PÉRET (Benjamin). - Lot 229

PÉRET (Benjamin). Complete Works. Volume 5: Poet, That Is to Say, Revolutionary, by Guy Prévan. Political Writings. Chronology 1927–1959. Glossary. Notes. Paris, Association des amis de Benjamin Péret – José Corti Bookstore, 1989. Large 8vo, paperback, cream-colored laid paper cover printed in blue, printed spine. Phototypeset in 12-point Bodoni. Printed on March 6, 1989, by Imprimerie de la Manutention in Mayenne. ISBN 2-7143-0318-8. Edition No. 1004. Fifth volume of the Complete Works of Benjamin Péret, published with the support of the Centre National des Lettres. This volume, considerably larger than the previous ones, is devoted to the political and revolutionary dimension of Péret’s work. It opens with Guy Prévan’s essay, “Poet, That Is to Say, Revolutionary,” followed by a collection of the writer’s political texts. The volume is rounded out by an extensive chronology covering the years 1927 to 1959, a glossary, and notes. This part of the work is essential for understanding Péret’s unique position within the Surrealist movement: for him, poetry and revolutionary commitment were not two separate activities, but two manifestations of the same demand for freedom. His political stances, often radical and independent of partisan orthodoxies, thus constitute an indispensable complement to his poetic work. A fine copy, in very fresh condition inside, preserved in its original cream-colored cover. Very slight signs of wear on the cover.