Description

FIRST EDITIONS.
COPIES OF THE FIRST EDITION, BOUND AS ISSUED, of this autobiographical trilogy.

• La Bâtarde. 1964. One of 35 numbered copies on vellum pur fil Lafuma Navarre, the only large paper. Uncut.
• La Folie in the lead. 1970. One of 35 numbered copies on vellum pur fil Lafuma Navarre, the only large paper. Uncut.
• La Chasse à L'amour. 1973. One of 30 numbered copies on vellum pur fil Lafuma Navarre, the only large paper. Uncut. Complete with publisher's prospectus.

La Bâtardewhich was shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt, was Violette Leduc's first commercial success. Begun in 1958, this autobiographical novel was published in 1964, with a long preface by Simone de Beauvoir, Leduc's protégé. La Folie en têteThe second volume of her autobiography was published 6 years later, with many passages censored on the advice of Simone de Beauvoir (the severe censorship of Thérèse and Isabellemore than ten years earlier, had driven Violette Leduc to despair). The author of Second Sex who, appointed heir to his literary rights, will publish posthumously The hunt for lovethe final volume in the trilogy.

La Folie en Tête contains an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED to the decorator Madeleine Castaing :

24 November 70

Dear Madeleine
No news from you, so good news. Mrs Leinert [?] is near me... I encourage her and her husband to go and drink a "whisk" at your place; among your treasures of taste, your splendours, your creations.
Monique will tell you when I'm back.

*
Mrs Leinert's mother wants to work for an auctioneer. Could you help her with this? Thank you on her behalf.
*
Large Spanish mussels are soaking and I'm going to garnish them with beef stock and buttered bread, so that Mrs and Mr Leinert can hear your exclamations.

Kisses and see you soon.
V Leduc

Violette Leduc met the antique dealer and decorator Madeleine Castaing in her shop on the rue Bonaparte. They became fast friends: Castaing had read and admired theAsphyxiation, Castaing's first novel, published in 1946. Their mutual friends were Maurice Sachs, Marcel Jouhandeau (whom Castaing had advised to read Asphyxiation) and Jacques Guérin. Madeleine Castaing helped Violette Leduc decorate the house in Faucon where she finished composing La Bâtarde and spent her last years, travelling with her to Morocco in January 1967 and, when Violette Leduc died, he was at her bedside.

Each volume is presented in an elegant box designed by Julie Nadot.