SANDEAU (Jules). — Catherine. Paris: Michel Lévy frères, boo - Lot 260

SANDEAU (Jules). — Catherine. Paris: Michel Lévy frères, booksellers and publishers, 2 bis Rue Vivienne, 1851. In-18, 359 pp., light brown half-calf, ribbed spine decorated with gilt fillets and scrolls, black morocco title label, marbled paper covers, speckled edges. Contemporary binding. First edition. *Catherine* was published in 1851 by Michel Lévy frères; the BnF lists the title for that same year, alongside a Brussels edition. Jules Sandeau (1811–1883), a novelist and playwright, was one of the leading figures of the 19th-century roman de mœurs. *Catherine* belongs to the writer’s period of full maturity and precedes his admission to the Académie française in 1858. A sentimental and provincial novel, the work depicts romantic and family relationships in the vein of social observation that characterizes much of his oeuvre. This copy clearly displays the characteristics of the 1851 Paris edition by Michel Lévy frères. The table of contents occupies the last pages and ends on p. 359. The copy is in a pleasant contemporary binding. The spine is decorative and well-preserved, with some normal wear and tear. There is fairly significant foxing, at times quite heavy, affecting in particular the first and last leaves as well as several leaves in the body of the book; there are a few stains. Overall, however, the book is in sound condition.