JULIEN L'APOSTAT, OU VOYAGE DANS L'AUTRE MONDE

FIELDING, HENRY

Published by [and sold in Paris at] Chez Le Jaye, Amsterdam, 1768

About this Item

170 x 100 mm. (6 5/8 x 4"). x, [11]-208, [4] pp.; 1 p.l., 205, [3] pp. Two parts bound in one volume. Translated by le sieur Kauffmann, interprète juré au Châtelet de Paris. Attractive contemporary marbled sheep, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with central floral spray, volute cornerpieces, tan morocco label, marbled endpapers and edges. See: Day, "History of English Literature 1660-1837," pp. 229-30. â Corners rather worn, gilt on spine slightly rubbed in spots, covers a little marked, a dozen gatherings a bit browned or foxed, other trivial defects, but a very good copy, the text generally clean and fresh, and the original unrestored binding with considerable appeal. First published as "A Journey from this World to the Next" in the author's 1743 "Miscellanies," this is a curious combination of satire and philosophy. It explores the nature of the afterlife and human morality through the narrative of a recently deceased thieving scoundrel on his way to the Gates of Elysium. As he journeys, he meets historical figures including Virgil, Homer, Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, and the Roman Emperor Julian--known to the Christian world as Julian the Apostate. Julian qualifies to be featured in the work's title because he is said by the author to have been reincarnated 23 times, including as his own grandson, a monk, and Anne Boleyn. Fielding uses the narrative to critique social institutions, human folly, and the belief in a rigid moral order, blending humor with serious philosophical questions about life, death, and what may come after. According to Day, Henry Fielding (1707-54) was "the first English author unashamedly and forthrightly to write novels--that is, imaginary delineations of character and circumstances designed primarily for the understanding of the human situation." His raucous "Tom Jones" is a foundational work in the history of the English novel, while the present, lesser, work is more quietly thoughtful. Our first French edition is uncommon. Seller Inventory # ST16379-056

Bibliographic Details

Title: JULIEN L'APOSTAT, OU VOYAGE DANS L'AUTRE ...

Publisher: [and sold in Paris at] Chez Le Jaye, Amsterdam

Publication Date: 1768

Edition: First Edition in French.