Description
HUGO (Victor).
Bug-Jargal, by the author of Han of Iceland.
Paris: Urbain Canel, 1826. — In-18, 156 x 102: frontispiece, (2 ff.), IV, 386 pp., (1 f.), printed cover. Paperback, untrimmed, with a modern cover in havana morocco leather and a modern slipcase.
A sought-after first edition of Victor Hugo’s first novel, which he wrote in 1818 at the age of 16.
The story is set in Saint-Domingue in 1791, at the start of the black slaves’ revolt. The young officer Léopold d’Auverney is engaged to his cousin Marie, but an African slave, Bug-Jargal, harbours a secret love for the young woman. Elected king of the rebellious Black people, the noble and heroic Bug-Jargal risks his life to save Marie from the insurgents. Betrayed and sentenced to death by his own comrades, he dies a hero, leaving d’Auverney heartbroken. This early novel explores dignity, heroism and the tragic drama of slavery.
‘Victor Hugo’s artistry, as it would later be revealed in his other novels and plays, can be glimpsed in *Bug-Jargal*; it is certainly a unique example of continuity of inspiration in a writer’ (Dictionnaire des œuvres, 1980 ed., I, p. 515).
The work was first published in 1820 as a short story serialised in issues 11 to 15 of *Le Conservateur littéraire*. This initial draft was substantially revised for this first edition of 1826.
The illustration consists of a beautiful frontispiece by Achille Devéria, etched by Pierre Adam and dated 1825.
A paperback copy, as originally published, in extremely rare condition. It comes from the prestigious library of Jean Bonna.
The cover is soiled and has been skilfully restored.
Provenance:
Jean Bonna, with bookplate.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
Claude Mozis Library – Black Africa and the African diaspora
Auction location
Auction time
10/21/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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