BALZAC (Honoré de). The Superior Woman. The House... Lot 11

BALZAC (Honoré de). The Superior Woman. The House of Nucingen, the torpedo. Paris : Werdet, 1838. - 2 volumes in-8, aubergine half calf, spine ribbed and decorated, untrimmed (modern binding). Uncommon first edition of these three stories constituting three "Fragments des Études de mœurs au XIXe siècle": "La Femme supérieure" is a first version of the novel "Les Employés" and "La Torpille" is a fragment of "Splendeurs et Misères des Courtisanes" . "La Maison Nucingen" is a complement to "César Birotteau" published the same year, as the author states at the beginning of the preface to the latter work: "This book (César Birotteau) is the first side of a medal that will be worn in all societies, the reverse side is La Maison Nucingen. These two stories were born as twins. Whoever reads César Birotteau, must therefore read La Maison Nucingen, if he wants to know the whole work. " The edition is illustrated with a woodcut figure after Honoré Daumier, located on page 185 in the second volume, and two title vignettes . The pagination in the first volume changes from page 9 to 22, which is common to all copies of this edition. Pages 7 to 9, corresponding to the end of the preface, have been erroneously bound here after the title in the first volume. A fine copy in modern imitation binding, including the Werdet catalogue for 1838 at the end of the second volume. Minor wear to the spines. Stains to the false title and to the title of the first volume, restorations to several leaves with occasional damage to the text.