Literature: European languages

First in Yiddish - inscribed

SHAKESPEARE, William and I. GOLDBERG (translator)

Romeo un Zshulyete: tragedya in finf aktn [Romeo and Juliet: the Tragedy in Five Acts]

£2,950

SHAKESPEARE, William and I. GOLDBERG (translator), Romeo un Zshulyete: tragedya in finf aktn

Lovely example of a rare book: the first 'Romeo and Juliette' published in Yiddish, here in fine condition and inscribed by the translator to a famous Yiddish author and professor.

Image for LOMONOSOV, TREDIAKOSVKII, SUMAROKOV. Choix des meilleurs morceaux de la littérature russe. First edition, 1800. #2

Better than thought

LOMONOSOV, Mikhail Vasilievich, Vasilii Kirillovich TREDIAKOVSKII and Alexander Petrovich SUMAROKOV

Choix des meilleurs morceaux de la littérature russe, à dater de sa naissance jusqu'au règne de Catherine II

£950

LOMONOSOV, Mikhail Vasilievich, Vasilii Kirillovich TREDIAKOVSKII and Alexander Petrovich SUMAROKOV, Choix des meilleurs morceaux de la littérature russe, à dater de sa naissance jusqu'au règne de Catherine II

Attractive example of the first French anthology of Russian literature, with some of the best authors of the 18th century.

Image for MONTESQIEU, Ch. Lettres persanes in Russian. Skt. Peterburg, 1792. #2

French enlightenment in Russia

MONTESKE [MONTESQUIEU, Charles Louis de]

Pisma persidskiia [Lettres persanes] [Persian Letters]

£3,750

MONTESKE [MONTESQUIEU, Charles Louis de], Pisma persidskiia [Lettres persanes]

Rare first illustrated edition of the 'Lettres persanes' in Russian, in contemporary binding with lovely Russian endpapers.

Image for DICKENS - PLESHCHEEV, first 'Life of Dickens' in Russian, first book edition. #2

Dickens' life for Russian readers

[DICKENS] – PLESHCHEEV, Aleksei Nikolaevich

Zhizn Dikkensa [The Life of Dickens]

£1,450

[DICKENS] - PLESHCHEEV, Aleksei Nikolaevich, Zhizn Dikkensa

Rare first significant biography of the great Victorian author in Russian, written by an active (and politically engaged) man of letters. First book edition. Apparently no copy in Britain, only at the NYPL and in Sidney outside Russia.

Image for Pouchkine, Ruslan et Ludmila, première édition en vers, avec envoi, Paris, 1898. #2

Inscribed by the translator, a feminist character

[PUSHKIN] – Alexandre POUCHKINE, Véra STARKOFF (transl.) and Marie EGOROFF (artist)

Rouslane et Ludmile

£2,450

[PUSHKIN] - Alexandre POUCHKINE, Véra STARKOFF (transl.) and Marie EGOROFF (artist), Rouslane et Ludmile

The first complete poetic French translation of Pushkin's celebrated work. Strikingly illustrated by an original Russian female artist, and this copy inscribed by the translator: a politically-engaged playwright and one of the main figures of the feminist theatre movement in France. Rarely found, and only 500 copies printed.

Image for Loti, Pecheur d'Islande, 1886, edition originale tirage limité #1

Edition originale en version de luxe, aux planches en plusieurs états

LOTI, Pierre

Pêcheur d'Islande

£1,250

LOTI, Pierre, Pêcheur d'Islande

Loti's most celebrated novel: a fine example of the first edition, here with a record number of states of the plates, bound in full green morocco retaining the original bright orange publisher's wrappers.

Image for SHAKESPEARE, The Works, Imperial edition, full morocco, London, ca. 1875. #1

Impressive edition superbly bound

SHAKESPEARE, William and Charles KNIGHT (editor)

The Works of William Shakspere, Imperial Edition

£2,750

SHAKESPEARE, William and Charles KNIGHT (editor), The Works of William Shakspere, Imperial Edition

One of the most impressive editions of Shakespeare in an unusual example, fresh and bound in striking full red morocco richly gilt.

