Beschreibung:

PROUST, Marcel (1871-1922)
À la recherche du temps perdu. Paris: Ch. Colin (vol. I), l'Imprimerie ‘La Semeuse’ (II), l'Imprimerie Louis Bellenand (III-IV), and F. Paillart (V-VIII) for Bernard Grasset (vol. I) and Gallimard/Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française (II-VIII), '1914' [but 1913]-1927.
A first edition set of one of the most important literary works of any age. Proust's search for a publisher for his chef-d'ouevre began in 1912, but met with little success (in part due to the commercial risks entailed in the expense of publishing such a substantial work); most famously, the novel was rejected by Gallimard's Nouvelle Revue Française imprint on the basis of a hasty and partial reading by André Gide. Eventually, Proust came to the conclusion that the only possibility of publication would be in an edition that he subsidised either in part or in whole. At the suggestion of his friend René Blum, he approached Bernard Grasset, who agreed to publish the work at the author's expense, and Du côté de chez Swann was issued on 8 November 1913. Gallimard swiftly realised their mistake, and became the publishers of the subsequent volumes.
Volumes I-II on ordinary paper; volumes III-VIII from the numbered ‘Édition originale’, bearing the numbers 341 of 800 (III), 342 of 800 (IV), 107 of 850 (V i, ii, and iii), 735 of 875 (VI i and ii), 1063 of 1,200 (VII i and ii), 340 of 1,200 (VIII i and ii). The present copy of Du côté de chez Swann bears the following points: (i) the upper wrapper is dated 'MCMXIII' (the title MCMXIV); (ii) the verso of the half-title carries the announcement of the forthcoming publication of Le coté de Guermantes and Le temps retrouvé, 'Pour paraître en 1914'; (iii) the last two letters of the publisher's name 'GRASSET' on the title are not mis-set; (iv) the colophon on p.[524] is dated 'le huit novembre mille neuf cent treize'.
13 volumes, octavo (186 x 117mm [vol. I] and 188 x 137mm [vols. II-VIII]). 4pp. errata in volume III (occasional minor spotting, volume III errata a little browned as usual). Burgundy crushed half morocco by E. & A. Maylander, spines lettered in gilt, top edges gilt, original printed wrappers and spines bound in, each volume housed in custom slipcase.