Description
FIRST EDITION.
ONE OF THE VERY FEW COPIES OF THE "GOOD SHEETS" PUBLISHED BEFORE THE PUBLIC EDITION AND SENT TO THE PRESS.
It contains the scandalous chapter on Balzac's death that was expunged from most copies of the original edition: it involved Madame Hanska, the writer's second wife, and her lover, the painter Jean Gigoux, from whom Mirbeau got the anecdote. Anna Mnizesch, daughter of Balzac's widow, learned of the publication in the pages of the Time In a letter to the newspaper, she protested against these "calumnies". Mirbeau agreed to their withdrawal and, while reiterating the veracity of the story, declared that he did not wish to distress the last years of an old woman who had retired to a convent.
Handwritten annotation in pen on title page:
Good Leaves
of the "628 E8
given by Mr Octave Mirbeau
to Mr Albert RobinThese "good sheets" contain
the chapter on Balzac and
his death which has been cut off
in the definitive edition.
Cover retained, with a strip of paper applied to modify the font of the title.
Enclosed:
MIRBEAU, Octave. "The death of Balzac. Followed by Une publication scandaleuse by P. Michel and J.-F. Nivet. Tusson, Du Lérot. 1989.
Bound in contemporary duck blue half cloth, smooth spine with title page, gilt title, fleuron, date at foot, fillets. Cover preserved without the spine.
Rubbing to title page, spine and corners.