LOTI (Pierre). *Le Mariage de Loti*. Paris: Calmann-Lévy, Éd - Lot 172

LOTI (Pierre). *Le Mariage de Loti*. Paris: Calmann-Lévy, Éditeurs, 3 rue Auber, 1924. In-8, paperback; cream-colored covered board with black and red printing; printed spine. 313 pp. One of 2,000 numbered copies on Marais vellum paper—the only high-quality paper listed in the publication—this copy being no. 329. The print run is confirmed by the colophon and by the bibliographically documented copies of this edition. A beautiful collector’s edition published by Calmann-Lévy the year following Pierre Loti’s death. This is, of course, not the original edition of the novel, which appeared in 1880 under the title *Rarahu*, but a limited-edition deluxe edition, particularly sought after when preserved in its original paperback binding. The BnF does indeed list this 1924 Calmann-Lévy edition. *Le Mariage de Loti* is one of the writer’s great exotic novels. Inspired by Loti’s stay in Tahiti, it recounts the affair between a young naval officer and Rarahu, a young Tahitian woman, and already explores the themes that would run through his entire body of work: a fascination with distant civilizations, sensuality, nostalgia, the fleeting nature of time, and the impossibility of capturing happiness. A beautiful copy on Marais vellum, preserved in paperback and largely uncut, in attractive condition for this edition. The cover is slightly faded and soiled, with minor marks and signs of wear; the spine is somewhat darkened with a few foxing spots and small marks; there are minor flaws on the headbands and corners. The interior is fresh overall, with only a few scattered foxing spots.