Ximenès Malinjoude.

Paris.: Editions de la Galérie Simon (Kahnweiler)., 1927, 25th May.. Original publisher's cream printed wrappers with titles to front cover in black.. 8vo. (174 x 132 mm).. Etched frontispiece, title printed in red and black with Kahnweiler's woodcut vignette device and Jouhandeau's text illustrated with five etched plates by André Masson, each printed recto only. A very fine presentation copy of this scarce collaboration between Masson and his friend Jouhandeau.From the edition limited to 112 copies, with this one of 10 'exemplaires de Chapelle' on 'Vergé d'Arches' numbered in Roman numerals and signed by Masson and Jouhandeau in mauve ink on the colophon and with a signed presentation in blue ink on the front free endpaper recto: 'Cher, cher / Gabriel Bonoure, / tu sauras, toi, / déchifrer / l'enigme / de ce livre sanglant / Jouhandeau'.Also included, loosely inserted, are two sheets of manuscript concerning Jouhandeau and Masson and their collaboration, likely in the hand of Bounoure, the poetry critic of the Nouvelle Revue Française and presentee of the volume, who contributed greatly to the public recognition of Jouhandeau's work.'Aux yeux de Jouhandeau, ces illustrations étaient un curieux mais brillant compromis entre la figuration, qui suit l'intrigue du roman, et les compositions automatiques, qui reflètent largement l'oeuvre massonien de 1927 dans les peintures au sable. Mais puisque les eaux-fortes en question datent de la même année, il se pourrait tout aussi bien qu'elles aient influencé son style de 1927 plutôt que l'inverse.' (Cramer).[Cramer 4].