J.R.R. Tolkien - Bilbo le Hobbit - 1969

J.R.R. Tolkien. Bilbo le Hobbit. Stock, 1969. E.O. 1 vol. (23 x 16 cm), 284 pp., hardback.

This is the first edition of the French translation of The Hobbit by Francis Ledoux. A rare first edition, complete with dust jacket in good condition.

"The Hobbit was first published in the United Kingdom on 21 September 1937. It was the first published work to explore the world of Middle-earth, on which Tolkien had been working for some twenty years. It was a resounding critical and commercial success, prompting Allen & Unwin to ask the author for a sequel. That sequel became Tolkien’s best-known novel: "The Lord of the Rings", a much more complex and darker work.

It would take more than thirty years, however, for the saga to be published in French: Francis Ledoux’s translation of the first volume appeared in early 1969. It included the complete text as well as two maps drawn by Tolkien. Tolkien had originally intended to include five maps, some of which were “magical”—printed in such a way that they were visible only when held up to the light. This process proved too costly, so the book ultimately included only the map of Thrór and the map of the Wild Lands, reproduced here on the inside front and back covers of the hardcover edition.
[...]
The idea of a French translation was first discussed by Allen & Unwin as early as November 1937: Tolkien recommended his friend Simonne d’Ardenne as the translator, following her work on the first French version of 'Farmer Giles of Ham', one of his earlier books. Ultimately, 'The Hobbit' was not translated into French by Francis Ledoux until 1969, as part of a general-interest series published by Stock, and was thus aimed at an adult audience. In 1976, it was reissued in the “Bibliothèque verte” series, reflecting a shift in the French perception of fantasy toward children’s literature. Despite this, the book enjoyed only modest success: the Stock edition sold slowly, and it would be nearly ten years before a second printing was released, in June 1978." (ref. librairie-walden)

Condition: Very good copy in the publisher's illustrated boards. Corners and spine ends slightly bumped and rubbed. Front inner hinge previously weakened and neatly reinforced with transparent archival tape. Moderate edge wear with two short marginal tears and minor creasing on the dust jacket but remains complete. There are numbers written on the inner flap of the dust jacket, partially faded. Binding sound. Clean and fresh text block, with foxing present on several pages at the bottom margins, not affecting the text.

This first edition is now extremely rare.