Gil Blas. Volumes I, II & III.

Black calf Spines with gilt banding and title. Black and tan marbled boards. Dimensions are for one volume.

The photographs do not do justice to this set. Internally the volumes are in fine condition, though externally these volumes could do with a good polish. Translated from the French of Le Sage by T. Smollett, M.D.

Gil Blas ("L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane" is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It is often considered to be the last masterpiece of the picaresque genre. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably by Tobias Smollett in 1748 as The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane.

This style of novel originated in 16th-century Spain and flourished throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It continues to influence modern literature. Alain-René Lesage (1668-1747) was a French novelist and playwright best known for his comic novel "The Devil upon Two Sticks" (1707), his comedy "Turcaret" (1709), and his picaresque novel Gil Blas (1715 1735).

Lesage influenced many contemporary and later writers, including Charles Dickens, Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, Wilkie Collins, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Tobias George Smollett (1721-1771) was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for his picaresque novels, such as The "Adventures of Roderick Random" (1748) and "The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle" (1751), which influenced later novelists such as Charles Dickens.