BALZAC Honoré de (1799-1850).

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Lot n° 5
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BALZAC Honoré de (1799-1850).
L.A.S. "de Bc", [Passy] 5 January 1844, to Jacques-Julien DUBOCHET; 4 pages in-8. Important letter to Dubochet, one of the four publishers of La Comédie humaine with Hetzel, Paulin and Furne. [Since November 1843, the delivery service of La Comédie humaine had been interrupted and did not resume until January 1844. Balzac complained about this to Dubochet. He entrusted his letter to Hetzel, partner in the venture]. "As nothing should prevent resuming the course of the deliveries of the Comédie humaine from today Friday the 5th in eight, Friday the 12th of January," he asked that a note be sent to the subscribers of the deliveries: "The absence of M. de Balzac has produced a momentary interruption in the dispatch of the deliveries of the Comédie humaine; but this interruption has been put to good use by the Publishers, who have come to an agreement with the author in order to fill in the two gaps that existed in the order of the volumes. Thus after having published volumes 10 and 11 (2 and 3 of the Scenes of Parisian Life) they will be able to publish volume 7 (3 of the Scenes of Provincial Life) and volume 4 (4 of the Scenes of Private Life), so that after the publication of these 4 volumes, the eleven volumes published will be the first eleven of The Human Comedy. This will show the public "that the enterprise is not abandoned and I will no longer receive letters from people who take pleasure in bothering me under the veil of anonymity. It was I who predicted that the public would accept this publication as something very serious, and that they would end up seeing a story instead of novels. I have seven volumes of new works to do, to have published and placed either in newspapers or in bookstores so that the two volumes that are lacking are completed. It takes time for them to be published either in newspapers or in bookshops, but above all they must be done. Now, for example, in order to do the 15 leaves that are missing from volume VII, Mr. Plon must have finished volume X, and his character must be used for my novel. And if Langrand [printer] had, for two months, produced volume XI, he could compose for me on volume IV, manuscripts which would be ready for the newspapers. He reproaches Dubochet "that not only are you stopping the business, but you are taking away the means of facilitating the placement of the four works I have to publish. [...] It is unimaginable that when a difficulty foreseen by me at the time of your first intentions, which were to sell separate volumes, once recognized by you, arouses my solicitude, to the point of making me do unheard of work (to compose four new works, instead of taking care of the Peasants who are composed, the Pathology of Social Life, etc.) it is you who are hindering me. The day you want to publish in the 10th page of the newspapers, as a prospectus, the two introductory sheets I have made, you will see what you will sell of the first 12 volumes! So I ask once again, and this will be the last, for your willingness and your activity, which have been more than promised to me, (this is a written article) to finish the Plon volume, and to make Langrand work quickly. The first volume of Scenes of Political Life will be a necessary one in order to meet the deadlines for new publications, and believe me [....] that I am arranging and working at the moment to surprise those who might believe me to be either dead, extinct or weakened. The Études de mœurs will have 16 volumes, that is one more than the 15 promised. You will be able to take a break between the Études de mœurs and the Études philosophiques"... Correspondence (Pléiade), t. III, n° 44-3, p. 188.
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