Fiction works, fables, adventure stories, autofiction, autobiographical novels, epics, sagas, novelistic works

A rare Belgian pirate edition in 8 tomes bound in 4, published shortly after the novel's first serial appearance in the Journal des débats from August 28, 1844 to January 15, 1846. Complete with all half titles and title pages. They are all dated 1845, except for the last two (vol. 7-8) dated 1846. The edition includes the misprint "Christo" for "Cristo", present in the pre-first edition of the Journal des débats, and corrected for the first time at the end of 1846 in the first illustrated edition.

Contem­porary brown half shagreen, spine ruled in gilt, gilt titles and volumes, brown marbled paper boards, marbled edg­es. Spines uniformly lightened, rubbed corners and edges with

Edition translated by Defaucompret. Each volume has an engraved title with a vignette and at least 2 steel engravings per work, the animated scenes are by Tony Johannot, the views are English engravings. 28 folding maps heightened in colors, including a large map of Scotland, at the end of the History of Scotland.
Half navy blue shagreen binding, slightly later, ca 1850. Spine with raised bands decorated with gilt compartments and thick and thin fillets, in blind and gilt. Spine uniformly and slightly darkened. Author, volume number and title gilt. Volume 1: trace of dampstain to one corner of p. 300 to the end. Volume 4: broad yellowing on title page to p.30. Volume 7: trace of dampst

Edition illustrated by Julien Le Blant with 7 hors-texte etchings and a portrait of the author as frontispiece. Small print run on vellum. Fine engravings engraved by Champollion. Ornaments (initials, headpieces...) by Giacomelli.

Copy with the monogram G. A., unidentified. Interlaced English initials.

Contemporary full tender green morocco binding signed at bottom of front pastedown Bonleu. Smooth spine decorated with a fleuron at head and a special tool, the whole within elegant frames. Triple fillet frame on boards. Monogram at center of upper board. Wide inner decorative border. Top edge gilt. Light traces of rubbing. Spine having turned uniformly to light brown.

Bilingual edition in Provençal with the French translation printed opposite.

Contemporary half brown shagreen, smooth spine sunned and decorated in gilt with floral tools and ornamental motifs, gilt initials at foot, cat’s-eye paper sides, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, wrappers preserved.

A few minor foxing spots, the first gathering tending to loosen.

Precious dated autograph inscription signed by Frédéric Mistral in Provençal to his friend, the félibre poet Paul Arène.

First edition of the French translation established by Alexandre Vialatte, one of 50 numbered copies on pur fil, the only deluxe paper issue.

A handsome copy.

First edition of the French translation, one of 50 numbered copies on vellum, the only deluxe paper copies.

Illustrated wrappers.

A handsome copy.

American edition based on the 1929 translation by the poet William Carlos Williams of Philippe Soupault's 1928 post-Surrealist work, Les Dernières Nuits de Paris. Enriched with illustrations, an introduction by the author written in 1980, "William Carlos Williams in Paris. By Day and by Night," translated into English for the present edition by Ron Padgett, a publisher's note, and a reprinted epigraph.

Complete with its violet dust jacket, with the price indicated on the rear pa

First edition, one of the press review copies.

A pleasing copy.
It is the work for which Patrick Modiano was awarded the "Prix Goncourt" in 1978.
Rare signed autograph inscription from Patrick Modiano to his friend, the actor and dubbing artist Roger Lumont.
 

Partly original edition, with 8 of the 12 stories in this collection appearing here for the first time.
Contemporary half red shagreen binding, smooth spine decorated with black and gilt fillets, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, speckled edges.

A small angular loss to the headcap, light rubbing to the spine.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Holland paper, deluxe issue.

A very small chip at the foot of the spine.

A fine copy, with full margins and in double wrappers.

First edition, one of 925 copies numbered on Artois wove paper, the only issue including 1 copy on butcher’s paper in honour of General de Gaulle, 20 hors commerce copies and 75 on Marais paper.

Illustrated with headpieces and tailpieces.
Spine and boards slightly sunned, as often.

First edition on ordinary paper, bearing the correct imprint date of 25 August 1978.

Spine yellowed and creased as usual, internally in pleasing condition.

Rare signed autograph inscription from Georges Pérec to Chantal Labre.

New edition.

Illustrated with engravings by Jean Hugo.

A pleasing copy.

Inscribed and signed by Anaïs Nin to the writer Christiane Baroche.

New edition, one of 30 numbered copies on Marais wove paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy.

First edition, with no deluxe paper copies issued.

Spine and covers lightly and marginally sunned, as is often the case, with a small loss at the foot of the spine.

