Departure Time For Pierhead In Liverpool

Victor Segalen - The Exotic: Journey to the Land of A Bibliophile

ago, for bibliophiles, all kinds of catalogs: the very simple, made photocopies stapled, small format paperback, large format on recycled paper, -paper-ice, digital, purely descriptive, to-the-more-detailed instructions, general practitioners, specialists, themes, etc.. In short, there are a multitude of types of catalogs for book lover. I love to receive and take the time to browse in the feverish hope of finding information is lacking or scarce in my library. I then handed in a box, sleeping in a corner of my garage because of the space in my office. There has, however, who will not have this spell, and is the latest catalog of the Library Pierre Saunier, received last week and dedicated to Victor Segalen - The Exot .

Let's not wait: this is certainly a catalog, with physical descriptions and price list, and yet it is something other than catalog "classic" c ' is simply a book, and a very beautiful book, beautifully printed, airy, richly illustrated, relying on large margins. This, of form. As for content, there are no fewer than 229 entries, not just ordralphabétiquement arranged but arranged so that it is traced through biographical and geographical (the medical thesis on Clinicians ès-lettres, Polynesia, China), influences and friendships of the traveler-poet (Gauguin, Debussy, Rimbaud, Claudel, Gilbert de Voisins, Claude Farrere, Jules de Gaultier, Saint-John Perse, Saint-Pol- Roux). And references to Pierre Saunier, his introductory stelae, are generous, documented, valuable. I dare not imagine the time it took to assemble material in this catalog, the 229 books and documents, for most of a superb rarity. Judge for yourself: three of the 81 personal specimens of the original edition of Stelae , printed on paper Imperial Korea: No. 64 Albert of Pouvourville, No. 63 of Natalie Clifford Barney, No. 22 by Claude Farrere; The Immemorial, a copy of the author; Clinicians ès-lettres with a long and beautiful sending the pianist Jean Cras, his cousin, to which Saint-Pol-Roux spend a beautiful sonnet, the first paper of books by Gilbert de Voisins, with dedications to amusing himself, manuscripts and a copy of the Philosophy fragrances Charles Regismanset with Remy Gourmont belonged to, but also and of course beautiful entries: nothing less than a letter - and a very beautiful - his elder by Segalen, about The Lady and the Faulx the editorial board of the French comedy had to refuse (" When here, I chafed against the stupidity and apathy, or worse, those who listen and do not jump thee neck, you said you lyrics that are as beautiful as they maintain the beauty outside ... "), copies of Scapegoat (that of Alfred Vallette), The Soul of black Prior white of The Rose and the Thorns Road of From the raven dove peacock , the Extravaganza Home of The Lady and the Faulx , the first volume of Reposoir procession (1893), with a shipment to Alexander Mercier Collaborating Outside , whose copy is full of three letters and an autograph card of Saint-Pol-Roux in the latter. And nothing to spoil, like Peter Saunders writes about the friendship between the poet ideorealist Segalen, because so right and so rarely told by specialists:

"[Saint-Pol- Roux] is one of the first major literary events Segalen, and he had on a young naval officer with more lasting impact than a still Huysmans or Gourmont - letters published (editions Rougerie ) have shown, as they reveal more of his affectionate attachment all the hope that Saint-Pol-Roux began in him. "

Yes, it's a wonderful book that this catalog, and I 'I ordered, as such, in my library, from which I emerged, less pretty, more horny, worthless bibliophile, my two volumes of the works of Victor Segalen appeared in the collection "Mouthpieces", to reread them. because this is the wonderful success of Peter Saunders: It reminds us how great and essential traveling companion is the poetry of the exotic - Victor Segalen .

Note: Librairie Pierre Saunier - 22, rue de Savoie / 75006 PARIS (+33 (0) 1 46 33 64 91 - librairie.saunier @ wanadoo.fr )

Thanks Bruno Leclercq me, the first reported the existence of this catalog.