L'Île des Pingouins, Anatole France — 1st Edition

£70.00

L'Île des Pingouins, Anatole France — 1st Edition

Name: L'Île des Pingouins, Anatole France — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4802
Price: 70.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: Paris, Calmann-Lévy, Éditeurs, 1908

Formatting: 12mo, pp. [iv], xv, [i], 419, [1].

Condition Report: Very Good. The original printed yellow wrappers remain remarkably bright and intact, presenting well for a fragile French softcover of this era. The binding is tight, secure, and comfortably square, with an uncreased spine suggesting it has been sparingly read. There is minor, uniform age-toning to the paper, commensurate with the standard trade stock used, and some neat, historical clear tape reinforcement applied to the spine ends and wrapper corners to prevent chipping. The text block is entirely complete, featuring the traditional deckled (untrimmed) edges. The interior pages are clean and free from any significant foxing, spotting, or internal tearing, making for a handsome, well-preserved survivor.

Catalogue Note: This is a true first trade edition (édition originale) of Anatole France’s renowned satirical novel, confirmed by the 1908 date on both the title page and the copyright page, which explicitly notes the October 14, 1908 publication. Unlike the limited tirages de tête (large paper copies on fine paper like Hollande or Japon), this is the standard trade issue printed on regular papier d'édition.

Finding standard trade copies still housed in their original paper wrappers (broché) is becoming increasingly uncommon on the open market. The vast majority of these volumes were promptly sent to local binderies by early twentieth-century purchasers to be bound in quarter or half-leather. The preservation of the publisher’s original delicate yellow covers, complete with the back panel advertising other titles priced at "3 fr. 50," adds considerable appeal for collectors seeking the book in its original published state.

First published in 1908, L'Île des Pingouins (Penguin Island) is a biting, masterful satire of human nature and European history by Nobel laureate Anatole France. The narrative begins when a nearly blind, slightly deaf Christian missionary mistakes a colony of great auks for a tribe of primitive humans and baptises them. This divine clerical error forces God to transform the birds into humans with souls, thus initiating the hilariously flawed, myth-making history of "Penguinia." Tracing this society from its primordial origins through its dark ages, the Renaissance, and into a highly industrialised modern era, France delivers a thinly veiled, cynical, and deeply comic parody of his own country’s history, taking particular aim at the political scandals, romanticised nationalism, and religious hypocrisies of the French Third Republic.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Anatole France

Book Publisher: Calmann-Lévy, Éditeurs

Book Language: French

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Humour Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 419

Book Publication Year: 1908

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Softcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: Paris, France

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.