Droll Stories by Honore de Balzac - Ca . 1930

London: The Bibliophilist Society , Ca . 1930 . Hardcover. Near Very Good. Masterful collection of short stories originally published ,in sets of ten stories each, in 1832, 1833, and 1837 as " Drolatiques " ..... Rabelaisian in theme, stories written with great vitality, in a pastiche of 16 th century language. He was especially known for his good-humoured sensuousness and historical word play...... Honore de Balzac ( 1799 - 1850 ) , founder of realism in literature, he left a career in law , failed in politics, printing, business, literary criticism, before succeeding as writer of his realistic Magnum Opus : " La Comedie Humaine " - standing by themselves. ... This book is a part of " La Comedie Humaine ". a series of Rabelaisian stories, of 1833, a truely classic work, by a prodigious writer ( 85 novels ), written with little recognition or financial recompense early on, while burdened by debt, and with increasing health problems..." Immortal stories, based onthe life of the Middle Ages in all its horror and superstition, in cities where cruelty was the rule , customs atrocious all its tenderness and poetry - funny, sensual, and, attimes, so ntenselty unnusual, human, and pathetic to bring tars to the reader's eyes. With 424 illustrations from engravings, by Gustave Dore - The ideal collaborator between author and artist. Indented , smooth border on dlack-colored cloth book with indented, gilt decorations and lettering on spine. ( 6 7/8 X 10 X 2 3/8 ) 651 pages. Book weighs 3 1/4 pounds. No diust jacket. ( Apt DJ review excerpt attached to front end page - with comment by Lafcadio Hearn. )

sku 9035