A scarce and pleasing copy, considering the poor quality of the paper.

First edition, one of 100 copies numbered on alfa paper, the only copies on deluxe paper.

Photographic vignette on the upper cover.

A rare and handsome copy.

First edition, one of 26 numbered copies on alfa paper, our copy one of 14 hors commerce copies, the only deluxe paper issue.

A rare and handsome copy.

First edition, one of 26 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only copies issued on deluxe paper.

A rare and attractive copy.

First edition of the French translation.

Contemporary half red shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands tooled with gilt dotted fillets and decorated with double gilt panels featuring a scattered pattern of gilt stars, minor rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, speckled edges.

Occasional light foxing.

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on Rives wove paper, the only issue after 10 copies on Arches.

A tear to the inner flap on the verso of the upper cover, a pleasant copy.

Illustrated with two original etchings by Jean-Gabriel Daragnès, including the frontispiece.

First edition, one of the deluxe copies on alfa, this one an unnumbered hors commerce, only deluxe issue after 10 copies on Arches.

Full blue-gray morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, gilt date at foot, yellow box calf doublure, watered silk free endpapers, original wrappers including spine bound in, all edges gilt, half morocco chemise in panels, wood motif paper boards, slipcase edged in morocco, wood motif paper boards lined with blue felt, outstanding binding signed Hélène Alix.

Unrecorded p

First edition of the French translation, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued, with the correct "achevé d’imprimer" dated February 1939.

A fine copy, complete with its illustrated dust-jacket, as usual showing only slight rubbing and minor marginal tears, not affecting its overall appearance.

The work is illustrated, facing the title-page, with a map of the south-eastern United States during the Civil War.

First edition, one of 300 numbered copies on Arches paper, the only issue after 15 copies on Japan paper and 25 on Holland paper.
Very attractive colour illustrated wrapper and illustrations hors-texte by Francis Picabia.
A handsome copy.

First British edition of 1955 (the first edition of 1954 is American), complete with its dark pink dust jacket designed by Lynton Lamb, on which one of the two prizes received by A Fable in 1955 is mentioned: the Pulitzer Prize. This is the work on which William Faulkner laboured longest and which he considered his masterpiece.

Publisher's binding in candy-pink cloth, with title and author's name gilt in a false panel at the head of the spine, and publisher's name gilt at the foot. Galignani boo

Definitive edition.

Spine slightly sunned and a little cocked, a few spots to the boards.

Signed autograph inscription from Vercors to François Triboudeau.

English reprint of 1955 — the first American edition was published in 1927 and the first English edition in 1928 — on ordinary paper, complete with its original illustrated unclipped dust jacket.

Publisher's binding in light blue cloth, title, author's name and publisher's device stamped in dark blue to spine, title repeated, also in dark blue, to head of upper board.

Spine ends and edges slightly sunned as is often the case, a

First English edition of 1950 (the first edition, published the same year, is American) on ordinary paper, complete with its original illustrated unclipped dust jacket with gondola motif.

Publisher's binding in turquoise green cloth, to spine, a mock title label on red ground with palladium lettering and publisher's device also in palladium to foot, red central medallion to upper board echoing the gondola of the dust jacket, bottom edge untrimmed.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Spine and boards slightly and marginally sunned.

Inscribed, dated and signed by Tony Duvert to Alain Veinstein.

Second edition, partly original, notably augmented with several additional pieces, complete with the caricature  woodcut portrait of the widow Oudot as frontispiece, printed in green, as is the title. According to Barbier, the burlesque portrait was engraved by one of the authors, the comte de Caylus himself.

Contemporary full mottled brown calf, smooth spine richly gilt with fleurons, palms and scrollwork, brown-red morocco lettering-piece, triple gilt fillet bordering the boards with fleurons at corners, gilt

First edition of this work published by the Société du Bout-du-Banc, the celebrated literary salon presided over by Mademoiselle Jeanne-Françoise Quinault and the Comte de Caylus. This intimate circle, originally comprising eight members, would gather on Mondays at dinner to exchange ideas and to write; at the close of each meal, every distinguished guest was required to set down a few lines — whether in the coarse poissard style or in a more refined vein — on paper. It was in this context that Les Fêtes roulantes, ou les regrets des petites rues came into being, in the wake of the celebrations

Later edition.

Publisher's full green cloth binding, smooth spine, copy complete with its illustrated dust jacket which shows a few small tears and minor losses.

The verso of the front panel of the dust jacket shows an angular loss affecting the printed price.

Dated and signed autograph inscription from Richard Wright to Ganan Bocca.

