The Story of Manon Lescaut - Hardcover - The Heritage Press - 1935 NEAR MINT
$ 21.12
Description
The Story of Manon Lescaut - Hardcover - The Heritage Press - 1935 NEAR MINT. Is Manon a thief and a whore, the image of love itself, or a thoroughly modern woman?. Prevost is careful to leave the ambiguities unresolved, and to lay bare the disorders of passion. The story was then adapted into an opera in 1836, but it was unsuccessful. " The Story of Manon Lescaut " by The Abbé Prévost d'Exiles (Illustrated by Pierre Brissaud) - Hardcover (Translated from the original text of 1731 by Helen Waddell) - Published in 1935 by The Heritage Press - 155 pages (fabulously illustrated with eight full-color plates ) - NEAR MINT condition. " The sweetness of her glance, or rather my evil star already in its ascendant and drawing me to my ruin, did not allow me to hesitate for a moment." -- So begins the story of Manon Lescaut, a tale of passion and betrayal, of delinquency and misalliance, which moves from early eighteenth-century Paris--with its theatres, assemblies, and gaming-houses-via prison and deportation to a tragic denouement in the treeless wastes of Louisiana. It is one of the great love stories, and also one of the most enigmatic: how reliable a witness is Des Grieux, Manon's lover, whose tale he narrates? Is Manon a thief and a whore, the image of love itself, or a thoroughly modern woman? Prevost is careful to leave the ambiguities unresolved, and to lay bare the disorders of passion. Originally published in 1731, this 1935 Heritage Press edition includes eight illustrations by Pierre Brissaud that were approved by Prevost and first published in the edition of 1753. The book was first adapted into other mediums beginning with a theatrical adaptation in 1772, a comedy entitled The Virtuous Courtesan and then into a ballet in 1830. The story was then adapted into an opera in 1836, but it was unsuccessful. After 1853, however, six more operas based on Manon Lescaut were produced, the most enduring of which was produced in 1893. It was first performed in Paris in 1884, and was a mainstay of the Opéra-Comique, reaching its 1,000th performance there in 1919, its 1,500th in 1931 and 2,000th in 1952. To this day, nearly 300 years after the original publication of the book, the opera is still being performed. There is only a bookplate inside the front cover, but this vintage book is in NEAR MINT condition and almost impossible to find in such pristine shape. No collection of classic fiction items is complete without this book. Please see the scan for the spine and the cover so you can judge the condition for yourself (unlike many other booksellers, who post generic scans, the book in my scan is the one you will get). No collection of classic fiction is complete without this book. You can try to buy this book for less money from one of those eBay booksellers with hundreds, if not thousands of negatives (you know the ones I refer to) and be lucky if the book is delivered to you in the stated condition (if you even get it at all), or you can buy it from me and be assured of a prompt delivery and of receiving an item true to the condition indicated. You won't be disappointed. All previous buyers of my classics have been completely satisfied. I have many others available; please check my listings. The book will be sent via Media mail shipping in the USA. I will combine shipping to reduce charges for multiple items. If you purchase more than one item, please request an invoice for the appropriate combined shipping discount. See my auctions and my eBay store for hundreds of books and a wide variety of sports and non-sports collectibles. All items are packed with care to insure safe delivery. Please contact me if you have any questions. 3-4-26 -- 23.4
