[ ZOLA, NATURALISM, PUBLISHING ] - UNPUBLISHED CORRESPONDENCE OF GEORGES CHARPENTIER

[ HISTORY OF PUBLISHING – NATURALISM – EMILE ZOLA ]

[ UNPUBLISHED CORRESPONDENCE OF GEORGES CHARPENTIER ]

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CHARPENTIER, Georges,

35 autograph letters from the publisher Georges Charpentier to Eugène Fasquelle, about literary & editorial affairs, Emile Zola & various writers

Paris, 1888 to 1892. 129 pp. autographs (various formats)

Georges Charpentier (1846 - 1905) was a publisher who became known as a champion of naturalist writers, especially Émile Zola, Alphonse Daudet, Gustave Flaubert, and Guy de Maupassant. He also promoted Impressionist painters. Eugène Fasquelle, the recipient of the letters, also a famous publisher, was at this time the associate of Charpentier – and soon his successor. In these letters it is frequently question of Zola, flagship author of the house. For example : "I am not of the opinion to publish the Soirées de Médan in fascicules. It seems to me that it is a very bad way of publication" ; "I have received a letter from Zola, but he does not speak to me about the Vœu d'une morte". "He is working hard on La Bête Humaine and we will appear in volume in the first days of January. It will still be a good deal." Many letters concern the choice of illustrators for books – as Le Rêve de Zola. There is also talk of exchanges with foreign publishers: for example, Charpentier mentions a meeting with the representative of Cassell & Co of New York.