New edition, one of 26 numbered copies on Montval paper, the head of the edition.

A pleasing copy.

Fine autograph inscription signed by Colette to Mr P.A. Crozier: "... en souvenir de maint envoi de beaux fruits ; n'est-ce pas dire que je gagne à l'échange ? Les fruits de mon jardin sont de sec papier... Colette."

First edition, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A pleasant copy.

Valuable signed autograph inscription from Susan Sontag to her friend Sonia Rykiel: "pour Sonia avec mes amitiés Susan Sontag 26 septembre 1995 Paris."

First edition, one of 16 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the deluxe issue.
A very good copy despite a tiny stain on the upper cover beneath the printed title.

First illustrated edition, in the very first issue and complete in a single volume; a three-volume issue, more common and published later in the course of 1836, was subsequently produced. With a frontispiece title and 11 steel-engraved plates hors-texte on heavy wove paper, after Johannot, Boulanger, Raffet, Rogier & Rouargue, engraved by Finden, Staines… The work is attractively printed in an airy type with generous margins, closely following the original edition published in 1831. The plate entitled "De l'utilité des fenêtres" is present; according to Clouzot it is most often lacking, as it was printed later than the initial release of the work.
Contemporary full wine-coloured morocc

First edition, at one time attributed to Bernard Le Bouyer de Fontenelle, on the loves of a shepherd of illustrious lineage: Mirtil, son of Venus and Adonis. Complete copy with its engraved title page by Louis Legrand and its six plates drawn by Hubert François Gravelot and engraved by Louis Legrand.

Half marbled calf binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with dotted gilt fillets, five compartments richly gilt with fillets and fleurons, pebble-pattern marbled paper boards, red edges, pastedowns and e

First edition. One of 10 copies on vélin de Lana (lettered G, around which Genet has signed in blue ink), signed by Genet at the limitation page, most limited deluxe issue, except for a unique copy. Complete with the loose leaf beginning with “Une brusque lassitude...”. With an autograph letter signed by Jean Genet, on one page with customary fold marks from mailing, published in Edmund White, Jean Genet, pp. 260-261.

Illustrated with 29 erotic lithographs by Jean Cocteau, and an original pencil drawing by Cocteau, as well as a suite of the illustrations presentin

First edition of a work by an Illuminist author, also a barrister at the Parlement, known for his licentious and libertine writings, including L'Histoire de Dom Bougre, portier des Chartreux. This work was also at one time attributed to Pierre Lambert de Saumery, who published under the pseudonym "de Mirone."

Midnight blue half morocco with corners, spine with five gilt raised bands decorated with compartments richly gilt with arabesques, fillets and small stars, marbled paper boards framed with gilt

First issue of the 250 wood-engraved compositions by Edmond Morin, one of 150 numbered copies on Holland paper.

The work is further illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the author by Léopold Flameng.

Bound in half orange morocco over marbled boards with corners, spine with five raised bands ruled in gilt and richly tooled with double gilt compartments, covers framed with double gilt fillets, marbled endpapers, original wrappers preserved, top edge gilt, an elegant binding signed A. Bertrand.

A fine copy, impeccably presented.

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy.

On the half-title page, a signed autograph inscription from Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier. Colette.", Colette having added after Claudine s'en va :  bon vent !

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy, notwithstanding a crease mark to the lower right corner of the upper cover.

Fine signed presentation inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier ce vieux péché littéraire que je n'aime plus beaucoup. Colette."

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies printed on wove paper.

A pleasing copy, despite a small tear to the upper right margin of the front free endpaper.

On the page following the title, a fine signed autograph inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier. Nantes, février 1933. Colette. J'aime beaucoup "et autres" ! Colette.", Colette having ironically circled the words "et autres" appearing in a paragraph outlining her alleged collaboration with her former husband Willy in the writing of the work.

Illustrated edition with colour drawings by Chas Laborde, one of the numbered copies on wove paper.

A pleasing copy.

Autograph signed inscription by Colette: "A monsieur F. Porlier en souvenir d'une passante. Colette."

Two parts in one volume, printed on hōsho paper and folded in the Japanese style

Two colour-illustrated covers, and 28 superb Japanese colour prints by Kano Motonobu, Kadjita Hanko. All text pages are illustrated with drawings in black.

A very fine artistic publication printed on pure Japanese rag paper with special Japanese folding. The Tokyo publisher is Kané-Mitsou Masao, the printer Shueisha, under the direction of Yamamoto Yeijiro.

