Attempted Bloggery: Éditions Denoël

Showing posts with label Éditions Denoël. Show all posts

Sunday, July 26, 2026

Roger K.'s Copy of Quelques artistes et gens de lettres by Jean-Jacques Sempé

In 1992, Éditions Denoël published Quelques artistes et gens de lettres by Jean-Jacques Sempé, himself a cartoon artist and a man of letters. I don't think this book was ever printed in an English language edition. A superb copy is offered for sale by the Paris bookseller Librairie Le Feu Folet [Will-o'-the-Wisp, if you will]. It is reportedly inscribed to one Roger Karenvent although I don't believe that is the actual surname Sempé wrote. Nevertheless, the original recipient, Roger K., whoever he was, received a very nice drawing in his book of an artist at work on a still life.

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Saturday, October 11, 2025

Mia Milstein's Copy of Monsieur Lambert by Jean-Jacques Sempé

Mia Milstein, to whom a copy of Monsieur Lambert (Paris: Denoël, 1965) is dedicated by author Jean-Jacques Sempé, may be a shortening of Maria, daughter of the violin virtuoso Nathan Milstein. This is explained on AbeBooks where the volume is listed by Undercover Books of Norwich, U.K.

Jean-Jacques Sempé
AbeBooks listing accessed October 10, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Monsieur-Lambert-Semp%C3%A9-Jean-Jacques-Paris-Deno%C3%ABl/32317055621/bd

Jean-Jacques Sempé
AbeBooks item description

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Sunday, April 6, 2025

Olivier's Copy of Monsieur Lambert by Jean-Jacques Sempé

Author and artist Jean-Jacques Sempé figuratively raises a hand-sketched glass to a book recipient. The volume, Monsieur Lambert (1985), originally belonged to one Olivier and it has a delightful souvenir drawing.

Jean-Jacques Sempé
AbeBooks listing accessed April 6, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Monsieur-Lambert-dessin-original-d%C3%A9dicac%C3%A9-Jean-Jacques/32172759875/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=readmore

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Saturday, May 6, 2023

Lee Lorenze's Copy of Sempé by Jean-Jacques Sempé

In 1984, Denoël published Sempé by French cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé in a first edition of 8,000 copies. It isn't commonly seen in the States. Sempé presented a copy to New Yorker art editor Lee Lorenz with a delightful pencil drawing of two men playing at checkers. Now that Lorenz's estate is being sold off, the book was listed on eBay and was sold this week.

Sempé
eBay listing accessed May 1, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125903759220?hash=item1d5072e774:g:~U8AAOSwq9NkRtQS

Sempé
eBay item description

Something funny happened here. The listing was ended early by the seller. The book was then relisted at $462. Possibly this was a price agreed upon in advance with the buyer.

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Sunday, January 29, 2023

Ronald Searle: Pardong M'sieur

Pardong M'sieur is Ronald Searle's 1965 French language cartoon collection. Most of the drawings are wordless anyway, but the single heading Paris by night was retained in the author's native tongue, perhaps in error. The book was intended, one assumes, to extend Searle's popularity into the French market, bringing that country's readers up to date with a carefully curated selection of his work since 1953, much of it set in and around Paris. It was published by Éditions Denoël, the French house who also published the work of Jean-Jacques Sempé, René Goscinny, Jean-Maurice Bosc, Jules Feiffer, and Tomi Ungerer. I always thought the book was hard to find, but perhaps I was looking on the wrong continent. When a copy turned up on eBay for $35, it suddenly became attainable. My best offer of $25 was rejected by the seller. The seller's counteroffer of $30 was then accepted by me. Essentially, I saved the cost of shipping.