Sous le soleil de Satan

This printing — of extreme rarity — constitutes the true deluxe issue of one of the most important novels of the last century: Sous le soleil de Satan.

This printing of 20 copies is not announced in the limitation statement of the Plon edition, which lists only the copies on alfa paper and the 212 “deluxe” copies on vélin de Voiron. Nevertheless, since 1898 a group of bibliophiles known as “les XX” had meticulously published, year after year, a veritable literary cathedral: for each chosen title they printed, always concurrently with the original edition, a separate issue reserved for their own use and pleasure, on Arches laid paper watermarked with their “Société des XX.” This confidential, small-run, hors commerce printing was réimposé and issued under a double wrapper — itself bearing their monogram and “XX” device — and, as the crowning bibliophilic delight, they obtained from the author of the chosen title his signature on each of their copies.

160 titles are known today, published between 1898 and 1938.

Among them: Barrès, Lorrain, Mirbeau, Renard, Loti, Gourmont, Jarry, Huysmans, Pergaud, Claudel, Gide, Maurois, Carco, Giraudoux, Malraux, Mauriac, Morand, Genevoix, Bove, Giono, Chardonne, Green, and, for the last title published, la Varende.

Sous le soleil de Satan is one of the rarest and most sought-after titles, and rightly so. We know of only three other copies.

Amid the chorus of protest provoked by the First World War, a discordant voice arose — neither realist nor surrealist, but allegorical. It belonged to a militant Catholic who rebelled against the secularization of society and stood against the nihilism of the Roaring Twenties. Such a spiritual crusade condemned Georges Bernanos to a kind of literary purgatory. Yet reading this first novel again, free of metaphysical bias, one cannot fail to be moved by its ardor for life, by the energy of a youth who preferred failure to mediocrity, and by the independence of judgment of a man of faith without illusions.

A very fine copy in a full binding by Loutrel, in perfect condition.