Pierre-Jules Hetzel - Lettre autographe signée à Alphonse Daudet - « il y aurait avantage pour votre œuvre » - 1884

Signed autograph letter from Pierre-Jules Hetzel, addressed to Alphonse Daudet, dated October 7, 1884, in Bellevue, written in black ink on a double sheet of laid paper.

Regarding the preparation of an illustrated edition aimed at youth, Hetzel, a major promoter of moral and educational literature, discusses the commercial and pedagogical relevance of an abridged version of Daudet's works:

My dear Daudet
And first, rest assured, we would not want under any circumstances to be an occasion of any trouble for you.
That said, it is nevertheless necessary for us to meet as soon as possible on this matter. Please let me know if you can come to Paris next Saturday; I would be waiting for you at 1 or 2 o'clock, whichever you prefer, at 18, rue Jacob, and we would discuss all of this.
I believe it would be advantageous for your work to have this edition in 18, for the use of youth, to be made. This creates an additional category of readers for your works, it sparks an interest in children who should not be allowed to read the complete works until later, and it truly does not encroach at all on the audience of the complete works.
Yours

This letter testifies to the close editorial relationship between Hetzel and Daudet, one of the most important publishers of the 19th century, who also published Jules Verne, Balzac, and Hugo. It illustrates Hetzel's strategy of adapting contemporary literature for young audiences, thus anticipating illustrated collections for children.

Dimensions: 13.3 x 21 cm
Condition: See photos for details.
Number of pages: 1 page

Pierre-Jules Hetzel, born January 15, 1814, in Chartres, and died March 17, 1886, in Monte Carlo, was a French publisher, writer, translator, and politician. Wikipedia

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