ZOLA, Emile. Lot n° 20

Germinal. Paris, G. Charpentier, 1885. High volume in-12 (185 x 129 mm) of 2 ff.n.ch. and 591 pp.; red half-shagreen with corners, bound on brochure, cover and preserved back (Alfred Parsz). Clouzot, 278. Original edition. One of the 150 copies of head on Holland (after 10 on Japan). Germinal forms the 13th volume of the saga of the "Rougon-Maquart". The volume is enriched with a letter from Zola about the book and addressed to a "dear colleague". About an article published a few days earlier, Zola was offended to be treated as a driver of naturalism and asked to be granted the right to follow a path specific to himself: "But why do you say that I lead naturalism? I don't drive anything. It has been almost four years since I wrote a line in a newspaper, I work in my own corner, letting the world roll where it pleases him. The 2 pp. letter is dated March 15[18]85. Nice copy of the Napoleon Foundation's dry stamp on the printed cover, and library label.