About, Edmond. The Notary's Nose. Translated from the French . by Henry Holt. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1874. First U.S. edition of this translation. Octavo, pp. [1-8] [1] 2-240, fly leaf at front and rear. Original beige decorative cloth, all panels stamped in black, endpapers printed in red with publisher's ads. Spine panel a bit darkened, cloth a little dust soiled, but generally a very good copy. #168. $25. This title was part of the publisher's Leisure Hour Series. A short and witty fantasy, one of three such works originally published in French in 1862. As with About's The Man With the Broker Ear, also published in Holt's Leisure Hour Series, the story explores the theme of a body that is not fully integrated with a man's will or personality. In this case, the hero loses his nose in a duel, and has a new one fashioned from the flesh of another man's arm, but the new nose retains some of its former owner's personality, leading to problems. The absurdity of the premise is reminiscent of Gogol's "The Nose" and the flagrant violations of nature in Baron Munchausen's tales. The present volume also contains a short story, "Uncle and Nephew," a madhouse farce with mordant undertones that eventually steers its protagonists into a safe harbor thanks to the all-conquering love that flourishes in romantic comedy. These two works by About are generally reckoned today as "science fiction," which implies a somewhat more earnest tone than is the case with About's work, which is seasoned with brisk Gallic wit and a dash of the bitter absurdity often found in Slavic literature. Seller Inventory # 168

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Bibliographic Details

Title: The Notary's Nose

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York

Publication Date: 1874

Binding: Hardback

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: First Edition.

Store Description

When I began my bookselling business in 1996 I called it "Eldritch Books" because that adjective at least partly covered the type of material I offered (and because its similarity to my own surname seemed so -- eldritch). "Ghost stories" would be another handy, if somewhat reductive, term. Most of it is fiction from the 19th and early 20th century with a strong emphasis on the fantastic. Since the most familiar and relevant genre terms in use today -- "science fiction," "fantasy," "supernatural," "horror" -- were not so much in use when these books were first published, pegging them that way can be anachronistic. But that should give you the general idea. I don't have much in the way of American pulp (either in magazine or specialty press book form) but otherwise my interests range widely from high-brow to middle-brow to low-brow to amateur/eccentric. You're more likely to find rare and obscure works here than high spots. (Or at least they're obscure now, whatever their status was when first published.) In 2001 I went to work for L. W. Currey as cataloguer and general assistant. Since 2014 I've been back working on my own. I have exhibited at convention fairs (such as WFC and Readercon) in the past. I began collecting and studying antiquarian fantasy around 1980. Some of my essays have appeared in genre publications such as NYRSF, Wormwood and F&SF. I tend to carefully research my inventory and write extensive notes. (If another dealer wishes to make use of any of these notes, I'd appreciate the courtesy of putting such excerpts in quotes and giving proper attribution to me. That's what I do when I quote from any of my reference works.) I will be gradually listing my inventory on ABE over the coming years. I hope you find something of interest.

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Robert Eldridge, Bookseller
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I ship only by U.S. Postal Service. All shipments are packed carefully and mailed with insurance and (for domestic shipments) tracking information. Except where specified for extra large items, rates are: Domestic Media Mail: $5. Domestic Priority: $10. International First Class (must be under 4 lbs.): $25. International Global Priority (required by USPS regulations for anything over 4 lbs.) -- ask for quo...

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