ALS in French, signed “H. Balzac,” one page, 5.25 x 8, personal letterhead, no date but circa 1827. Letter to Madame Lebrun. In part (translated): “I count on your kindness to share our values by Thursday noon, because by 15 I'm pretty pressed; if I take the liberty to remind you of our case…you allowed me to notify you when it is essential to me.” In very good condition, with scattered foxing and staining. This letter appears in Balzac’s collected correspondence, edited by Roger Pierrot, Hervé Yon, Vol. I, No. 27-20, p. 208. This dates to early in Balzac’s career during a period of relative anonymity—although he had published nine novels by 1826, all were written under pseudonyms and often the result of a collaborative effort. It was not until the early 1830s that he began to consider the idea of an organized series of works, which would develop into the incredible Comédie humaine—as one of the most ambitious literary projects ever conceived, by the end of his life Balzac had completed 91 finished works in the series, alongside dozens left unfinished. A highly desirable letter from one of the figureheads of French literature. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA.
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