Paris, Charpentier, Dumont, 1835-1837.
5 parts in 5 volumes 8vo [205 x 129 mm] of: I/ (4) pp., 476, (1) l.; II/ (4) pp., 352, (1) l.; III/ (4) pp., 370, (1) l.; IV/ (4) pp., 338, (1) l.; V/ (4) pp., 402, (1) f. Some slight waterstaining and spotting. Bound in green half-shagreen, covers in black and green paper, flat spines decorated with gilt fillets. Contemporary binding.
The rare « Impressions de voyage » by Alexandre Dumas. Clouzot 95; Carteret, I, 228-229; Vicaire 342.
Volumes 3 to 5 are here in first edition, while the first two volumes are from the 1835 reprint. Dumas mainly dedicates these volumes to his trips to Switzerland.
« This book by Alexandre Dumas father (1803-1870), published between 1835 and 1859, is not lacking of interest, neither of quality. The insatiable curiosity of the author offers us many descriptions and notes concerning a lot of countries […]. Those ‘Impressions de voyages’ are, for Dumas, a way to give free rein to his surprising ease of storyteller and strongly emphasize his talents of observer. » (Dictionnaire des Œuvres, III, 693)
This work is « rarely complete with its 5 volumes. A fine copy in contemporary bindings deserves a clear financial effort. » (Clouzot)
« After he made a name for himself in theatre, Alexandre Dumas tried his skill at novel, and used, in compositions of a new genre, memories, pictures, anecdotes that he had collected in several travels to Switzerland and Italia. The first volumes of the ‘Impressions de voyage’ achieved deserved success thanks to the cheerfulness, the liveliness and the spirit which sparkle in each page. The style of this work is frank, fast, the paces of narration are animated, free and cleared, like the character and the mood of the kind tourist. » (Dictionnaire encyclopédique by Ph. Le Bas, 775)
A very precious copy of this rare literary work, dedicated by the author to Mrs. Janin on the title of the first volume: « Déposé aux pieds de Madame Janin comme un hommage respectueux de l’auteur. Alexandre Dumas. ».
Jules Janin (1804-1874) is a French writer and critic who contributed to contemporary Parisian literary reviews such as the Revue des deux mondes and the Revue de Paris. Besides he joins the Journal des Débats in 1832 as a literary critic, where he stays until 1874. His authority brings him to be nicknamed « the prince of critics ». After many attempts, he will be elected at the Académie française on April 7th 1870, taking the seat of Sainte-Beuve. Janin married Adèle Huet on October 16th 1841. Alexandre Dumas and Jules Janin are seeing each other since 1835, date when they both started to collaborate with the Revue des deux mondes and the Revue de Paris. Besides Jules Janin will write the foreword of the Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils a few years later.
A precious copy of this literary work of the utmost rarity, complete with the 5 volumes contemporary uniformly bound in green half-shagreen and dedicated by the author Alexandre Dumas to the wife of the famous literary critic Jules Janin.
No copy of this work is recorded in ABPC Among French public Libraries, only the Bibliothèque de Lille owns the first edition of the first two volumes. The B.n.F. only has the first 4 parts of this work, with parts 1 and 2 printed in 1835. No French Institution owns a complete copy with the 5 volumes of these Impressions de voyage.
