GAUTIER (Théophile). *Les Grotesques*. - Lot 167

GAUTIER (Théophile). *Les Grotesques*. New expanded edition with an afterword by Paule Adamy. Bassac, Plein Chant, printer and publisher of the *Petite Librairie du XIXᵉ siècle*, 2012. In-12, paperback, printed cover. A carefully prepared reprint of one of Théophile Gautier’s most famous critical works, originally published in 1844. In this now-classic collection, Gautier vividly brings to life a gallery of singular writers—forgotten poets, libertines, scholars, and eccentrics from the 16th and 17th centuries—including Théophile de Viau, Saint-Amant, Cyrano de Bergerac, Scarron, and Paul Scarron. Through these literary portraits, written in a highly free and unconstrained style, the author celebrates the margins of literary history and passionately defends figures who have been unjustly neglected. The work also serves as an essential testament to Gautier’s Romantic sensibility and scholarly curiosity regarding independent writers, rebellious minds, and unconventional works. This edition, published by Plein Chant, includes the complete text and is enriched by an afterword by Paule Adamy, offering a contemporary perspective on the book’s genesis and reception. Limited print run of 400 unnumbered copies, followed by 300 copies with the afterword. This copy belongs to the second, expanded print run. Condition Good copy. Cover is fresh with slight signs of handling. Interior is very clean.