The Princesse de Clèves.

£750 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

First edition in the scarce dustjacket of Nancy Mitford's translation of Madame de Lafayette's sensational and controversial novel, originally published in 1678. Privately printed by the Euphorion Press, set up and owned by Mitford's sister Diana and her husband Oswald Mosley after World War II. The story is primarily set around the royal court of Henri II of France and follows the romantic fortunes of Mademoiselle de Chartres, a 16 year old heiress in search of a husband. Unlike other romantic novels of the day, this book used realistic introspective language exploring the characters' inner thoughts within a plausible plot, and is now considered to be a turning point in the emergence of the modern tradition of the psychological novel. This classic novel contains a preface from Mitford, as well as 6 full-page portraits of the court of Henri II. First edition, first impression; 8vo; 6 full-page plates comprising portraits of the court of Henri II, some offsetting to endpapers, else unmarked internally; publisher's rust cloth boards, gilt lettering to spine, pictorial endpapers, a few pale marks to rear cover, with the price-clipped pictorial dust-jacket by Philippe Jullian, some small chips and closed tears to edges and foot of spine, internal repair to head of spine; a crisp, clean copy in the scarce dust-jacket.

• Binding: Hardcover

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