[Rarebooks] FS: Marcel Proust's first book, 1896, INSCRIBED

[charles agvent]

Another fine item from our list of 45 Select New Arrivals catalogued 
for the New York Book Fair.  All 45 can be seen at 
http://www.erols.com/agvent

PROUST, MARCEL. LES PLAISIRS ET LES JOURS.  Paris: Calmann Levy 1896. 
First Edition. Quarto (8" x 11-3/4") newly bound in full green cloth 
in a German case conservation binding preserving the original glossy 
wraps, now inlaid, and housed in a green morocco-backed marbled paper 
clamshell box with full gilt-decorated spine and brown morocco 
gilt-lettered spine label. A largely unopened copy of Proust's first 
book, a not very successful collection of short stories, essays and 
poems illustrated by Madelaine Lemaire with printed piano music by 
Reynaldo Hahn. This copy INSCRIBED and SIGNED by Proust "A Monsieur 
Jules/Hommage bien sympathique et bien reconnaissant/de 
l'auteur/Marcel Proust/14 Fevrier 1903." Any book signed by Proust is 
quite scarce, this book especially so with only one copy showing up at 
auction in the last 30 years and that in 1977. Proust moved in the 
fashionable circles of Parisian society until the death of his parents 
in 1904-05. Then he went into seclusion in a cork-lined room in 
hisParis apartment where he devoted the rest of his life to writing 
his immense autobiographical work A LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU 
(REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST). A bulky, fragile book this copy has been 
lovingly preserved. Largely unopened, Near Fine copy in wonderful 
presentation.    $8500

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Thank you.

CHARLES AGVENT
291 Linden Road
Mertztown, PA 19539-8750
610-682-4750; FAX: 610-682-4620
agvent at erols.com
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