{"product_id":"1910-rare-book-balzac-s-droll-stories-illustrated-by-albert-robida","title":"1910 Rare Book - Balzac’s Droll Stories Illustrated by Albert Robida","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"142\" data-end=\"1093\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"142\" data-end=\"153\"\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Honoré de Balzac. Illustrated by Albert Robida.\u003cbr data-start=\"246\" data-end=\"249\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"249\" data-end=\"259\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-start=\"260\" data-end=\"324\"\u003eBalzac’s Droll Stories: Collected from the Abbeys of Touraine.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"324\" data-end=\"327\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"327\" data-end=\"341\"\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e London, Privately Printed, circa 1910.\u003cbr data-start=\"380\" data-end=\"383\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"383\" data-end=\"396\"\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Text in English.\u003cbr data-start=\"413\" data-end=\"416\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"416\" data-end=\"425\"\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8 x 6 inches.\u003cbr data-start=\"439\" data-end=\"442\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"442\" data-end=\"452\"\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e viii, 468 pages.\u003cbr data-start=\"469\" data-end=\"472\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"472\" data-end=\"484\"\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Elegant half crimson morocco over cloth boards, ruled in gilt, with raised bands and richly gilt-decorated spine compartments featuring fleur-de-lis motifs; upper edge gilt; a refined early 20th-century fine binding, in fine condition. Under a protective removable mylar cover.\u003cbr data-start=\"773\" data-end=\"776\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"776\" data-end=\"788\"\u003eContent:\u003c\/strong\u003e Near fine condition; text block clean and well preserved, with only light, occasional toning; binding sound and tight.\u003cbr data-start=\"907\" data-end=\"910\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"910\" data-end=\"928\"\u003eIllustrations:\u003c\/strong\u003e Complete with 48 full-page illustrations by Albert Robida, richly detailed and full of movement, capturing the humor, satire, and exuberant spirit of Balzac’s text.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1095\" data-end=\"1123\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1095\" data-end=\"1108\"\u003eEstimate:\u003c\/strong\u003e (USD 300–350).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1130\" data-end=\"1941\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1130\" data-end=\"1143\"\u003eThe book:\u003c\/strong\u003e A finely bound and richly illustrated edition of Balzac’s celebrated\u003cem data-start=\"1215\" data-end=\"1235\"\u003eContes Drolatiques\u003c\/em\u003e, this privately printed English version presents the author’s bawdy, humorous, and deeply human tales inspired by the spirit of Rabelais and the imagined life of medieval Touraine; first published in the 1830s, these stories reveal a lesser-known facet of Balzac’s genius, blending satire, folklore, and exuberant storytelling with a deliberately archaic and playful tone; this early 20th-century edition is elevated by the lively and expressive illustrations of Albert Robida, whose line work perfectly complements the wit and theatricality of the text; the result is a volume both literary and visual, housed in a striking morocco binding that reflects the enduring appeal of Balzac’s imaginative world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1948\" data-end=\"2364\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1948\" data-end=\"1963\"\u003eThe author:\u003c\/strong\u003e Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), one of the great figures of French literature, is best known for\u003cem data-start=\"2061\" data-end=\"2081\"\u003eLa Comédie humaine\u003c\/em\u003e, a vast and ambitious portrait of society in post-Napoleonic France; in the\u003cem data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2178\"\u003eContes Drolatiques\u003c\/em\u003e, he turns to a more playful and irreverent mode, drawing inspiration from Renaissance humor and the legacy of Rabelais to craft tales that are at once earthy, ironic, and vividly alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"2371\" data-end=\"2827\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2371\" data-end=\"2391\"\u003eThe illustrator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albert Robida (1848–1926) was a prolific French illustrator, caricaturist, and visionary artist, renowned for his detailed and often fantastical imagery; his work, which spans literature, journalism, and early science fiction, is distinguished by its precision, humor, and imaginative energy; in this edition, his illustrations bring a dynamic visual dimension to Balzac’s tales, enhancing their theatricality and narrative richness.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MFLIBRA - Antique Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47638190686457,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/3348\/files\/20260328droll_01.jpg?v=1774702410","url":"https:\/\/mflibra.com\/products\/1910-rare-book-balzac-s-droll-stories-illustrated-by-albert-robida","provider":"MFLIBRA - Antique Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}