MARIVAUX, [Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de]. ~ La Vie de Marianne, ou les Avantures de Madame la Comtesse de ***. ‘Londres’ [Paris]. 1788.
4 vols, 12mo (125 × 70 mm), pp. [4], 245, [1]; [4], 260; [4], 292; [4], 235, [1], complete with half-titles, plus 4 engraved frontispieces. 2 leaves in vol. 1 transposed (pp. 173-4, 174-5). Contemporary sprinkled quarter sheep, gilt spines with red morocco labels. Slightly rubbed, slight wear to corners, but a pretty copy.
Marianne exercised a lively influence on the development of the novel both in France and England, being widely-read on both sides of the Channel. Left incomplete by Marivaux, it was first published in 11 individual parts between 1731 and 1741 and a final part added later by Madame Riccoboni. There were numerous French and English editions: this attractive Cazin-like edition contains all 12 parts, the ‘Londres’ imprint is false, and the second volume bears a Paris ‘chez Laporte’ imprint. cf. Gay IV, 1338 and Cioransecu 42737-42747 (first edition), neither lists our edition. ESTC: BL, Amsterdam Universiteitsbibliothek, Johns Hopkins, McGill and McMaster. OCLC adds no more.