Erudite. Biography of Alexander Dumas Active work in the literary field
It should not be forgotten, however, that for almost the previous century and a half and until 1788, the brigadier was a brigade commander, that is, a high-ranking officer, an intermediate link between a colonel and a non-commissioned officer, and in this form this rank was preserved in the English army. By the way, about the foreman in this sense we're talking about from Conan Doyle in “The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard,” a close and faithful associate of Napoleon. Moreover, as we will see, in 1801 Bonaparte used this term in its original meaning in connection with the general. And this meaning is still maintained in the minds of people several months after the “debunking” of the rank of brigadier, even if we assume that a new rank corresponding to the rank of corporal already existed in August 1789. And even if the cunning innkeeper was aware of this situation, he could have played on the ambiguity of the name, which he did not hesitate to do at the right moment, instead of interfering with the will of his daughter and her black-eyed giant.
Love is always long-suffering. Two and a half years later, on February 16, 1792, dragoon Dumas was finally appointed brigadier, but the wedding was still not in sight, since Father Labouré, regretting his mistake, realized that one brigadier was not a match for the other. It took the fall of the monarchy and a happy confluence of many circumstances for the former slave to finally be able to marry the daughter of a bourgeois. April 20, 1792 France declares war on Austria. Brigadier Dumas goes north with his regiment and gets into a firefight at the border. He commands a patrol of three dragoons. Having met thirteen Tyrolean riflemen, he alone takes them prisoner. For this, he was promoted to the next rank - non-commissioned officer, which is not bad, but not enough for Father Laboure. Marie-Louise is wasting away. The Fatherland is in danger recruitment is underway volunteers. Saint-Georges gathers a free cavalry legion of Americans, mostly colored, like himself. He offers the position of lieutenant to the son of Maria Dumas. Another mulatto, Boyer, colonel, leader of the hussars of Freedom and Equality, lures him to his place, promising a higher rank. The man in love with Marie-Louise has some hope. Meanwhile, Saint-Georges decides to continue the auction: maybe dear Dumas would not mind becoming a captain or even a major? In the end, they shake hands, and the newly promoted lieutenant colonel jumps into the saddle and gallops off to Villers-Cotterets.
Father Labouré scratched his head. In these troubled times The Duke of Orleans, soon Philippe-Egalité, does not appear at the castle. Along with him, a large clientele disappeared, in particular, the clientele of the Ecu de France. The tavern is in decline, Marie-Louise has just turned twenty-three years old, almost an old maid, and there are no previous contenders for her hand, since they are all witnesses to her ruin. Ultimately, this... this giant with a proud bearing, in a uniform senior officer and besides, the salary deserves attention. Father Labouret understands this very well, and that’s why he set the bar so high. Touched to the quick, his future son-in-law jumped up several steps at once, starting from scratch, and now he is almost a brigadier, that is, a brigadier general. The wedding took place on November 28, 1792, one of the witnesses was Marie-Louise's cousin Jean-Michel Deviolin, inspector of waters and forests.
Almost a general gives birth to a baby for his wife and gallops back to the free American Legion. “Essentially placed at the head of the regiment, since Saint-Georges, not a big fan of shooting, remained in Lille under the pretext of forming his army; placed, I repeat, at the head of the regiment, my father finds a vast field of activity for his courage and intelligence. The military squadrons trained by him are praised for their bearing and patriotism.” Meanwhile, the rapid ascension continues: on July 30 he was already a brigadier general, a month later - a division general, and five days later - commander of the army in the western Pyrenees. Further events accelerate even more, and on September 17, Marie-Louise gives birth to a girl, Marie Alexandrina Aimee.
Now the epic wants to show that the General is not some stupid and bloody brawler. The action moves to Bayonne. The General's arrival was not very welcomed by the plenipotentiary representatives of the people, to whom his anti-aristocratic views seemed too moderate. They want to drive him out of town. He decides to stay. Its façade faces the square where executions take place. They disgust him and he keeps the windows and shutters closed. This does not please ardent supporters of capital punishment. In mockery, they believe, they call him “Mr. Lover of Humanity.” A year later, entering an Alpine village, he sees a guillotine in the square, ready for use. He makes inquiries and learns that they will execute four men who tried to save church bell from remelting. The general finds the punishment excessive and orders Captain Dermoncourt, his adjutant, to chop the guillotine into firewood for heating. Deprived of his equipment, the executioner receives a receipt from him, and the prisoners are released. From now on, “the nickname “Mr. Lover of Humanity” is applicable to him as much as possible and is applied to him as often as possible.”
Let us go back to October 1793, when he was sent from the Pyrenees to the Vendée at the head of the Western army. He studies the catastrophic situation, informs the Committee of Public Safety about it: “Vendee was treated like a city after an assault. Everything here has been destroyed, looted, burned.” He advocates precisely the opposite, for which he demands the renewal of the army and, above all, its generals. Finding no sympathy, he avoids action. The Terrible Committee of Public Safety goes to the General towards: okay, if you don’t want to pacify the Vendee, take command of the Alpine army.
The new post, which he assumed in January 1794, suited him perfectly. Very soon he becomes an unrivaled chamois hunter. In the interval between two ambushes, he recaptures Valezan from the Piedmontese, while General Bagdelon works on little Saint Bernard. Fortunately, the General comes to help him in time. That leaves Mont Cenis, which can be attacked from three slopes, but they are powerfully fortified, while the fourth slope has a reputation for being so impregnable that the Piedmontese fortified it with only one row of fences. It goes without saying that it was the fourth slope that was chosen by the General, who stormed it at night at the head of a detachment of three hundred people.” Having reached the fence, the soldiers began to climb over it; however, my father, with his Herculean strength, found another way - simpler and less noisy: he took everyone by the pants below the waist and by the collar of their uniform and threw them over the fence. The snow softened both the noise and the pain.”
