Ferdinand Brunetière
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| - | [[Ferdinand Brunetière]], the famous French literary critic, suggests that it may stem from poems by [[Alfred de Musset]] or [[Alfred de Vigny]]. While Balzac sought the comprehensive scope of Dante, his title indicates the worldly, human concerns of a realist novelist. The stories are placed in a variety of settings, with characters reappearing in multiple stories. | ||
| - | ===Evolution of the project=== | + | '''Ferdinand Brunetière''' (19 July 1849 – 9 December 1906) was a [[France|French]] writer and [[critic]]. |
| - | The ''Comédie humaine'' was the result of a slow evolution. The first works of Balzac were written without any global plan ("Les Chouans" is a historical novel; "[[La physiologie du mariage]]" is an analytical study of marriage), but by 1830 Balzac began to group his first novels ("[[Sarrasine]]", "[[Gobseck]]") into a series entitled '''"[[Scènes de la vie privée]]"''' ("Scenes from Private Life"). | + | |
| - | In 1833, with the publication of "[[Eugénie Grandet]]", Balzac envisioned a second series entitled '''"Scènes de la vie de province"''' (Scenes from Provincial Life). Most likely in this same year Balzac came upon the idea of having characters reappear from novel to novel, and the first novel to use this technique was "le Père Goriot" (1834-5). | + | ==Biography== |
| + | ===Early years=== | ||
| + | Brunetière was born in [[Toulon]], [[Var (department)|Var]], [[Provence]]. After school at [[Marseille]], he studied in [[Paris]] at the [[Lycée Louis-le-Grand]]. Desiring a teaching career, he entered for examination at the [[École Normale Supérieure]], but failed, and the outbreak of war in 1870 prevented him trying again. He turned to private tuition and literary criticism. After the publication of successful articles in the ''Revue Bleue'', he became connected with the ''[[Revue des Deux Mondes]]'', first as contributor, then as secretary and sub-editor, and finally, in 1893, as principal editor. | ||
| - | In a letter written to Madame Hanska in 1834, Balzac decided to reorganize his works into three larger groups, allowing him (1) to integrate his "La physiologie du mariage" into the ensemble and (2) to separate his most fantastic or metaphysical stories — like "La Peau de chagrin" (1831) and "Louis Lambert" (1832) — into their own "philosophical" section. The three sections were: | + | ===Career=== |
| - | * '''Etudes de Moeurs au XIXe siècle''' (Studies of Manners in the 19th Century) - including the various "Scène de la vie..." | + | In 1886 Brunetière was appointed professor of French language and literature at the École Normale, a singular honour for one who had not passed through the academic mill; and later he presided with distinction over various conferences at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] and elsewhere. He was decorated with the [[Legion of Honour]] in 1887, and became a member of the [[Académie française]] in 1893. |
| - | * '''Etudes philosophiques''' | + | |
| - | * '''Etudes analytiques''' - including the "[[Physiology du mariage]]" | + | The published works of Brunetière consist largely of reprinted papers and lectures. They include six series of ''Etudes critiques'' (1880–1898) on French history and literature; ''Le Roman naturaliste'' (1883); ''Histoire et Littérature'', three series (1884–1886); ''Questions de critique'' (1888; second series, 1890). The first volume of ''L'Evolution de genres dans l'histoire de la littérature'', lectures in which a formal classification, founded on [[Darwinism]], is applied to the phenomena of literature, appeared in 1890; and his later works include a series of studies (2 vols, 1894) on the evolution of French lyrical poetry during the 10th century, a history of French classic literature begun in 1904, a monograph on [[Honoré de Balzac]] (1906), and various pamphlets of a polemical nature dealing with questions of education, science and religion. Among these may be mentioned ''Discours académiques'' (1901), ''Discours de combat'' (1900, 1903), ''L'Action sociale du Christianisme'' (1904), ''Sur les chemins de la croyance'' (1905). |
| + | |||
| + | ===Personal life=== | ||
| + | Before 1895 Brunetière was widely known as an a rationalist, [[freethought|freethinking]] scholar. That year, however, he published an article, "Après une visite au Vatican," in which he argued that science was incapable of providing a convincing social morality and that faith alone could achieve that result. Shortly afterwards, he converted to [[Roman Catholicism]]. As a Catholic, Brunetière was orthodox and his political sympathies were conservative. He possessed vast erudition and unflinching courage. He was never afraid to diverge from the established critical view. The most honest, if not the most impartial, of magisterial writers, he had a hatred of the unreal, and a contempt for the trivial; nobody was more merciless towards the pretentious. On the other hand, his intolerance, his sledge-hammer methods of attack and a certain dry pedantry alienated the sympathies of many who recognized his remarkable intellect. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Bibliography== | ||
| + | *Dirk, Hoeges, ''Studien zur französischen Literaturkritik im 19.Jahrhundert. Taine - Brunetière - Hennequin - Guyau'', Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, Heidelberg 1980. ISBN 3-533-02857-7 | ||
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Revision as of 23:22, 16 November 2012
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Ferdinand Brunetière (19 July 1849 – 9 December 1906) was a French writer and critic.
Contents |
Biography
Early years
Brunetière was born in Toulon, Var, Provence. After school at Marseille, he studied in Paris at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Desiring a teaching career, he entered for examination at the École Normale Supérieure, but failed, and the outbreak of war in 1870 prevented him trying again. He turned to private tuition and literary criticism. After the publication of successful articles in the Revue Bleue, he became connected with the Revue des Deux Mondes, first as contributor, then as secretary and sub-editor, and finally, in 1893, as principal editor.
Career
In 1886 Brunetière was appointed professor of French language and literature at the École Normale, a singular honour for one who had not passed through the academic mill; and later he presided with distinction over various conferences at the Sorbonne and elsewhere. He was decorated with the Legion of Honour in 1887, and became a member of the Académie française in 1893.
The published works of Brunetière consist largely of reprinted papers and lectures. They include six series of Etudes critiques (1880–1898) on French history and literature; Le Roman naturaliste (1883); Histoire et Littérature, three series (1884–1886); Questions de critique (1888; second series, 1890). The first volume of L'Evolution de genres dans l'histoire de la littérature, lectures in which a formal classification, founded on Darwinism, is applied to the phenomena of literature, appeared in 1890; and his later works include a series of studies (2 vols, 1894) on the evolution of French lyrical poetry during the 10th century, a history of French classic literature begun in 1904, a monograph on Honoré de Balzac (1906), and various pamphlets of a polemical nature dealing with questions of education, science and religion. Among these may be mentioned Discours académiques (1901), Discours de combat (1900, 1903), L'Action sociale du Christianisme (1904), Sur les chemins de la croyance (1905).
Personal life
Before 1895 Brunetière was widely known as an a rationalist, freethinking scholar. That year, however, he published an article, "Après une visite au Vatican," in which he argued that science was incapable of providing a convincing social morality and that faith alone could achieve that result. Shortly afterwards, he converted to Roman Catholicism. As a Catholic, Brunetière was orthodox and his political sympathies were conservative. He possessed vast erudition and unflinching courage. He was never afraid to diverge from the established critical view. The most honest, if not the most impartial, of magisterial writers, he had a hatred of the unreal, and a contempt for the trivial; nobody was more merciless towards the pretentious. On the other hand, his intolerance, his sledge-hammer methods of attack and a certain dry pedantry alienated the sympathies of many who recognized his remarkable intellect.
Bibliography
- Dirk, Hoeges, Studien zur französischen Literaturkritik im 19.Jahrhundert. Taine - Brunetière - Hennequin - Guyau, Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, Heidelberg 1980. ISBN 3-533-02857-7
