ZOLA (Émile). L'Assommoir. Paris: G. Charpentier, 1877. - In-18, 183 x 114 : (2 ff.), III, 569 pp. printed cover. Brick Jansenist morocco, spine ribbed, red morocco lining edged with gilt fillet, red moiré silk endpapers, double endpapers, gilt edges on witnesses, cover preserved, edged slipcase (G. Mercier sr de son père 1923). Rare first edition of the seventh novel in the Rougon-Macquart series. EXEMPLAIRE DE JORIS-KARL HUYSMANS (1848-1907), on publisher's paper, with this autograph dispatch signed by the author on the false title: A mon confrère et ami Huysmans // son bien dévoué / Émile Zola This is an important provenance, given the close friendship between these two great novelists at the time. They had met in the spring of 1876, and Huysmans did not hesitate to defend his friend in a series of articles, a kind of manifesto, entitled Émile Zola et L'Assommoir, which appeared in the Belgian newspaper L'Actualité in 1877. However, the author of À rebours gradually distanced himself from the naturalist movement, leading to a rift with his friend. The differences developed from 1884 onwards, and their separation became effective in 1891 with the publication of Là-bas. This copy contains a superb autograph letter signed by Zola to Huysmans, dated L'Estaque, 3 August 1877, 4 pages in-8. In it he talks in particular about his forthcoming novel Une page d'amour, which will be the eighth title in the Rougon-Macquart series: "I have just finished the first part of my novel, which will have five parts. It's a bit cheesy, a bit jeanjean, but I think it will be a pleasant read. I want to astonish the readers of L'Assommoir with a good-natured book. I'm delighted when I've written a good little naive page that looks sixteen years old. However, I'm not saying that, here and there, a fart-in-the-air doesn't get me into dishonest things. But that's the exception. I'm inviting readers to a family party, where we'll meet some good hearts. Finally, the first part will end with a bird's-eye view of Paris, first drowned in fog, then gradually appearing under a blond spring sun, which is, I think, one of my best pages so far. That's why I'm happy, and I say it, as you can see, in a lyrical tone. He then turns to the theatre: "I'll get round to it this winter, if I finish my novel quickly. But theatre continues to terrify me. I feel the need to tackle it, and I don't really know where to begin the assault. We'll have to see. He ended with a thought for his friends: "Get Céard to do some work. If you see Maupassant, shake his hand and tell him that I've heard nothing from Flaubert, to whom I'm going to write, by the way. Handshakes to everyone. This letter has appeared in most editions of Zola's correspondence since the one published by Charpentier in 1908. A first-edition copy, completed at the end of 1876, with the two leaves of the preface dated 1 January 1877 added after the fact. A very fine copy in a lined binding by Georges Mercier. Spine slightly faded. Small traces of light wetness on one edge of the two leaves of the preface. Provenance: Joris-Karl Huysmans, with a letter from the author.