforth devoted his entire life "to literature and to the silence that belongs to it".


Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published 173 articles on recently published books in the "Chronicle of intellectual life" of the Journal des Débats. In half a newspaper page (approximately seven octavo pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" took his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurated a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre". From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrated an analytical acuity far exceeding the literary current events that motivated their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he established in his chronicles the foundations of critical thinking that would mark the second half of the 20th century. Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot broke, through a thought exercised "in the name of the other", with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth. Not without paradox, he then transformed literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "Burning a book, writing one, are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943). In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, ever more confident in its own rhetoric, delivered more to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident). Autograph manuscripts by Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.

Autograph manuscript by the author, 3 quarto pages, published in issue 17 of October 7, 1945 of the newspaper Le Paysage Dimanche. Complete manuscript in very dense handwriting, with numerous deletions, corrections and additions.
Chronicle published on the occasion of the numerous studies on Giraudoux's work that appeared since his death in January 1944.
The complete typescript is included.
While the numerous references to his work in the articles of the Journal des Débats reveal Giraudoux's ascendancy over Blanchot, the latter nevertheless manifests a clear desire to free himself from this paternity. Thus he removes from Faux-Pas numerous references to Giraudoux's work (cf C. Bident, M. B. De la chronique à la théorisation). This article published in 1945 is a unique testimony to the ambivalence of feelings toward an admired master who could no longer serve as a model for his disciple, transformed by writing and war.
"Certes, un auteur, comme celui de Judith ne peut pas être un auteur de tout repos mais ce qu'il a créé est beau et ce beau n'est pas "ce qui nous désespère". Il est trop facile de voir que, quoi qu'il veuille, il ne va jamais jusqu'à compromettre en son art, l'harmonie la compréhension, la mesure. Comme une malédiction jetée sur la réalité inaccessible, il formerait un monde entièrement faux? Mais pas si faux: nous n'y perdons pas pied, nous ne cessons de nous y reconnaitre et au contraire, pour certains comme Sartre, c'est celui de la banalité même des concepts de chaque jour." ["Certainly, an author like the one who wrote Judith cannot be a restful author, but what he has created is beautiful and this beauty is not 'what drives us to despair'. It is too easy to see that, whatever he may wish, he never goes so far as to compromise in his art, harmony, understanding, measure. Like a curse cast upon inaccessible reality, would he form an entirely false world? But not so false: we do not lose our footing there, we never cease to recognize ourselves in it and on the contrary, for some like Sartre, it is that of the very banality of everyday concepts."]


Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published 173 articles on recently published books in the "Chronicle of intellectual life" of the Journal des Débats. In half a newspaper page (approximately seven octavo pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" took his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurated a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre". From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrated an analytical acuity far exceeding the literary current events that motivated their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he established in his chronicles the foundations of critical thinking that would mark the second half of the 20th century. Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot broke, through a thought exercised "in the name of the other", with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth. Not without paradox, he then transformed literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "Burning a book, writing one, are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943). In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, ever more confident in its own rhetoric, delivered more to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident). Autograph manuscripts by Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.

Autograph manuscript by the author of 4 and a half pages in-8 published in the issue of November 3, 1943 of Journal des Débats.
Complete recto-verso manuscript, in very dense handwriting, with numerous deletions, corrections and additions.
The complete typescript is included.
Chronicle published on the occasion of the publication of L'Apocalypse de St Jean, vision chrétienne de l'histoire by Father H.M. Féret.

