DAUDET ALPHONSE: (1840-1897) French Novelist. An interesting and lengthy A.L.S., Alphonse Daudet, three pages ...

DAUDET ALPHONSE: (1840-1897) French Novelist. An interesting and lengthy A.L.S., Alphonse Daudet, three pages, small 8vo, Paris, 25th May 1877, to his editor Michaëlis, in French. Daudet asks his correspondent to cancel the contract signed and states in part `I will not be able to achieve such an effort and produce regularly such number of serials in time.. I do not want to be negligent with my work only to accomplish what has been agreed on contract. My fault has been to be a scrupulous artist too late; but you must forgive an unfortunate roman writer…with his mind full of his heroes, giving them his logic and his common sense, not keeping any for him…´ He further makes a proposal in order to start a new deal with future works, indicates he will cover all expenses and states `I am determined not to make premature profits with the Nabab and wait until the right time will come..´ Together with François Bravay (1817-1874) French Deputy. The Nabab role is based on Bravay, a ''nouveau Riche'' who went into bankrupt and moved to Alexandria where he managed to get close to the Viceroy Saïd Pacha and made a fortune before returning to France, where he quickly again spent his fortune, a big-spender who finished his life blind and bankrupted. A.L.S., three pages, 12mo, [1866] to M. Varin, in French. VG £300-400 Although Daudet points out in the present letter that he will not produce the serials, Nabab was finally published as serials from July to October 1877 and would be further published by Charpentier and adapted to playwright in 1880. Le Nabab (1877), ''The Nabob'' in English. This Daudet´s romance is one of the most highly finished of the author's works.