Paris, G. Charpentier, 1881.
12mo [177 x 110 mm] of (3) ll., 345 pp., (1) table l. Bound at the time without the 1st bl. l. Bound in green half-shagreen, spine ribbed and decorated with gilt roses in the panels, speckled edges. Contemporary binding.
First edition of this classic of Provençal literature.
Clouzot, p.81; Carteret, I, 196; Vicaire, III, 53.
“A novel by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) published in 1881. Daudet wanted above all to describe here the southern politician […]. With his fluency, his verve, his carefreeness, ‘Numa Roumestan’ is similar to ‘Tartarin’, and Daudet, like to the latest, gave him a lot of his own tenderness and good-naturedness». (Dictionnaire des Œuvres, IV, 818).
Precious copy offered by the author to Marcel Coulon, bearing this autograph dedication signed on the half-title: “Au fétiche Coulon qui porte bonheur à mes livres. Alphonse Daudet.”
“Born in Nîmes, Marcel Coulon (1873-1959), after a brilliant secondary education, went to study law in Paris. There he met the poets of the Quartier latin and particularly Jean Moréas, of whom he became familiar, and Charles Maurras, without sharing their ideas. […] The name of Marcel Coulon will remain linked to those of Remy de Gourmont, Jean Moréas, Raoul Ponchon, Verlaine and especially Rimbaud. […] The contemporary critic was unanimous in recognizing the role of Marcel Coulon, according to Pierre Petitfils, “to stay for those who love Rimbaud as the first one who had the courage to strip him of the lie where his corpse had been shut in.””
Jean-Baptiste Baronian, Dictionnaire Rimbaud.
Marcel Coulon, magistrate prosecutor of the Republic, Provencal writer and literary critic, is among others the author of a book on Mistral entitled Dans l’univers de Mistral and of a text dedicated to Rimbaud: Le Problème de Rimbaud, poète maudit. He also established numerous translations of Provencal texts into French.
Beautiful copy of this classic of Provencal literature, preserved in its contemporary binding and dedicated by the author to the magistrate and literary critic Marcel Coulon.
Dedicated copies of Daudet’s great first editions are sought-after.
