109 - FRANC-NOHAIN (Maurice Étienne Legrand, known as). *Les Inattentions et Sollicitudes*

FRANC-NOHAIN (Maurice Étienne Legrand, known as). *Les Inattentions et Sollicitudes* Paris, Léon Vanier, 1894. In-12, paperback, printed cover. First edition of this collection of poetic fantasies and humorous texts published by Léon Vanier, the iconic publisher of the Symbolists. Franc-Nohain—who would later become a member of the Académie Française, a journalist, a librettist, and a contributor to *Le Chat Noir*—already displays here the lighthearted, ironic, and delightfully absurd spirit that would make his reputation. Illustrated with a portrait of the author drawn by Fernand Fau on the frontispiece. The volume brings together poems, dialogues, skits, and short plays in which humor is intertwined with observations of contemporary foibles. A characteristic testament to the Parisian literary bohemian scene of the late 19th century, this volume is one of the first major works by the man who would become a prominent figure in French literature during the Belle Époque. Copy preserved in its original paperback binding. Cover in fair condition; the front cover is almost entirely torn and detached. Interior in good condition; paper uniformly yellowed with a few scattered foxing spots.