Oeuvres

Second collected edition of Victor Hugo's works published by Furne after the Renduel edition of 1833-1836; it is illustrated with 35 steel engravings. Les contemplations published in 1856 (first edition with a mention of second edition) was added to this edition. The Furne edition spans from 1840 to 1846. Le Rhin indeed appears in first collected edition at this date.
This edition, originally published in installments, was verified and corrected by Hugo himself. It was initially intended to form only 12 volumes (which are most often found alone); volume 9 bis was added later where Ruy Blas is reprinted, and the 3 volumes of Le Rhin following. Furne had bought out the Renduel bookshop, the first publisher of Hugo's complete works from 1832 to 1840, as Hugo's writings then stood.

Contemporary half tawny shagreen binding. Spine with raised bands decorated with 4 fleurons in blind-tooled compartments. Gilt titles and volume numbers. Light traces of rubbing. Some pale scattered foxing on an overall very fresh set, on white paper, very attractive. The binder did not number the entire set, only the works occupying several volumes.

Handsome set, very homogeneous.
Details: Volume I: Odes et ballades. XLV+387 pages, frontispiece and 1 plate
Volume II: Odes et ballades - Les orientales. 446 pages, frontispiece and 1 plate
Volume III: Les feuilles d'automne - Les chants du crépuscule. 423 pages, frontispiece and one plate
Volume IV: Les voix intérieures - Les rayons et les ombres. 434 pages, frontispiece and one plate
Volume V: Notre-Dame de Paris 1. 372 pages, frontispiece, title and 3 plates
Volume VI: Notre-Dame de Paris 2. 426 pages, frontispiece and 6 plates. (This second volume is dated 1850, while the first is dated 1844)
Volume VII: Cromwell, drame en cinq actes. 500 pages, frontispiece and 4 plates
Volume VIII: Hernani - Marion de Lorme - Le Roi s'amuse. 513 pages, frontispiece and 4 plates
Volume IX: Lucrèce Borgia - Marie Tudor - Angelo. 449 pages, frontispiece and 4 plates
Volume X: La Esmeralda - Ruy Blas - Les Burgraves. 390 pages
Volume XI: Han d'Islande. 583 pages
Volume XII: Bug-Jargal - Le Dernier jour d'un condamné. VI+443 pages
Volume XIII: Littérature et philosophie mêlées. 406 pages.
Volume XIV: Le Rhin 1. 381 pages,
Volume XV: Le Rhin 2. 446 pages
Volume XVI: Le Rhin 3. 352 pages
Volume XVII: Les Contemplations. Autrefois 1830-1843. Statement of second edition. 359 pages
Volume XVIII: Les Contemplations. Aujourd'hui 1843-1856. 408 pages.
Volume X was published after Volume XII and bears the volume number IXbis on the half-title, Volumes XI and XII bear the volume numbers X and XI, always on the half-titles.