{"product_id":"monsieur-venus-rachilde-1st-edition","title":"Monsieur Vénus, Rachilde — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp id=\"p-rc_e623aaeff574fc91-440\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e New York, Covici, Friede Publishers, 1929\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. [viii], 217.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_e623aaeff574fc91-441\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. The book presents beautifully in its original yellow cloth, which remains vibrant and largely shielded from significant shelf-wear\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The silver-stamped design on the upper board is impressively bright and completely unoxidised\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Some minor rubbing and subtle darkening are present at the spine ends\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, alongside mild age-toning to the untrimmed text-block edges\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Internally, the binding is tight and square, with the pages remaining crisp, bright, and free of foxing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, save for a neat contemporary ownership signature (\"C. Harvey\")\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. A highly attractive, well-preserved copy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_e623aaeff574fc91-442\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e This early English translation of Rachilde’s decadent masterpiece is a highly sought-after edition, translated by Madeleine Boyd\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The volume is significantly elevated by the striking, stylised illustrations by Majeska\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, which perfectly capture the novel's subversive and avant-garde spirit. It also features an introduction by Ernest Boyd and a preface by Maurice Barrès\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, providing crucial literary context.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_e623aaeff574fc91-443\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProvenance includes a neat, understated previous ownership signature to the endpaper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Copies of this specific illustrated edition in such well-preserved, bright condition are increasingly scarce on the open market, making it a desirable acquisition for collectors of decadent literature or early 20th-century illustrated volumes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"p-rc_e623aaeff574fc91-444\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirst published in France to immense scandal, \u003ci\u003eMonsieur Vénus\u003c\/i\u003e is a cornerstone of the French Decadent movement. Known to contemporaries like Maurice Barrès as \"demoiselle Baudelaire\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Rachilde subverts traditional gender roles and sexual mores through the story of Raoule de Vénérande, a wealthy aristocratic woman who takes a young, effeminate florist as her lover. Raoule systematically strips him of his masculinity, transforming him into her kept \"mistress.\" Rachilde's provocative exploration of gender fluidity, sadomasochism, and aestheticism remains as audacious today as it was at the fin de siècle, offering a dark, glittering critique of societal norms.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54063695724883,"sku":"4241","price":196.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260611_124328.jpg?v=1782130338","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/monsieur-venus-rachilde-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}