MATURIN (Charles Robert). — Melmoth, or The Wanderer. Prefac - Lot 192

MATURIN (Charles Robert). — Melmoth, or The Wanderer. Preface by André Breton. Large 8vo, paperback, salmon-pink cover printed in black, 621 pages. An important reprint of *Melmoth the Wanderer*, Charles Robert Maturin’s famous dark novel, in Jean Cohen’s original French translation, published by Jean-Jacques Pauvert and preceded by a preface by André Breton. This preface appears here in its original edition. The work, one of the great classics of the English Gothic novel, exerted a considerable influence on French Romantic and fantasy literature—notably on Balzac and Baudelaire—before being rediscovered and celebrated by the Surrealists. Breton contributed directly to this rediscovery through this 1954 edition. Portrait of Charles Robert Maturin in black, printed separately from the text. Limited edition of 3,000 numbered copies on white vellum. One of the numbered copies, this one bearing the number 2781. Printed on April 15, 1954, on the presses of N. Fortin et Fils in Paris. Copy in its original binding, particularly recognizable by its salmon-colored cover designed based on Robert Korn’s sketches. Condition: cover slightly faded and sun-bleached on the spine, with a few small marks and stains; spine creased, head and foot slightly rubbed, small creases and wear at the corners. The front endpaper and first few pages show fairly pronounced browning resulting from the cover’s color transfer, visible in the photograph. The book block is nevertheless sturdy, and the interior is generally clean. This edition is sought after primarily for André Breton’s original preface and for Melmoth’s unique place in the literary genealogy of Surrealism.