From the outset, Maurice Blanchot, doing his job as a critic, praises the seriousness of the study conducted by Father Féret. But what interests him more than this careful orthodoxy are the powerful echoes of L'Apocalypse in the terrible hours the world was then going through: « Dans les périodes troublées, les esprits qui ne supportent pas l'incertitude de l'avenir ont besoin de prophètes. Mais ces prophètes, ils les demandent au passé, et plus l'oracle est ancien - et redoutable -, plus ils y voient des correspondances avec l'histoire qu'ils voudraient connaître. L'Apocalypse de St Jean doit, en partie à la sublimité du langage, à l'autorité de l'écrivain, à l'étendue de la révélation, une curiosité que des siècles d'étude n'ont pas réussi à épuiser. Mais elle doit aussi son prestige auprès d'esprits qui ne sont pas toujours pieux, à l'antiquité de la réponse et à son caractère terrifiant. Qui n'est pas prêt à croire que la fin des temps est proche et que le pire va être vécu ? Chacun a le désir secret d'associer sa propre fin qu'il entrevoie à celle du monde dont il est moins sûr. » ["In troubled periods, minds that cannot bear the uncertainty of the future need prophets. But these prophets, they seek them in the past, and the more ancient - and fearsome - the oracle, the more they see correspondences with the history they would like to know. The Apocalypse of St. John owes, partly to the sublimity of language, to the authority of the writer, to the extent of the revelation, a curiosity that centuries of study have not managed to exhaust. But it also owes its prestige among minds that are not always pious, to the antiquity of the answer and to its terrifying character. Who is not ready to believe that the end of times is near and that the worst will be lived? Each has the secret desire to associate his own end that he glimpses with that of the world of which he is less certain."] The biblical text thus awakens his interest for its literary and mythological qualities but also, in an almost political approach, for its sense of History. Furthermore, if religion does not of course pose itself in terms of belief for Blanchot, it nevertheless reveals his attention to the question of God (particularly sensitive through Judaism notably) and joins that, decisive in his eyes, of the writer's interior experience.
Finally, the analysis of L'Apocalypse that Blanchot delivers here constitutes a first in-depth reflection on the question of Evil: « [...] ce qui est propre au message inspiré, c'est le rôle qu'il fait jouer au démon dans la vie collective et le mouvement de l'histoire. Saint Jean ne dévoile pas l'action du mal dans les âmes ; il se borne à montrer quelle maîtrise les puissances démoniaques peuvent exercer sur les réalités collectives, par quelles voies elles agissent [...] et quelle défaite mettra un terme à leur empire. » ["[...] what is proper to the inspired message is the role it makes the demon play in collective life and the movement of history. Saint John does not unveil the action of evil in souls; he confines himself to showing what mastery demonic powers can exercise over collective realities, by what paths they act [...] and what defeat will put an end to their empire."] These links between the Apocalypse, History and Evil would be questioned again by Blanchot in "L'Apocalypse déçoit" (1964) and "Penser l'Apocalypse" (1988).

First foundational text by Blanchot on Evil and History.

Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published in the "Chronicle of intellectual life" of Journal des Débats 173 articles on recently published books. In half a page of newspaper (approximately seven in-8 pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" takes his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurates a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre". From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrates an analytical acuity far exceeding the literary current events that motivate their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he establishes in his chronicles the foundations of a critical thought that would mark the second half of the 20th century. Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot breaks, through a thought exercised "in the name of the other," with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth. Not without paradox, he then transforms literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "To burn a book, to write one, are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943). In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, always more certain of its own rhetoric, more given over to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident). Autograph manuscripts by Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.

Autograph manuscript by the author of 3 and a half pages in-4 published in number 23 of November 18, 1945 of Paysage Dimanche. Complete manuscript in very dense handwriting, with numerous deletions, corrections and additions. Literary chronicle of André Dhôtel's work. The complete typescript is included.
When the apostle of silence in literature speaks of the novelist of the invisible, this produces a strange apology for a work « destinée à sauver [...] l'essence du romanesque, sa vie pure et secrète », « passionnante jusque dans sa monotonie, selon le rythme des plus belles histoires romanesques où il ne se passe rien, mais où l'imprévu est toujours imminent. » ["destined to save [...] the essence of the novelistic, its pure and secret life", "fascinating even in its monotony, according to the rhythm of the most beautiful novelistic stories where nothing happens, but where the unexpected is always imminent."]
Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published in the "Chronicle of intellectual life" of Journal des Débats 173 articles on recently published books. In half a page of newspaper (approximately seven in-8 pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" takes his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurates a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre". From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrates an analytical acuity far exceeding the literary current events that motivate their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he establishes in his chronicles the foundations of a critical thought that would mark the second half of the 20th century. Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot breaks, through a thought exercised "in the name of the other," with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth. Not without paradox, he then transforms literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "To burn a book, to write one, are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943). In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, always more certain of its own rhetoric, more given over to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident). Autograph manuscripts by Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.

