A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY THROUGH FRANCE AND ITALY

2 volumes. Early printing, only the second. Small 8vo, contemporary polished calf gilt tooled with elaborate designs on the spines, two black morocco lettering pieces in gilt on each spine. xx, 203; (4), 208 pp. A nice set in pleasing original condition but for separation of two boards, now easily restored.

Edizione: rare early issue of this famous work by laurence sterne. this printing was issued in the same year as the first issuance of the first printing.<br> sterne travelled through france and italy as far south as naples, and after returning determined to describe his travels from a sentimental point of view. the novel can be seen as an epilogue to the possibly unfinished work the life and opinions of tristram shandy, gentleman, and also as an answer to tobias smollett's decidedly unsentimental travels through france and italy. sterne had met smollett during his travels in europe, and strongly objected to his spleen, acerbity and quarrelsomeness. he modeled the character of smelfungus on him.<br> the novel was extremely popular and influential and helped establish travel writing as the dominant genre of the second half of the 18th century.