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Alexandre DUMAS

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo

Alph. Lebègue et Sacré Fils, Bruxelles 1846, In-18 (9x14,5cm), 10 tomes en 5 volumes reliés.

Alph. Lebègue et Sacré Fils, Brussels 1846, In-18 (9x14,5cm), 10 tomes in 5 bound volumes.
 
Brussels counterfeit edition, published after the extremely rare original French edition published in 1845-1846. Two other Belgian forgeries are known to have appeared at the same date. The most well-known was the work of Méline and Cans (in 8 volumes) and another one was published by the Belgian Typographical Society (13 volumes).
This copy in 10 volumes is a third unofficial edition of Dumas' novel, somewhat less renowned than the other two. All three forgeries, copying the French first edition of Pétion, spelled “Monte-Christo” instead of “Monte-Cristo”. From the second official edition made by Pétion in 1846, the mistake will be corrected.
Bound in contemporary black half chagrin. Smooth spine decorated with romantic-era motifs. Wine-red moiré paper boards. Traces of rubbing. Some foxing on the endpapers, otherwise fresh copy except for damp trace at the top corner of the last 10 leaves of volume 8 and some rare foxing. A leather flap torn off at the tail of volumes 7-8, without any consequence to the cover. A charming copy.
Belgian printers who escaped French law had many French books printed as soon as they were published in newspapers. Given the great rarity of the French original edition, these rather rare counterfeits have become sought after.
 

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