Inscribed to the Targs

Murphy.

Paris: Bordas / Éditions de Minuit, 1947 [but 1954].

Price: $3,500.00


About the item

First edition in French, second issue. 272 pp. 8vo. Inscribed to the Targs. Original printed wrappers; glassine; unopened. Text evenly toned, otherwise fine.

Item #311624

First French edition, second issue. Inscribed on the title page, "For William & Roslyn Targ with all good wishes Sam Beckett." Beckett's first novel, written in English and originally published in 1938. This French translation appeared 9 years later under the Bordas imprint. At the end of 1953 Les Éditions de Minuit acquired some 2750 unsold copies from Bordas, and in early 1954 they reissued them under their own wrappers.
Roslyn Targ (1925-2017), was Beckett's longtime literary agent. Her husband, William Targ (1907-1999) was editor in chief at World Publishing and then Putnam's before founding his own imprint, Targ Editions; he was also a noted bibliophile and Beckett collector. The Targs enjoyed a friendly relationship with Beckett and paid him visits during their trips to Paris, with Bill Targ introducing Beckett to Saul Bellow on one ocassion. A fine association.