French novelist, critic, and art historian (1895-1984). 5 autograph letters signed. Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Nervi (Genua), and Marcillat-en-Combraille. Various formats. Altogether 10 pp.
$ 694 / 650 €
(88747/BN58640)
Correspondence with the publisher and librarian Maurice Delamain, his wife, and Delamain's publishing company Stock in Paris. The earliest letter, dated 18 March, concerns Brion's historical biography "Théodoric, roi des Ostrogoths" (Payot, 1935). Brion is glad that the Baltic German philosopher Hermann von Keyserling (1880-1946) was willing to read the book and informs Delamain that he asked his publisher to send a copy to Keyserling as well as to Delamain himself, as he was also hoping for him to comment on the book: "A writer is lucky to have two readers such as Keyserling [and you] and if, by any chance, this Théodoric does not discourage you from reading other historical books that I have written, I am infinitely happy to send them to you [...]" (transl.).
Delamain was Keyserling's French publisher from 1933. - A letter dated 15 November that reached Stock on 20 November 1944 concerns a translation of the Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen. Brion, who had proposed to Stock a translation of Jacobsen's short stories, reacts to the information that they were already working on a publication with Lucien Maury: "I have seen too many examples of such clashes of translations to feel too much of a disappointment reading your letter. Indeed, I am glad I did not offer my translation of J. P. J.'s novels to any publisher other than you, which would have provoked a 'double' [...]". He mentions the competing Whitman translations of Louis Fabulet and Léon Bazalgette as an example, underscoring that he has "no intention of entering in a competition with Mr Lucien Maury", whom he praises as an experienced translator. Brion offers his thoughts on Jacobsen and his support of the publication "in all the journals to which I have access [...]". Maury's translation of Jacobsen for Stock did not go forward, after all, nor did Brion's translations. In February 1946, Brion offered his novel "La rose de cire" to Delamain, which was ultimately published by Albin Michel in 1964. In the second part of the letter, Brion mentions that Maury wrote to him about "difficulties with paper" delaying the publication of his Jacobsen translation and lauds Maury's biography of Victoria Benedictsson. - The remaining letters in the collection are of a more personal nature. On 21 January 1959, Brion thanks Delamain for a gift: "a noble alcohol is the natural complement to a beautiful book, and I congratulate you on creating both the one and the other equally perfectly", also sending greetings to his wife. The only letter written to Delamain's wife, dated 11 May, concerns the cancellation of a meeting. - The letter mentioning Keyserling shows continuous tears along the borders causing minor text loss, with notes in pencil and strong browning. The remaining letters have occasional minor tears, creases, and minor browning..