Tartarin de Tarascon, Alphonse Daudet — Collection Guillaume

£145.00

Tartarin de Tarascon, Alphonse Daudet — Collection Guillaume

Name: Tartarin de Tarascon, Alphonse Daudet — Collection Guillaume
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4430
Price: 145.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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£145.00

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Publication: Paris, Ernest Flammarion, Éditeur, [n.d., c. 1909]

Formatting: 12mo, pp. [iv], 233.

Condition Report: Very Good. The volume is tightly bound in a handsome dark blue full leather binding by Bickers & Son, presenting beautifully with rich, unoxidised gilt tooling across the spine and boards. The hinges remain remarkably robust, and the boards show only minor signs of shelf-wear, primarily consisting of slight rubbing to the extremities and corner tips. Internally, the binding is perfectly sound without any splitting or weakness to the gutters. The text block is square, and the marbled edges are well-preserved, neatly complementing the marbled endpapers. There is localised foxing and spotting to the preliminary leaves, most notably surrounding the school prize bookplate on the front flyleaf, but the main body of the text remains remarkably clean and bright with only occasional, negligible blemishes.

Catalogue Note: This edition, marking the "Deux centième mille" (200th thousand) of Daudet’s beloved classic, was issued as part of the popular "Collection Guillaume". It is profusely illustrated with black-and-white vignettes throughout the text by J. Girardet, Montégut, de Myrbach, Picard, and Rossi, which perfectly capture the whimsical nature of the protagonist.

A particularly appealing feature of this copy is its distinguished provenance and bespoke presentation binding. The book was bound by the esteemed London firm Bickers & Son (indicated by their discrete stamp to the front turn-in) for the Royal School for Naval and Marine Officers' Daughters in Twickenham. The spine is uniquely adorned with gilt anchors and sailor's knots, reflecting the naval heritage of the institution, while the front board is elegantly stamped with the school's interlocking gilt monogram. A printed prize bookplate to the front flyleaf confirms it was awarded to Miss Florence M. Jones for her proficiency in French in July 1909. While standard cloth or paper-wrapped copies of the Flammarion editions are relatively common, finding one preserved in such a specialized, high-quality institutional prize binding is quite scarce on the open market.

Alphonse Daudet’s Tartarin de Tarascon is a sparkling masterpiece of 19th-century French satirical literature. The novel follows the boastful but deeply comfortable Tartarin, a local hero in his provincial Southern French town who has built a fearsome reputation as a lion hunter without ever actually leaving his armchair. When his tall tales catch up with him and public pressure mounts, the reluctant adventurer is forced to embark on a genuine expedition to Algeria. What follows is a brilliant and comedic collision between romanticized imagination and harsh reality, as Tartarin navigates a series of absurd mishaps, eccentric characters, and completely imaginary lions.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Alphonse Daudet

Book Publisher: Ernest Flammarion

Book Language: French

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Humour Fiction

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 233

Book Publication Year: 1909

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover (Full Leather)

Illustrator: J. Girardet, Montégut, de Myrbach, Picard, Rossi

Book Series: Collection Guillaume

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.