ARMENIAN BOOK: RARE COPY OF MANON LESKO, 1924 CONSTANTINOPLE, A. PRÉVOST.

Antique Armenian copy of the scandalous French novel Manon Lescaut which was banned in France when published in 1731. This book is the Armenian translation of Antoine François Prévost’s novel of the Abbé Prevost version which was a little less salacious for the time . Published in Constantinople, translated by K. Chilingerian. In fragile, antique condition. Back cover missing but the novel itself is complete. Last word is “VERCH”. 188 pages. See pictures.

The story, set in France and Louisiana in the early 18th century, follows the hero, the Chevalier des Grieux, and his lover, Manon Lescaut. Controversial in its time, the work was banned in France upon publication. Despite this, it became very popular and pirated editions were widely distributed. In a subsequent 1753 edition, the Abbé Prévost toned down some scandalous details and injected more moralizing disclaimers. The work was to become the most reprinted book in French Literature, with over 250 editions published between 1731 and 1981.^[1]