BÉRAUD (Henri) — *La Gerbe d'or* — First edition, 1928 - Lot 33

BÉRAUD (Henri) — *La Gerbe d'or* — First edition, 1928 Paris, Les Éditions de France, 1928. In-8, paperback, 243 pp., cream-colored cloth-bound cover illustrated with a sheaf of wheat printed in yellow and black. Untrimmed copy, with full margins. FIRST EDITION, printing completed on February 6, 1928, by Imprimerie Crété in Corbeil. One of 245 numbered copies on Lafuma pure-thread vellum paper, the third paper type after 35 copies on Imperial Japan paper and 85 on Holland paper; this copy is No. 265. The colophon specifies: 35 on Imperial Japanese paper (1–35), 85 on Holland paper (36–120), 245 on Lafuma pure-fiber paper (121–365), followed by 1,725 copies on alfa paper. Market bibliographies confirm the relative rarity of this print run on pure-fiber paper, following those on Japanese and Holland paper. A largely autobiographical novel in which Henri Béraud (1885–1958) recalls his childhood in Lyon and, in particular, the family bakery, “La Gerbe d’Or,” run by his parents. The book thus offers a vivid portrait of working-class Lyon in the late 19th century, the art of breadmaking, and the author’s family memories. Béraud won the Prix Goncourt in 1922 for *Le Martyre de l’obèse*, which was awarded jointly with *Le Vitriol de lune*. *La Gerbe d’Or* belongs to the most literary period of his work. A fine copy on large-format paper, preserved in paperback with its original illustrated cover. A few very scattered foxing spots. The cover is slightly dusty, with creases, small tears, and wrinkles along the margins; the spine—and especially the lower part of the spine—is creased with small losses. The endpapers are uneven and slightly frayed, as is often the case with these full-margin copies. The interior is fresh overall.