Oeuvres de Victor Hugo – Victor Hugo – 1880s | 16 Vols, French, Leather

This set of Oeuvres de Victor Hugo presents the poetic works of the famous author in their original French. While best known for his dramatic novels Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hugo also extensively wrote poetry that encapsulated the tenants of the Romantic era of literature, with themes of idealizing the past and emphasizing individualism, particularly through the originality of artists. Much of his poetry was political in nature, and several of his collections, including Les Contemplations and La Legend des Siècles, were composed while Hugo was in political exile after publicly calling Napoleon III a traitor to France. These works, as well as several other poetry collections such as Le Pape, La Pitié Suprême, and L’Art d’être Grand-père, are included in this sixteen-volume set of the author’s poetry, published in Paris by Alphonse Lamerre.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Oeuvres de Victor Hugo
• Author: Victor Hugo
• Publisher: Paris, Alphonse Lemerre
• Edition: [C. 1875-1888]
  • Several title pages undated
  • Various dates 1881-1888
• Binding: 3/4 Moroccan leather with marbled boards
• Format: Sextodecimo (16mo), 16 volumes
• Size: ~6.5in x 4in (16.5 cm x 10.2 cm)
• Collation: Each volume individually paginated
• Illustrations: 3 frontispiece engravings
• Contents Include:
  • L’Année Terrible
  • Le Pape, La Pitié Suprême, Religions et Religion, L’Âne
  • Les Feuilles d’automne, Les Chants du Crépuscule
  • La Légende des Siècles (Parts 1 & 2)
  • La Légende des Siècles, Nouvelle Série (Vols 1 & 2)
  • L’Art d’être Grand-père
  • Les Voix Intérieures, Les Rayons et les Ombres
  • Chansons des Rues et des Bois
  • Les Quatre Vents de l’Esprit (Parts 1 & 2)
  • Odes et Ballades, Les Orientales (Parts 1 & 2)
  • Les Contemplations (Parts 1 & 2)

Condition:

Fine condition. The bindings are secure with very minor wear on edges and corners. Hinges and text blocks are tight and secure; the marbled endpapers and gilt top-edge are intact. There is toning to the flyleaves, but pages are clean with no marks or tears.

Why Collect This?

• Includes Hugo’s best-known poetic works and late career writings
• Fine, decorative leather bindings
• Published by Lamerre, remembered for publishing the Romantic-era Parnassian poets

Item Number: # 31081