FOLIO SOCIETY LES MISERABLES Victor Hugo Limited Edition 2008

Description: Folio Society Numbered Limited Edition – LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo For its compelling narrative of love, hate, revenge and redemption, few books in history can match Les Misérables. Written over a period of nearly twenty years, it was a huge success when first published in 1862, thanks to its gripping story, epic sweep and outspoken political message. Completed while Hugo was in exile on Guernsey, this historical novel included a devastating critique of the ills of contemporary France. Les Misérables centres on Jean Valjean, imprisoned for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread. Eventually released in 1815, just after Napoleon’s final defeat, Valjean betrays the kindly Bishop Myriel, but through the latter’s forgiveness he repents and goes on to adopt Cosette, the orphaned daughter of a prostitute. Over the years he rises to eminence as mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer, but his struggle to achieve respectability is constantly thwarted by an unforgiving society and in particular by his implacable enemy, the police officer Javert. In the end, despite their personal battles, none of the protagonists can avoid the groundswell of revolution that is brewing in the slums of Paris The book teems with unforgettable characters, from the prostitute Fantine, forced to sell her hair and teeth, to the lovable street urchin Gavroche, who becomes a symbol of the uprising. Hugo has a masterly understanding of the power of intimate, everyday details and situations told within the grand setting of the novel. The cumulative emotional effect of the book is overwhelming, proving Hugo’s stature as a peerless storyteller. Norman Denny was commissioned to translate Les Misérables for The Folio Society in 1976. His wonderfully lively and expressive text, used in this edition, is now the accepted English-language version of the novel. This edition is illustrated with engravings from original 19th-century editions. These include drawings by de Neuville, Morin, Valnay and the great Emile Bayard, whose famous representation of Cosette and her broom has become the iconic image of the novel. ‘The Divine Stenographer’, a fascinating essay on Les Misérables by the great Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, is included as a companion essay to this edition. Vargas Llosa highlights the ingenious nature of Hugo’s narrative voice, and how, in his words, ‘We dance to his tune, becoming, by turns, sad or happy, depressed or excited, plotters or rebels’. As an outspoken critic of political corruption and authoritarian regimes in Latin America, Vargas Llosa’s political convictions and his literary gifts offer a fascinating personal insight into Hugo’s masterpiece. PRODUCTION DETAILS:- • Translated and with an introduction by Norman Denny • Limited to 1750 numbered copies• Each copy hand-numbered on a special limitation page• Printed by Memminger MedienCentrum on Cordier Wove paper• Bound by Real Lachenmaier of Germany, in full wassa goatskin and blocked with a design by Jeff Clements• Set in Garamond• 1,181 pages with 25 full-page illustrations from designs by De Neuville, Bayard, Morin, Valnay, and other eminent French artists • Gilded top edge and ribbon marker• Companion 17 page booklet, The Divine Stenographer: Truth and Narration in Les Miserables by Mario Vargas LIosa, sewn into red card wrapper with an inset label.• Presented in a buckram-bound solander box, lined with red paper. Title blocked in gold on the spine.• Book size 10" x 6¾" CONDITION: Both book and commentary essay are in FINE condition. No inscriptions, bookplates etc.. Solander box is in NEAR FINE condition with very light shelf including a very light hairline score (see photos 13, 14 & 15). Due to the heavy weight of the book (approx. 4 kilos when packed), postage will be via Parcelforce Worldwide express48 (tracked and insured) courier service at a cost of £9.50 All items are sent at cost price whether purchasing a single or multiple items. Due to size, weight and value considerations it is not possible to accurately calculate combined postage automatically. Always feel free to ask or if purchases require immediate payment I will refund any difference. All items must be sent to the address stipulated during the payment process. All items are sent via recorded delivery unless they are of little monetary value. Virtually all my items are available through the global shipping program (GSP) to designated countries outside the UK. Please note I have no control over international postage costs. I do not set these, eBay's GSP does, I send the items to an address in the UK and am not even aware of the country for which they are destined. Items purchased through the GSP must be sent via the GSP shipping centre. Please ask any questions before buying

Price: 299 GBP

Location: UK

End Time: 2024-12-13T19:51:58.000Z

Shipping Cost: 67.2 GBP