With Bauzonnet's receipt

BYRON, George Gordon Lord

The Works by Lord Byron, including the suppressed poems. Complete in one volume

£875

BYRON, George Gordon Lord, The Works by Lord Byron, including the suppressed poems. Complete in one volume

Fine Didot edition of Byron in a Bauzonnet binding, 'doublée', with the binder's receipt bound in.

Image for Fagnani, Letters written from St. Petersburg in 1810-11, in red morocco, 1815. #1

Predicting Napoleon's failure

FAGNANI, Federigo

Lettere scritte di Pietroburgo correndo gli anni 1810 e 1811

£2,500

FAGNANI, Federigo, Lettere scritte di Pietroburgo correndo gli anni 1810 e 1811

Saint Petersburg before Napoleon's campaign: a superb example in red morocco, very fresh and exempt of any foxing, of the expanded second edition (published the year of Waterloo), containing sixteen more letters in addition to the six published in the original edition of 1812. A scarce Italian book on Russia.

Image for Burnett, Little Lord Fauntleroy, first edition, 1886. #1

Out of stock

SOLD

In an unusually fresh condition

BURNETT, Frances Hodgson

Little Lord Fauntleroy

BURNETT, Frances Hodgson, Little Lord Fauntleroy

A very attractive example of the first edition of this celebrated children novel: in the original cloth, very bright.

Image for Thompson, Eisen, Les Saison, Russian Imperial copy #1

Out of stock

SOLD

An 18th-c. best-seller in the Tsar's library

THOMPSON, James

Les Saisons

THOMPSON, James, Les Saisons

A Russian Imperial copy of Eisen's charming plates to illustrate a best-seller of the 18th century.

Image for RERESBY, Travels and Memoirs, London, 1813. Full red morocco binding. #1

Out of stock

SOLD

Large-paper in red morocco

RERESBY, Sir John, Bt

The Travels and Memoirs of Sir John Reresby... The Former (now First Published) Exhibiting a View of the Governments and Society in the Principal States and Courts of Europe, during the Time of Cromwell's Usurpation; the Latter Containing Anecdotes, and Secret History of the Courts of Charles II. and James II

RERESBY, Sir John, Bt, The Travels and Memoirs of Sir John Reresby... The Former (now First Published) Exhibiting a View of the Governments and Society in the Principal States and Courts of Europe, during the Time of Cromwell's Usurpation; the Latter Containing Anecdotes, and Secret History of the Courts of Charles II. and James II

The preferred, large-paper issue attractively bound in full red morocco richly gilt. This edition contains the very first publication of the Travels; and the first illustrated edition of the Memoirs: overall with almost 40 plates including 11 hand-coloured, some with gilt highlights. A great example.

Image for Aesop, Fables, 1773, red morocco with Russian imperial provenance #1

Out of stock

SOLD

Illustrated Aesop in a Russian Imperial binding

AESOP, PHILELPHUS and others

Les Fables d'Esope Phrygien, avec Celles de Philelphe

AESOP, PHILELPHUS and others, Les Fables d'Esope Phrygien, avec Celles de Philelphe

Aesop's fables in red morocco with the arms of the Russian Empress: a fine imperial copy of this lovely edition, illustrated with 60 engraved plates.

Image for Hervey and Nilova, Meditations in Russian, Novikov, 1782 #1

Out of stock

SOLD

An English best-seller in 18th-c. Russia

HERVEY, James, and Elizaveta NILOVA (transl.)

Nadgrobnyia razmyshlenia [Meditations among the Tombs]

HERVEY, James, and Elizaveta NILOVA (transl.), Nadgrobnyia razmyshlenia

First Russian edition of an English 'graveyard' literary work: by a female translator, dedicated to a woman, and later confiscated by Catherine the Great. Very rare.

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