In the Clouds: The Impressions of a Chair

Sarah Bernhardt

Nov 2021 · Renard Press Ltd

About this ebook

In 1878 Gustave Flaubert looked on in horror as his publisher picked up a manuscript from the mysterious stage actress Sarah Bernhardt and published it in place of a new edition of his latest work, and watched it go on to become an instant bestseller, achieving international fame. Narrated by a chair in a hot-air balloon, In the Clouds is a light-hearted, humorous tale that follows a character reminiscent of Bernhardt through the skies above Paris. Sadly the story sunk into obscurity, lying out of print in the English language for much of the twentieth century. Featuring the original illustrations by Georges Clairin, and in a fresh edit of the first English translation, this edition seeks to bring the tale to a new generation of readers.

About the author

Sarah Bernhardt (c.1844–1923) was a French stage actress whose career was followed by the public with extraordinary interest. As a writer Bernhardt is best known for her memoirs, although her short novella Dans les nuages: Impressions d'une chaise (In the Clouds: The Impressions of a Chair, 1878) is an important example of early Modernist writing, and was an instant bestseller upon its first publication.