Saramani Danseuse Khmer.
Saigon. Imprimerie Nouvelle Albert Portail. 1919. Stock ID #212843 "Although on the surface this is work may appear as only a novel about a Cambodian dancer, Saramani and her relationship with a young French civil servant, it content is wide ranging and it was seen as controversial in its coverage. It seems likely that the author, Roland Meyer a French civil servant stationed in Cambodia, was using fiction for discussion of otherwise tricky subjects. It is telling that Meyer transferred to Laos when this novel was published. Was this to escape the anticipated local adverse reaction to his novel? When referring to this item please quote stockid 212843.
Nine full page black and white plates, one engraving in the text, 238pp + [2]pp Table Des Matieres. Original pictorial wrappers re-enforced on the spine with a crease towards the lower edge, lower corner of wrapper chipped, light blue mark on reverse of one plate, minor wear edges, endpapers browned. Still sound and otherwise good.
Saramani Danseuse Khmer has been described by Kent Davis as an "epic account of Cambodia stretched from the primeval formation of the land tens of millions of years ago, to the peak of the Khmer civilization at Angkor Wat, ending in the modern colonial capital of Phnom Penh. [Roland Mayer] records the lives of all he encounters on Cambodian soil; rice farmers, fishermen, immigrants, colonials, dancing girls, poor peasants, wealthy merchants, royal servants and even kings." (Devata dot org).
Price: $325.00 AU