1wcarter
The History of Zadig or Destiny, An Oriental Tale by Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire - LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB 1953
A PICTORIAL REVIEW
Sylvain Sauvage memorial edition.
No. 617 of 1500 copies
22 pen and watercolour drawings plus chapter tailpieces by Sylvain Sauvage who died before the book was published.
All illustrations hand coloured by Girardot.
Translated by R. Bruce Boswell.
Introduced by René de Messiéres.
Designed by Henri Jonquiéres.
Pale brown endpapers printed with a cream picture.
Printed by Priester Fréres, Paris.
Cream heavy paper manufactured by Papeteries de Lana and printed in pale brown with text surrounding images that are unique to each page.
Bound by Russell-Rutter Co., New York.
Bound in brown linen printed with a gilt pattern and a gilt printed black leather title label on spine.
Slipcase covered with gold paper lithographed with a brown pattern, black paper title label on edge.
174 pages
22.5x17.4cm.
US$45
The illustrations for this book were to be incorporated in a very luxurious limited edition that Sauvage planned to publish himself, but he died before he could undertake the project. The illustrations were then taken up by the LEC for this edition.
First published in 1747 this novella is a very entertaining comic work of philosophical fiction. Zadig is a shrewd, bright honest young man who experiences extreme vicissitudes in his life. His troubles force him to travel from his home in Babylon to distant places as far apart as Egypt and Ceylon during which time he becomes a betrayed husband, a prisoner, a prime minister, a slave, a merchant, a brigand’s prisoner, a knight in shining armour, the companion of a hermit (who turns out to be angel) and, finally, the King of Babylon.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the this series can be viewed here.
A PICTORIAL REVIEW
Sylvain Sauvage memorial edition.
No. 617 of 1500 copies
22 pen and watercolour drawings plus chapter tailpieces by Sylvain Sauvage who died before the book was published.
All illustrations hand coloured by Girardot.
Translated by R. Bruce Boswell.
Introduced by René de Messiéres.
Designed by Henri Jonquiéres.
Pale brown endpapers printed with a cream picture.
Printed by Priester Fréres, Paris.
Cream heavy paper manufactured by Papeteries de Lana and printed in pale brown with text surrounding images that are unique to each page.
Bound by Russell-Rutter Co., New York.
Bound in brown linen printed with a gilt pattern and a gilt printed black leather title label on spine.
Slipcase covered with gold paper lithographed with a brown pattern, black paper title label on edge.
174 pages
22.5x17.4cm.
US$45
The illustrations for this book were to be incorporated in a very luxurious limited edition that Sauvage planned to publish himself, but he died before he could undertake the project. The illustrations were then taken up by the LEC for this edition.
First published in 1747 this novella is a very entertaining comic work of philosophical fiction. Zadig is a shrewd, bright honest young man who experiences extreme vicissitudes in his life. His troubles force him to travel from his home in Babylon to distant places as far apart as Egypt and Ceylon during which time he becomes a betrayed husband, a prisoner, a prime minister, a slave, a merchant, a brigand’s prisoner, a knight in shining armour, the companion of a hermit (who turns out to be angel) and, finally, the King of Babylon.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the this series can be viewed here.
2A.Nobody
Great timing, as I am currently reading this book! Two of my favorite features, from the ML: "The folding of the sheets had to be done by hand, in order that the intricate Sauvage designs would fit properly together after the pages were folded" (effectively creating double spreads of the facing pages) and "the colors were applied by hand, in the studio of Etienne Girardot, sometimes only five colors on a picture, sometimes fifteen: and the colors, being true water-colors, glow upon the pages."
This is yet another LEC that sells for a small fraction of what it "should" sell for given the craftsmanship and quality of materials that went into it. And it's an entertaining read to boot.
This is yet another LEC that sells for a small fraction of what it "should" sell for given the craftsmanship and quality of materials that went into it. And it's an entertaining read to boot.
3PartTimeBookAddict
>1 wcarter: Lovely overview. I've never read this book, but I do own one of their jackets!
4Glacierman
I was fortunate to find a copy in a slightly rubbed slipcase, but otherwise pristine condition back in '21 for a mere $60. Definitely under-appreciated then...and appears to be still.
5mr.philistine
>4 Glacierman: I was fortunate to find a copy... back in '21...
For a second, I thought 1921 but I realized the book was published in 1953. Also, you would have to be much older than 103 years! :)
For a second, I thought 1921 but I realized the book was published in 1953. Also, you would have to be much older than 103 years! :)
7Glacierman
>5 mr.philistine: For a second, I thought 1921 but I realized the book was published in 1953. Also, you would have to be much older than 103 years! :)
ROTFLMAO!! I'm not there yet, but am slowly closing in on it. Very slowly.
ROTFLMAO!! I'm not there yet, but am slowly closing in on it. Very slowly.
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