Madame Bovary. by FLAUBERT, Gustave - 1857: Mœurs de province.

Paris: Michel Lévy frères,, 1857. 2 volumes, octavo (180 x 113 mm). Contemporary purple morocco-backed marbled boards, spines tooled gilt in compartments with raised bands and two morocco title labels each, lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, others untrimmed, with tricolour silk page markers. Original printed wrappers bound in. With the half-titles in each volume. Spines sunned, some minor stains and scratches, bound-in wrappers somewhat dust-soiled and marked, still a very good copy. First edition, first trade printing with the dedicatee's name misspelt "Senart" (for Senard) and the continuous pagination between both volumes; with the originals wrappers and half-titles preserved. First published in the magazine La Revue de Paris in 1856, the novel was immediately sued for "outrage aux bonnes moeurs" (affront to public decency) and Flaubert was appearing before the Court on 7th February 1857. Defended by Maitre Senard, he was found not guilty, and the publication resumed. Madame Bovary is one of the greatest novels of its epoch and Flaubert's masterpiece.