Autograph manuscript by the author of 2 and a half octavo pages published in the April 20, 1944 issue of Journal des Débats. Complete manuscript with very dense writing, containing numerous strikethroughs, corrections and additions. Literary chronicle on the work of Claude Roy. The complete typescript is included.
This critique of La Mer à boire by Claude Roy is at once a detailed analysis of each short story and a poetic hymn to the poet's writing: "Le style de Claude Roy répond à merveille à ce jeu de nuances : il est lui aussi plein d'échos qui s'évanouissent, de mots qui se répercutent: il est libre, discipliné, tout en inventions et fidèle à la réalité qu'il décrit." ["Claude Roy's style responds marvelously to this play of nuances: it too is full of echoes that fade away, of words that reverberate: it is free, disciplined, full of inventions and faithful to the reality it describes."]

Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published 173 articles on recently published books in the "Chronique de la vie intellectuelle" of Journal des Débats.
In half a page of newspaper (about seven octavo pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" takes his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurates a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre."
From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrates an analytical acuity far exceeding the literary current events that motivate their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he establishes, in his chronicles, the foundations of a critical thought that would mark the second half of the twentieth century.
Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot breaks, through a thought exercised "in the name of the other," with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth.
Not without paradox, he then transforms literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "To burn a book, to write one, these are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943).
In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, always more confident in its own rhetoric, delivered more to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident).
The autograph manuscripts of Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.

Autograph manuscript by the author of 2 and a half pages in-4 published in the March 2, 1944 issue of Journal des Débats. Complete manuscript with very dense writing, containing numerous strikethroughs, corrections and additions. Literary chronicle published on the occasion of the publication, in the new collection of Gallimard editions devoted to "La Jeune Philosophie," of the work "Le souci de sincérité" by Yvon Belaval. The complete typescript is included.

Under Blanchot's pen, philosophical criticism acquires its own autonomy which makes it impossible to distinguish between Belaval's original thought and the luminous interpretation that Maurice Blanchot offers of it, in a few pages.

« L'homme sincère veut rompre avec la solitude où l'ont enfermé à la fois la réflexion et la faiblesse. Il rêve d'un retour au "nous" primitif, mais il se contente de le rêver : il s'enchante de ses scrupules, il ne parle qu'à soi-même et ne parle que de soi, il échoue et jouit de ses échecs. » ["The sincere man wants to break with the solitude in which both reflection and weakness have confined him. He dreams of a return to the primitive 'we,' but he contents himself with dreaming it: he is enchanted by his scruples, he speaks only to himself and speaks only of himself, he fails and enjoys his failures."]

No concern for sincerity, therefore, in Blanchot, but a rigorous intellectual mechanism which does not fear to free itself from the limits of the text studied to deploy all its philosophical potential.

Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published 173 articles on recently published books in the "Chronique de la vie intellectuelle" of Journal des Débats. In half a page of newspaper (about seven octavo pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" takes his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurates a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre." From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrates an analytical acuity far exceeding the literary current events that motivate their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he establishes, in his chronicles, the foundations of a critical thought that would mark the second half of the twentieth century. Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot breaks, through a thought exercised "in the name of the other," with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth. Not without paradox, he then transforms literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "To burn a book, to write one, these are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943). In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, always more confident in its own rhetoric, delivered more to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident). The autograph manuscripts of Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.

Autograph manuscript by the author of 3½ pages octavo published in the October 21, 1945 issue (no. 19) of Paysage dimanche.
Complete recto-verso manuscript, very densely written, with numerous deletions, corrections and additions.
Literary chronicle published on the occasion of the publication of the first two volumes of Jean-Paul Sartre's trilogy Les chemins de la liberté: "L'Age de raison" and "Le Sursis".
The complete typescript is included, with one deletion and one autograph correction by the author.

