Stendhal

1977 · ref. 707 — London: The Folio Society 1977. First thus. Hardcover. Near fine/Near fine. Blakely Zelma. First thus first printing - Near fine/near fine "The Charterhouse of Parma" is a French novel set in Italy and is now considered an early example of literary realism written during a time when romanticism ruled the literary roost. It begins in 1798 as Napoleon's troops are sweeping through Milan well before Italy was unified into a single country and over the course of the few decades in which the plot takes place the region in which it is mostly set changes from being the Duchy of Parma in northern Italy to the Département du Taro of the first French Empire and back to the independent Duchy of Parma as revolution and unification are rumbling in the air. We follow the noble del Dongo family particularly its scion Fabrice through all this upheaval through its adventures and misadventures particularly its misadventures in war love and everything in between. Sometimes the biggest risk is that they could lose their place in the local aristocracy but at other times they could literally lose their heads or as religion also figures heavily in the plot both as an institution and as a faith their souls. Despite his Frenchness this is a world Stendahl the penname for Marie-Henri Beyle actually knew well: he served in Napoleon's army and as an administrator but moved to Italy after Napoleon's fall and was even appointed the French consul to Trieste in 1830. This copy is an example of a publication by The Folio Society in its 1970s glory. The text is translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff who may be best known for his translation of Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past." It contains 18 full-page wood-engravings by Zelma Blakely; they are not captioned but there is a list of them in the front of the book with titles-quotes from the book-and page numbers so you know just what it is that they're showing.which sometimes is quite a bit. This copy is bound in green cloth with a darker green all-over pattern of cannons bird cages and a family crest or coat of arms. No signs of wear; some light but noticeable sun fading-the fading being the sole factor in moving our evaluation to Near Fine. The title and author's name appear on a black leather label that is well attached to the top of the spine. The lettering and a simple frame around the edge of the label are stamped in very bright gold. The binding is tight and square; no issues hinges or joints. As is typical of Folio Society books it does not come with a dust jacket but with a slip case in this case covered in a contrasting burnt orange colored paper. There are a few signs of light soiling on slipcover's paper and a small closed tear on the back bottom corner and very light rubbing along the edges but it is structurally solid. There are no tears or marks or other marring to the text block or olive-colored end papers. The top edge of the text block is stained green which is slightly faded. This is a first printing of the Folio Society's "First Thus" edition which means it came out in 1977. You can tell this is a book that has been read but almost half a century later it remains in scarce excellent condition. Photos are forthcoming or available upon request. The Folio Society hardcover