THE BODY'S RAPTURE (First edition in English - 126/1000 copies limited edition - in the dustwrapper)

First printing of the first edition in English, published in a limited edition of 1000 copies for subscription, printed on specially-made paper, this being numbered 126. This copy includes the original publisher's publicity leaflet and order form, loosely inserted, which is creased and foxed. Translated from the French by John Rodker. The book was originally published in French under the general title of "Psyché". The individual parts were entitled: "Lucienne", "Le dieu des corps" and "Quand le navire". ***Very good in buff cloth-covered boards with dark red titles to the spine. The boards are clean and unmarked, having been protected by the dustwrapper. Lower corner of front board slightly creased. Top edge of page block stained dark red by the publisher. Fore-edge and bottom edge of page-block untrimmed (rough-cut). One or two fox-spots to the fore edge of the page block. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Internally also very good, with a neat contemporaneous literary word-reference and date: "Personification" 1/XII/1933. written in ink on the front free endpaper. Very light off-setting to the endpapers but interior pages clean - printed on nice quality paper. No creases or tears. ***In a very good buff-coloured printed dustwrapper, which has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 21s. The dustwrapper is complete, with just with tiny loss to the corner tips. Head and tail of spine slightly creased, rubbed and nicked. Spine of dustwrapper darkened. Slight shadow stain to top of front and back panels near the spine. Inside of dustwrapper neatly reinforced with tape at head and tail of spine - not visible on the outside. ***455 pages finely printed on specially-made paper. Full Demi 8vo. 226mm x 160mm. ***'***Jules Romains (pseudonym of Louis-Henri-Jean Farigoule) was a French novelist, dramatist and poet and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement.' (Wiki) ***Part I. Lucienne's Story; Part II. The Body's Rapture; Part III Love's Questing'. ***'If this remarkable book, which has sold over 5,000 copies in France, is to be regarded as the French "Lady Chatterley's Lover", it is with this difference: the turgid romanticism of Lawrence's masterpiece gives place here to writing limpid as a stream, to a sobriety of thought and feeling in every way worthy of the loftiest intelligence, and to an unflinching scrutiny of the deepest sources of our being. ***Part I may be regarded as an Annunciation. Lucienne meets Pierre. The man and the woman are revealed in a condition of extremed psychological tension, vibrating to the presage of the cardinal moment in their lives, through which they are about to live. ***Part II describes the marriage. it is the word made flesh - the flesh by which the spirit lives. In the words of a well-known critic: "Beautiful in its sometimes breath-taking intimacy and in its style; notable and pure despite that intimacy." ***Part III becomes the most affecting, the most original and surprising part of the book. It is Psyche's questing, the yearning of the spirit to re-establish the links of the flesh. And through the psychic they at last find new vitality, new roots, new hope for the future in the regions of the spirit.' ***'M. Romain's genius has never flown higher than in this great work. Here the master of the Unanimiste school triumphantly reconciles every manifestation of both body and soul.' (Quote and review quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***A beautifully produced true first edition in English, limited to 1,000 copies - very hard to find now in the original dustwrapper, especially so with the original publisher's flyer. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.…