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First edition in French, one of a very few copies printed. With headpiece after woodcut by Alexandre Noll and two plates. 512, [4], xx pp. 1 vols. 8vo. The first notice of Moby Dick in French dates from the first volume of the Revue des Deux Mondes (1853) but Melville's vast novel was not translated into French until the 1930s. Jean Giono (1895 1970) was deeply influenced by American writers of the nineteenth century, starting with Whitman. "The second great American Giono discovered (in the 1930s) was Melville — translating Melville was a labor of love for years Giono would read him in the open fields" (Edmund White). He began his translation in 1936; Joan Smith worked up a first draft that was rewritten by Giono and her friend Lucien Jacques, publisher of the Cahiers du Contadour. The translation appeared in pre-publication serial form in numbers V-VIII of the Cahiers, (May 1938 to February 1939). The first edition was published in the first half of 1939 in a small print run (variously described as only thirty copies or 600 copies), here in a choice contemporary binding with the wrappers preserved. The outbreak of war put an end to the literary efforts of the Cahiers du Contadour. Giono's translation gained wider distribution in the Gallimard reprint in May 1941. Giono's fictional reflections on Melville, Pour saluer Melville, were also published in 1941. RARE. OCLC: 459465908 (BnF); 97456850 (Harvard, Kentucky) Nut brown half morocco with gilt decorative paper sides, spine gilt, t.e.g., wrappers preserved, by Devauchelle. Textblock lightly toned, else fine With headpiece after woodcut by Alexandre Noll and two plates. 512, [4], xx pp. 1 vols. 8vo First edition in French, one of a very few copies printed.

"Moby-Dick; or, The Whale," penned by Herman Melville in 1851, stands as a monumental work in American literature, melding adventure, philosophical inquiry, and deep symbolism. At its core, the novel narrates the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab, the monomaniacal commander of the whaling ship Pequod, to exact vengeance on Moby Dick, a gargantuan white sperm whale. Ahab's pursuit of the elusive leviathan, which had previously maimed him, becomes a profound exploration of ambition, madness, and humanity's struggle against the unfathomable forces of nature. The story is recounted by Ishmael, a sailor aboard the Pequod, who serves not only as a narrator but also as a philosophical observer, pondering the mysteries of existence and the interconnectedness of mankind and the natural world. The narrative weaves together Ishmael's reflections, the diverse tales of the ship's crew, and detailed expositions on whaling, creating a rich tapestry that transcends the conventions of its adventure story framework. "Moby-Dick" is celebrated for its ambitious scope, intricate symbolism, and the complexity of its themes. Melville's use of language is both grandiose and penetrating, capable of shifting from technical descriptions of whaling to eloquent meditations on the human condition. The novel's famous opening line, "Call me Ishmael," signals the beginning of a journey not just across the seas but into the depths of the soul and the paradoxes of existence. The fame of "Moby-Dick" lies not only in its narrative audacity but in its capacity to provoke endless interpretation. Ahab's quest against Moby Dick has been read as an allegory for the hubris of man, the inscrutability of fate, and the eternal battle against nature's indomitable will. Over time, the novel has transcended its initial lukewarm reception to become a cornerstone of American literature, revered for its profound insights into the human psyche and the darkness and light that reside within the human heart.