Original publisher's binding in half black embossed leather with japanese motifs, illustrated boards depicting figures and animals in colours, long-grain red morocco lettering-piece on the upper board gilt-sta

First edition, one of the copies printed on alfa paper.

A small split to the spine, a few light foxing spots.

Manuscript signatures of Joseph Kessel and Hélène Iswolsky.

First Gallimard edition, one of 1,050 numbered copies printed on Alfama du Marais paper.

Publisher’s boards bound after the original design by Paul Bonet.

A very fine copy.

New edition.

Illustrated with engravings by Jean Hugo.

A pleasing copy.

Fine signed autograph inscription from Anaïs Nin to the woman of letters Christiane Baroche: "Your poems should be in a book one can keep nearly and read now and then for substance. Anaïs Nin."

First edition on ordinary paper.

Contemporary Bradel binding in red half morocco with corners, smooth spine, date gilt at foot, covers of marbled paper framed with blind fillets, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt; an attractive period binding signed Bernasconi.

Occasional foxing, chiefly affecting the opening leaves.

Signed autograph inscription from Claude Farrère to M. Briquet.

Facing the limitation page, this copy is enriched with an original watercolour signed by Henri Leclerc depicting the heroine of the work leaning against a ship’s bulwark, her suitor standing slightly behind.

One of the first collected editions of these seven comic novellas, initially printed separately, by the Sieur de Préfontaine, regarded as a first-rate author by Charles Louandre: "without seeking to diminish in any way the merit of Boileau, without disputing his title as legislator of taste, one may say that Charles Sorel, Furetière, Préfontaine, [...] contributed alongside him and before him to cleansing the French Parnassus."

The first edition of one of the short stories contained in this volume, L'Assembl

First edition on ordinary paper with all the features of the first printing. Includes its publisher’s band expertly restored and the publisher’s catalogue at rear.

An exceptionally fresh copy, preserved with its rare red publisher’s band quoting Molly’s phrase “C’est le voyageur solitaire qui va le plus loin” (“he travels farthest who travels alone”, translation by John H. P. Marks) followed by this text on the verso:

 

“One

First edition on standard paper.

Spine very slightly sunned, without significance.

Rare signed autograph inscription from Fereydoun Hoveyda to Henri Brunet.

New edition, issued two months after the first.

Attractive copy, complete with its illustrated dust jacket.

Some signs of use (dog-eared pages) and pencil annotations by the dedicatee.

Signed autograph inscription from François Cheng to a couple of friends named Claudine and Noël, enhanced with a Chinese ideogram.

First edition of the French translation, one of 350 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper issue.

A fine copy, despite a small area of sunning at head and tail of the spine.

New edition, limited to 2,000 numbered copies on Lafuma vellum.

Signed autograph presentation inscription by Henri Barbusse beneath the limitation statement: "A Marcel Granoux fraternellement. Henri Barbusse."

Included are an original photograph of Henri Barbusse (8.9 × 13.8 cm, from the G.L. Manuel Frères studio), showing him full face, together with two typed letters dated 28 April and 2 July 1930, signed by Henri Barbusse, concerning an article he was late in sending and a copy of Le Feu that he promises to inscribe and forward to his correspondent.

The first typed letter also bears two manuscript corrections by Henri Barbu

Illustrated edition with a frontispiece and 19 black vignette illustrations in the text by Marianne Clouzot, one of 675 numbered copies printed on vélin de lana.

Full caramel box binding, smooth spine, the illustrator’s name gilt at the foot, moiré-effect paper endleaves and doublures, cold-ruled fillet frames to the doublures, original covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, slipcase with inner flaps in caramel box with bands, moiré-effect paper sides, the slipcase edged in caramel box with moiré-effect paper panels; binding slightly later, signed Gavallet.

Like the 50 numbered copies printed on Arches paper, our copy exceptionally includes, at the end of the volume, a bla

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on vélin de renage, most limited deluxe issue.

A fine copy.

First in-12 edition, published one year after the exceedingly rare first edition.
Uniform half green shagreen bindings, spines slightly darkened with four raised bands, decorated with blind fillets, gilt titles at the foot of the spines, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, bookplate pasted to the rear pastedown of the first volume.
Minor rubbing to some boards, two small tears at the foot of the boards of the first volume.
An attractive set, virtually free of foxing and preserved in a uniform binding.

First edition, one of 35 copies on Holland paper, the limited deluxe issue following 19 on China paper.

A fine copy, with a visiting card tipped in on a blank leaf bearing the manuscript note: "de ton beau-frère, un échantillon des éditions suisses".

Illustrated with headpieces and tailpieces by Marcel North.