La Guerre Des Dieux Anciens et Modernes, Poème en Dix Chants. Par Evariste Parny. Paris: Didot & Desenne, An VII (1799), 12mo.
THE EXTREMELY RARE FIRST EDITION OF PARNY’S WAR OF THE GODS, A BANNED HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL EROTIC SATIRE BLENDING CHRISTIANITY AND PAGANISM.
-------------------
La Guerre des Dieux (The War of the Gods) is an 18th century erotic-satirical poem by Évariste Parny. The book has the God and figures of the Christian religion and those of Greco-Roman mythology clash in debauchery, corruption, and highly descriptive overt sexual situations; it gave rise to many complaints from its publication, and in 1827 it was banned with many copies destroyed as it is an anti-religious work full with sexual obscenity. The first edition is notably rare. It was seen as deeply offensive and blasphemous, especially for its portrayal of the Virgin Mary.
Jules Gay regarded it as one of the finest works in the French language, second only to Voltaire's La Pucelle. Later editions were censored and changed and so the first edition is notably desirable. As Brunet remarks, "sought after because subsequent editions experienced considerable omissions in the most impious and obscene aspects of this scandalous poem.”
-------------------
Provenance:
Old auction catalogue entry pasted to front pastedown, quite early, probably 19th century. It says “Complete edition of this famous satirical-erotic poem. Rare.”
Pencil inscription to head of ffep verso in French, largely illegible.
-------------------
Size: 93 x 140 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(1), A1-12, B1-6, C1-12, D1-6, E1-12, F1-6, G1-12, H1-6, I1-12, K1-6, (1)]
Contemporary quarter calf over marbled paper backed boards, very slightly discoloured, but generally externally near fine. Boards securely attached, joints and hinges uncracked. Auction lot description pasted to front pastedown with pencil inscriptions to ffep verso and final blank. Intermittently toned internally with leaf size inconsistent as printed, but generally internally very clean. An excellent copy, collated as complete.
[Gay-Lemonnyer, II, 439; Brunet, IV, 385].