When this chronicle appeared in autumn 1945, Maurice Blanchot and Jean-Paul Sartre had already demonstrated mutual interest in their respective works, in articles sometimes critical, sometimes laudatory, always attentive. Similarly, if Les chemins de la liberté aroused Blanchot's admiration, it was essentially through the use the philosopher had made of the influence of two monuments of Anglo-Saxon literature, Virginia Woolf and John Dos Passos: « Ce qui nous paraît frappant, c'est le caractère d'œuvre d'art qu'en reçoit le livre, œuvre extrêmement composée, calculée avec un souci infiniment sûr des effets, où la confusion reste claire, où le désordre est perfection, et telle qu'on y reconnaît sans cesse la présence de l'écrivain le plus lucide, capable de tout obtenir du langage dont il est maître. » ["What strikes us is the character of a work of art that the book receives, an extremely composed work, calculated with infinitely sure concern for effects, where confusion remains clear, where disorder is perfection, and such that one constantly recognizes the presence of the most lucid writer, capable of obtaining everything from the language he masters."]
But this "Novel by Sartre" is above all an opportunity for Blanchot to raise the question of the links between literature and politics, on which the two men would have great difficulty agreeing in the following decades. Thus, Blanchot summarizes Sartre's vision, evoking the problem of engagement: « Il est indéniable que l'art de Sartre atteint son plus grand pouvoir lorsqu'il décrit l'engloutissement des consciences par les choses qui les hantent et les débordent, et de laquelle elles coulent comme une pâte pleine d'odeurs. Le monde qu'il sent est celui d'une métamorphose, mais cette métamorphose n'est pas changement de forme, elle n'est pas la transformation d'un être en un autre être, fût-ce d'un homme en une vermine ; elle va plus loin, elle est irrémédiable, car c'est la conscience même qui devient un matériel, c'est la pensée qui se fige en une substance gluante, visqueuse, sans contour, sans apparence, un dedans triste et vague, que nous ne pouvons saisir et qui, pourtant, comme tel, continue désespérément à penser. Tel est l'univers dans lequel nous sommes jetés, tant que nous n'essayons pas de le reprendre par une action qui nous engage. » ["It is undeniable that Sartre's art reaches its greatest power when he describes the engulfment of consciousness by things that haunt and overwhelm it, and from which it flows like a paste full of odors. The world he feels is one of metamorphosis, but this metamorphosis is not a change of form, it is not the transformation of one being into another being, even of a man into vermin; it goes further, it is irreparable, because it is consciousness itself that becomes material, it is thought that hardens into a sticky, viscous substance, without contour, without appearance, a sad and vague interior that we cannot grasp and which, nevertheless, as such, continues desperately to think. Such is the universe into which we are thrown, as long as we do not try to reclaim it through action that engages us."] The third volume of Les Chemins de la liberté, not yet published, leaves, in Blanchot's eyes, little doubt as to its content; and he summarizes, somewhat sarcastically: « Ce qui suivra est facile à imaginer : nous aurons la guerre, l'occupation, nous aurons la résistance, l'obscur combat, la première victoire ; et nous risquons d'avoir l'aventure de personnages assez veules et désaxés qui cherchent la liberté [...] et finiront par la vivre en s'engageant pleinement dans une action collective qu'ils acceptent. » ["What will follow is easy to imagine: we will have war, occupation, we will have resistance, the dark struggle, the first victory; and we risk having the adventure of rather spineless and unbalanced characters who seek freedom [...] and will end up living it by fully engaging in collective action that they accept."]

The manuscript contains significant variants from the typescript text, which testify to Blanchot's concern to use Sartrean concepts to good effect, in order to better return to what preoccupies him: the use of language in literature's revolutionary vocation.

Autograph manuscript by the author of 4½ pages octavo published in the December 23, 1942 issue of Journal des Débats.
Complete recto-verso manuscript, very densely written, with numerous deletions, corrections and additions.
The complete typescript is included.
Chronicle published on the occasion of the publication of four new novels: Les Hommes forts by Georges Magnane, Le Vent se lève by Marius Grout, Clément by Maurice Toesca and Si le ciel tombe by Roger de Lafforest.

