Books – Page 15 – derrickjknight

Droll Tales 18

Mervyn Peake’s publishers entitle the 8th Tale of the second Decade of Balsac’s collection of comic stories”The Sermon of the Merry Incumbent of Meudon”. Those of Gustave Doré favour “……the Merry Vicar…..”, while those of Jean de Bosschère “…..old Vicar…..”

Given that Balzac puts this tale in the mouth of his forerunner François Rabelais whom he introduces with an elegantly poetic description of his age (“The worthy man had then as near as may be counted seventy hatchings of the swallows….”, perhaps Covici Friede of New York have chosen the most accurate heading.

Balzac has the French Renaissance satirist recount a story in which the protagonists are various varieties of rodent lusting after a beautiful shrew, good food, and wine.

Peake depicts the heroine atop a mound of grain with rats and mice attempting to eat their way to her.

Doré features mice and men;

whereas de Bosschère favours human flesh.

Further details of each of these publications is given in https://derrickjknight.com/2023/01/06/droll-tales-1/except that the second Decade is published by New York’s Covici, Friede in 1929. It is America’s first edition thus and is a limited copy. The illustrations are not protected by tissue but the book’s condition is good and covered by a cellophane wrapper.

Droll Tales 17

There is no illustration by Mervyn Peake in the Folio Society edition of the 7th of the second Decade of these tales, entitled “An Expensive Night of Love”.

This publisher is perhaps choosing to head the story unambiguously, unlike the publishers of Gustave Doré (The Dear Night of Love)

or of Jean de Bosschère (A Dear Night of Love), each of whom follows the example of the double entendre style of the author, Honoré de Balzac, who, with his usual clever, fluent, prose, conveys descriptions of manipulation of events and romantic dalliance conducted, before the protagonists are able to come to grips with each other, by means of lustful glances and gestures to rival those of Tom Finney and Joyce Redman in

Wrestling

This afternoon I published https://derrickjknight.com/2023/03/20/droll-tales-14/.

Otherwise much of a rainy day was spent wrestling with the upgrading of older posts, possibly as much with my iMac as with the posts themselves.

I managed just one:

The Magnificent Seven

Apart from recategorising as Books, the post now has a tiled gallery and a header picture.

This evening we all dined on Papa John’s pizzas, with which I finished the Nero di Troia. Any of the others is invited to add their beverage in a comment.

Droll Tales 14

There was no Mervyn Peake illustration to the fourth tale, entitled by The Folio Society “The Building of Azay Castle” from the second Decade of Balzac’s collection.

This was more than compensated for by Gustave Doré in what his publishers called “How the Chateau d’Azay came to be built.

Jean de Bosschère’s publishers showed the same title, which is in fact really more accurate, given that this really has nothing to do with building but all to do with the decision to build it.

With all the author’s fluent prose and a smattering of double entendre, he tells of the resourcefulness; obsession with a beautiful, older, woman; the sexual prowess; a bet ultimately lost, yet made good by a clever cryptic account, of a poverty-stricken young man.

Droll Tales 13

In truth, I am not sure how take the third tale of the second Decade of Honoré de Balzac’s scurrilous stories. And I am not sure that the publishers and their illustrators are either.

No doubt packed with the author’s double entendre one could take this as what The Folio Society edition entitles “The Edificatory Conversation of the Nuns of Poissy” – perhaps that is also tongue in cheek? – or do we understand the warnings against male fleas to be the consequences of consorting with men? Repeated reading suggests the latter to me – but also that there are many ways of getting round the difficulty. After all, this convent was the butt of jokes.

Mervyn Peake’s illustration demonstrates one refuge for disappointed suitors.

“The Merry Tattle of the Nuns of Poissy” is the preferred title of Gustave Doré’s publishers, while those of

Jean de Bosschère who, true to type is sure of how to interpret the prose, prefer “The Merry Quips of the Nuns of Poissy”

Further details of each of these publications is given in https://derrickjknight.com/2023/01/06/droll-tales-1/ except that the second Decade is published by New York’s Covici, Friede in 1929. It is America’s first edition thus and is a limited copy. The illustrations are not protected by tissue but the book’s condition is good and is covered by a cellophane wrapper.

Droll Tales 15

“A Courtier’s False Wife” is The Folio Society’s title for the fifth tale of the second Decade of Balzac’s scurrilous series, illustrated by

Mervyn Peake.

Gustave Doré’s publishers prefer “The False Courtesan”,

whereas those of Jean de Bosschère opt for “The Sham Courtesan”.

Once again I think the later publishers have chosen the correct alternatives, because this is the story of the lengths to which the Duke of Orleans has gone in order trick a faithful couple into infidelity – with each other. The lady in question is false to a courtesan identity, not in reality as a wife.

Droll Tales 12

The second Tale of the second Decade of Honoré de Balzac’s Droll Tales bears the title “King Francis’s Short Commons” in the Folio Society edition

illustrated by Mervyn Peake.

This is a very short story concerning the French King’s spell of captivity in Madrid by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, during which his short commons were relieved by a series of ladies encouraging him to select a preference between those of France and of Spain.

The publishers of both Gustave Doré’s

and Jean de Bosschère’s pictorial interpretations each adopted “The Continence of King Francis the First”.

Droll Tales 11

This, the first story of the second Decade of Honoré de Balzac’s humorous collection of stories, entitled “The Three Students of St Nicholas’s” by The Folio Society, which has no illustration, seems a deviation in style and content by the author.

The three students are really foils to bring out the jolly, rumbustious, devious, scheming nature of Landlord of the Three Barbels described with rich imagery in the opening paragraphs.

The tale tells of their competition to outwit him and his ultimate response.

I spent some time trying to add Alun Armstrong’s superb performance of “Master of the House” from the 1985 stage musical of Les Misérables ( https://youtu.be/EDSDY9dMwxE ) This was unavailable for transfer, but I recommend it to you if you can view it.

Armstrong could well have modelled for Doré’s 1874 illustration from “The Three Clerks of St Nicholas” as his publisher entitled it.

Those of Jean de Bosschère appear in the similarly entitled publication of 1929 by New York’s Covici, Friede.

Further details of each of these publications is given in https://derrickjknight.com/2023/01/06/droll-tales-1/ except that the second Decade is published by New York’s Covici, Friede in 1929. It is America’s first edition thus and is a limited copy. The illustrations are not protected by tissue but the book’s condition is very good and covered by a cellophane wrapper.

Droll Tales 10

The constant cold we are currently experiencing at home is becoming energy sapping enough for me to stay indoors and read more of Balzac’s Droll Tales.

The Folio Society have opted for the title Last Word for the tenth tale in the first Decade of Honoré de Balzac’s characteristically amusing stories.

This is a short account of unrequited lust, teasing temptation, crafty cuckolding, hopeless hatred and craving for vengeance, in what is presented as a warning lesson.

Here is Mervyn Peake’s sensitive illustration to the Folio Society edition.

Gustave Doré’s publishers have named the story “The Reproach”,

while the Bodley Head, for whom Jean de Bosschère provided the picture, prefer “The Rebuke”.

Further details of each of these publications is given in https://derrickjknight.com/2023/01/06/droll-tales-1/

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s flavoursome chicken and vegetable stewp with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Syrah.

Droll Tales 9

The ninth tale in the first Decade of Balzac’s collection of bawdy tales contains snippets of the life of a worldly cleric which to my mind to not constitute a coherent whole.

Entitled The Curé of Azay-Le-Rideau by the Folio Society (featuring