La comédie humaine ...
Series: Oeuvres complètes de m. de Balzac -- [v. 1-18]
Published: 1842
Place of publication: Paris
Language: fre
Number of pages: 18
Notes: Title from added half-title; v.17-18 combine the 2 collective titles on a single leaf; each vol. has special t.-p. with imprint; added engr. t.-p. by Bertrall.

First collected edition: v.1-17 (1842-48) revised by author, originally issued in parts; v.1-16 published by Furne, J.J. Dubochet et cie., and Hetzel; v.17 by Furne alone; v.18 (1855) by Furne alone; v.18 (1855) by A. Houssiaux.

Vol.18 was issued both separately (with v.19 & 20) as here to complete Furne's edition and as part of Houssiaux's 1855 ed. of the Oeuvres complètes in 20 v.

The engravings are from designs by Bertall, Daumier, Tony Johannot, Monnier, Nanteuil and others, by various engravers. According to Carteret (III, 58) the 1st issue of plates to v.1-16 did not have the title of the text they illustrate enclosed in parentheses. In this copy only 1 plate in v.5 and 3 in v.8 have the parentheses.

Vols. 13 & 17 were originally published without engravings; Furne issued 5 plates for v.17 and an engr. port. of Balzac by Bertall in 1852; Houssiaux provided 6 plates for v.13 and an engr. t.-p. by Bertall in 1855.
Table of contents: title: v.1-4. Première ptie., Études de moeurs, 1. livre: Scènes de la vie privée.; title: v.5-8. Première ptie., Études de moeurs, 2. livre: Scènes de la vie de province.; title: v.9-12. Première ptie., Études de moeurs, 3. et 4. livres: Scènes de la vie parisienne et Scènes de la vie politique.; title: v.13. Première ptie., Études de moeurs, 5. livre: Les Chouans, Une passion dans le désert; 6. livre: Le médecin de campagne, Le curé de village.; title: v.14-16. Deuxième et troisième pties., Études philosophiques et Études analytiques.; title: v.17. Première ptie., Études de moeurs, suppl. au 3. livre: Scènes de la vie parisienne.; title: v.18. Première ptie., Études de moeurs, suppl. au 3., 4. et 6. livres. Troisième ptie., Études analytiques, suppl.