At the Sign of the Queen Pedauque
Chicago: The Limited Editions Club, 1933. First Edition. Limited Edition of 1,500 numbered copies, of which this is number 86. Signed by the illustrator Sylvain Sauvage on the limitation page. Folio, xii, 175 pages, publisher's original gilt lettered blue cloth covered boards. Publisher's original red slipcase. Top edge gilt. At the Sign of the Queen Pedauque (La Rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque) is a satirical historical novel by Anatole France, first published in 1893. Set in 18th-century France, the story follows young Jacques Ménétrier, who escapes his humble life as a cook’s assistant to become the apprentice of the enigmatic scholar and occultist Abbé Jérôme Coignard. Blending wit, irony, and philosophical reflection, France uses the picaresque adventures of his characters to explore themes of religious hypocrisy, alchemy, and the clash between reason and superstition. The novel is notable for its elegant prose, erudite humor, and richly imagined depiction of Enlightenment-era Paris, affirming France’s place as one of the great stylists of fin-de-siècle French literature. Spine sunned, some slight rubbing and damage to the slipcase that is splitting along the seams, else in very good condition. Item #104
Price: $75.00