296 - VALÉRY, Paul. *Variété II*.

VALÉRY, Paul. *Variété II*. First edition, not for general sale, featuring a rare autographed dedication by Paul Valéry to the poet Henry Charpentier. Paris, Gallimard NRF, 1930. In-8, paperback, cover printed in black and red. 268 pages and 2 unnumbered folios (table of contents and colophon). Cover slightly faded and frayed, a black smudge and water stain on the back cover, spine creased, very slight yellowing of the margins. First edition. One of 50 out-of-print author’s copies on pure-fiber vellum (no. XXXII). The second volume of Paul Valéry’s famous series of critical and philosophical essays, bringing together major reflections on literature, intellectual creation, and great writers. It includes, in particular, studies on Descartes, Stendhal, Baudelaire, and Mallarmé, as well as a short letter on myths. A rare copy enhanced by an autograph dedication signed by the author to the poet Henry Charpentier (1889–1952) on the blank endpaper: “To my dear friend Henry Charpentier / with all my heart / Paul Valéry.” Charpentier, whom critics of the time described as an “intellectual poet,” was characterized as a geometer and a builder of verse, closely aligned in this regard with Paul Valéry’s aesthetic and rigor. He is also the author of a critical study titled *Les premières œuvres de Paul Valéry* (The Early Works of Paul Valéry), published in 1947 in the prestigious bibliophile and art journal *Le Portique* (No. 5). In fine condition.