At the end of 1942, Maurice Blanchot reviews current literary events and provides uncompromising criticism of four novels by Georges Magnane, Marius Grout (Prix Goncourt winner in 1943), Maurice Toesca and Roger de Lafforest: « On voit qu'à ces quatre ouvrages, la monotonie des moyens, l'élusion du temps, la sobriété du ton et surtout le caractère théorique du thème principal donnent l'apparence d'un conte, d'une longue nouvelle qui se montre ou qui se cache sous la figure d'un roman. M. Georges Magnane n'a pu faire que son livre ne paraisse peu de chose au regard des descriptions sportives dont il l'a enrichi : l'histoire qu'il raconte ne s'impose pas ; elle reste vide ; elle s'efface. De même, chez M. Toesca et M. de Lafforest, il y a comme une absence d'âme qui rend inutile le jeu intellectuel dont ils ont soigneusement tendu les fils. L'esprit ne retient que l'intention qui, comme telle, lui paraît assez insignifiante ; à quoi bon un livre, si l'art ne se rend pas inséparable de la pensée par le style dont il la marque ? Il y a plus de secret dans le récit de M. Marius Grout, et c'est ce poids lourd, ce silence grave, ce plus indiscernable qui, malgré toutes les explications que l'auteur a cru bon nous donner, s'ajoutent à son œuvre comme la vérité qui ne peut être dite et l'empêchent de n'être plus rien, lorsque le lecteur en a découvert la conclusion. » ["We see that these four works, through the monotony of their means, the evasion of time, the sobriety of tone and especially the theoretical character of their main theme, take on the appearance of a tale, of a long short story that shows itself or hides under the guise of a novel. M. Georges Magnane could not prevent his book from appearing insignificant compared to the sporting descriptions with which he enriched it: the story he tells does not impose itself; it remains empty; it fades away. Similarly, in M. Toesca and M. de Lafforest, there is something like an absence of soul that renders useless the intellectual game whose threads they have carefully woven. The mind retains only the intention which, as such, seems quite insignificant to it; what good is a book if art does not make itself inseparable from thought through the style with which it marks it? There is more mystery in M. Marius Grout's narrative, and it is this heavy weight, this grave silence, this more indiscernible element that, despite all the explanations the author thought fit to give us, add to his work like truth that cannot be told and prevent it from becoming nothing when the reader has discovered its conclusion."]

Between April 1941 and August 1944, Maurice Blanchot published 173 articles on recently published books in the "Chronicle of Intellectual Life" in Journal des Débats.
In half a newspaper page (about seven octavo pages), the young author of "Thomas l'obscur" takes his first steps in the field of literary criticism and thus inaugurates a theoretical work that he would later develop in his numerous essays, from "La Part du feu" to "L'Entretien infini" and "L'Écriture du désastre".
From the first articles, Blanchot demonstrates an acuity of analysis far exceeding the literary current events that motivate their writing. Oscillating between classics and moderns, first-rate writers and minor novelists, he establishes, in his chronicles, the foundations of critical thought that would mark the second half of the 20th century.
Transformed by writing and by war, Blanchot breaks, through thought exercised "in the name of the other," with the violent Maurrassian certainties of his youth.
Not without paradox, he then transforms literary criticism into a philosophical act of intellectual resistance to barbarism at the very heart of an "openly Maréchaliste" newspaper: "Burning a book, writing one, are the two acts between which culture inscribes its contrary oscillations" (Le Livre, In Journal des Débats, January 20, 1943).
In 2007, the Cahiers de la NRF brought together under the direction of Christophe Bident all the literary chronicles not yet published in volumes with this pertinent analysis of Blanchot's critical work: "novels, poems, essays give rise to a singular reflection, increasingly sure of its own rhetoric, more given over to the echo of the impossible or to the sirens of disappearance. (...) Not without contradictions or sidesteps, and in the feverish certainty of a work that begins (...) these articles reveal the genealogy of a critic who transformed the occasion of the chronicle into the necessity of thought." (C. Bident).
Autograph manuscripts by Maurice Blanchot are extremely rare.