1889 History of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux : Abbe Prevost

History of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux

By Abbe Prevost

With a preface by Guy De Maupassant

London Swan Sonnenschein & Co 1889. Small folio, Original cloth binding, (33 x 23 cm), moire silk endpapers, pp: xx,iv,[1]-204, half title, title page printed in red & black with vignette, text in English, frontispiece & 12 full page illustrations by Maurice Leloir engraved by Louis Ruet & 225 vignettes & ornaments engraved on wood by Jules Huyot.

The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. Published in 1731, it is the seventh and final volume of Mémoires et aventures d'un homme de qualité (Memoirs and Adventures of a Man of Quality).

The story, set in France and Louisiana in the early 18th century, follows the hero, the Chevalier des Grieux, and his lover, Manon Lescaut. Controversial in its time, the work was banned in France upon publication. Despite this, it became very popular and pirated editions were widely distributed. In a subsequent 1753 edition, the Abbé Prévost toned down some scandalous details and injected more moralizing disclaimers. The work was to become the most reprinted book in French literature, with over 250 editions published between 1731 and 1981.

CONDITION
A very good copy. The cloth binding is good condition with light rubbing in places and light signs of age. Hines both inside and out are strong with no cracking. Moire silk endpapers good. All contents present and pages very clean throughout with just a tad of light spotting to a few margins but this is minimal. Overall a very good copy.

(Loc : Glass cabinet 5)