Laura. A Journey Into the Crystal – Deluxe

The third volume in the Dédale series, Laura. A Journey Into the Crystal was first published in 1864. Employing a fairytale-like narrative structure, the novel sketches an imaginary universe where dimensions lose their meaning, shaped by the geological knowledge then rapidly developing – an area in which Sand had a deep interest. The scientific elements she was familiar with are transfigured to the point where minerals take on symbolic meaning, cloaked in allure and mystery. The genesis of the novel and echoes of Sand’s personal life are explored in the preface by Isabelle Bardiès-Fronty, while Charline Coupeau, author of the introduction, delves into the age-old relationship between minerals and literature. The book is further enhanced by the works of Czech-born painter Wenzel Hablik, who later settled in Germany and, like Sand, was fascinated by minerals – especially crystals. His artworks, suspended between utopian architecture and imaginative fantasy, feel as if drawn from the very same imaginary realm conjured by the French writer.