Handwritten testimonial in French, one page, lightly-lined, 6.5 x 8.5, no date. A letter, headed “Dickens,” in full (translated): “He is a marvelous genius. When he comes, with his cordial perfume of Christmas and Tea, he must be crowned with the mistletoe under which people kiss one another. He must be placed between Andersen and Tolstoy. All imps roam about, hanging onto the coattails of his Pickwick. In his fantasies, it seems that Falstaff is aureoled with tenderness, like a plum pudding with a bluer flame. And in the midst of the warm intimacy of rooms where, thanks to him, the selfish kettle sings like a poet, he causes the wind which speaks of tragic misery to blow beneath the hard doors. He told of the child’s tears, and the eyes of death. He broke Pity’s path through the snow—Yes, between Andersen and Tolstoy. He isn’t Father Christmas, because in his sack he has something better than toys: the most beautiful stories, many dreams, and all goodness; but when he enters bearing the green tree of his work, illuminated by all those flickering lives he lights there, he is noble Christmas. He must be crowned with mistletoe.” Double-cloth-matted and framed to an overall size of 14 x 16.25. In fine condition. Redolent of the warmth and charm of a Dickensian tale, this delightful letter offers glowing praise of the influential English author, whom Rostand bookends between two of literature’s foremost names. Given the French playwright’s expertise in crafting memorable characters for the stage, Rostand’s rich acclaim denotes the impact Dickens must have had on him as a burgeoning writer. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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