RESTIF DE LA BRETONNE. THE DRAMA OF LIFE. Containing a whole - Lot 86

RESTIF DE LA BRETONNE. THE DRAMA OF LIFE. Containing a whole man. Readers! Read the most interesting of works without fear of scandal. Play in 13 acts by Les Ombres, and 10 regular plays. Paris, à la maison, chés la V. Duchêne et Mérigot jeune, 1793. 5 volumes in-12 of 244-[4]; 245-496; 497-776-[4]; 777-1040; 1041-1256 (misfigured 1252)-1205-1284-44(misfigured 1285 to 1329 (misfigured 1396) pages, red morocco, triple gilt fillet on covers, highly ornate ribbed spine, gilt lace inside, gilt edges (Chambolle-Duru). "Reader, this is the most extraordinary work ever published. It is unique in its genre... It shows the human machine dismantled and put under glass, to be examined, considered and scrutinized by philosophers and all readers" (Preface). Very rare first edition in 1344 pages (the last three erroneously paginated 1394-1395-1396) with the folded portrait of Restif, engraved by Berthet after Binet, and 2 unnumbered leaves at the end of volume 1 containing the prospectus of Monsieur Nicolas (out of 6). The two sheets of verses reported by Rives Childs are placed in the third volume. This book, which Restif printed himself "at home" using old scrap material, was quickly destroyed, and the few copies in the public domain went almost unnoticed. This explains the rarity of this bold, bizarre, one-of-a-kind book, which should be considered the indispensable sequel to Monsieur Nicolas. Printed on 2 different types of paper, page 1245 is duplicated, the copy is superb and has retained good margins. (Rives-Childs, p.328) (Lacroix, p. 377) (Gay, II, 38). Provenance: Librairie Fontaine, cat.1874, n°2070.