Having warmed up well as a result of these three hundred throws, the General himself penetrated the fence. Caught in their sleep, the Piedmontese offered only weak resistance.
The Committee of Public Safety recalls him to Paris on charges of a crime against the guillotine committed earlier. His brilliant track record saved him as a result, but the Convention forced him to spin: from August to November 1794 he received four different appointments. The epic reports that since “all these false orders did not please him, he resigned and returned to Villers-Cotterets.” This retirement to the family tent can be explained in many ways. Firstly, the consequences of a wound to the forehead, which “almost drove him to madness.” It started with “terrible headaches”, in next year continued with "a growth of flesh over his left eye [which] consumes his thoughts, disturbing their clarity and accuracy." He is undergoing surgery. The tumor disappears, but strangeness on the verge of madness remains, but no more and no less than many legendary heroes from Idomeneo to Roland.
A psychiatrist would say this about his manic-depressive episodes: “My father was a Creole; therefore, he combined carelessness, ardor and inconstancy. A deep disgust for things that had recently been so passionately desired seized him immediately upon the fulfillment of his desires. And then the activity that he showed to achieve the goal suddenly died away; he again fell into his usual state of carelessness and boredom.”
Famous French writer and playwright, author of novels " Three Musketeers», « Count of Monte Cristo», « Twenty years later". One of the most popular writers in France, whose works have been translated into 100 languages. Over the entire history of cinema, about 200 of his works have been filmed.
Alexandre Dumas father(Alexandre Dumas), born Dumas Davi de la Pailletrie(Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie), born July 24, 1802 in Villiers-Cotterets in France into a family Thomas-Alexandre Dumas(Thomas-Alexandre Dumas) and the innkeeper's daughters Marie-Louise Elisabeth Labouré(Marie-Louise Elisabeth Labouret). The father of the future writer was born in Haiti and was the son of an artillery general, the Marquis Alexandre-Antoine Davi de la Pailletrie(Alexandre-Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie) and his slaves of Afro-Caribbean origin Marie-Cessette Dumas(Marie-Cessette Dumas). Alexandre Dumas's father made a brilliant military career, becoming under Napoleon the first Frenchman of Afro-Caribbean origin to receive the rank of general. However, at the beginning of the 19th century he fell into disgrace and by the time his son was born he had lost his fortune.
Alexander had an older sister Marie-Alexandrine(Marie-Alexandrine). When he was only 4 years old, his father passed away. Thanks to his father’s connections and origins, 20-year-old Alexander was able to obtain a position in Paris at the court of the Duke of Orleans, Louis-Philippe.
Alexandre Dumas the Father / Alexandre Dumas in literature
Having moved to Paris, Alexandre Dumas father started writing articles for magazines and theater plays. As a pseudonym, he took the surname of his grandmother from Haiti. At the age of 27, he achieved his first success when the public favorably received his play " Henry III and his court". After the success of the second play (“ Christine") Alexander Dumas the father was able to leave the court and devote all his time to writing. However, in 1830 Alexandre Dumas father was one of those who supported the Duke of Orleans, who fought for the throne and became King Louis Philippe.
In 1838, Dumas the father released the first prose work, turning one of his plays into a novel " Captain Paul" so that it could be printed in pieces, as was common practice for magazines at that time.
In the 1840s, historical adventure novels came out one after another, which brought Alexandre Dumas the father fame and recognition: " Three Musketeers"(1844), " Twenty years later" (1845), " Viscount de Bragelonne"(1848-1850), " Queen Margo" (1845), " Count of Monte Cristo"(1845-1846). His novels soon began to be translated into English and other languages.
Large circulations meant large profits, but Dumas spent even more. He opened and financed Historical theater in Paris. In 1846 he built the huge chateau de Monte Cristo at Le Port-Marly. There was a separate building on the estate - the writer’s creative studio. Two years later due to financial problems Dumas had to part with the chateau.
After the overthrow of Louis Philippe and the coming to power of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, Dumas's affairs were completely upset, and he was forced to hide from creditors in Belgium in 1851, where he wrote his famous " Memoirs».
In 1859, Alexandre Dumas the father came to Russia, where his novels were very popular. Dumas traveled around Russia for two years, was in Karelia, Valaam, and Transcaucasia. He described his impressions of the country in the book “Travel Impressions. In Russia".
In 1861 Alexandre Dumas father moved to Italy, where King Victor Emmanuel ascended the throne. In Italy, Dumas founded the newspaper Indipendente.
In 1864, the writer returned to Paris. He died on December 5, 1870 and was buried in hometown. In 2002, his remains were reburied in the Paris Pantheon.
Personal life of Alexandre Dumas the father / Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas father married in February 1840 to an actress Ida Ferrier(Ida Ferrier), born Marguerite-Joséphine Ferrand. In fact, their marriage broke up in 1844, and although the divorce was not finalized, numerous novels Dumas were no secret to anyone. In 1866, at the peak of her fame, she became interested in the writer American actress Ada Isaacs Mencken, who was half Dumas' age.
From extramarital affairs Alexandre Dumas the father there were at least four children. The most famous of them was the eldest Alexander Dumas son(Alexandre Dumas), following in his father's footsteps. His mother Marie-Laure-Catherine Labay(Marie-Laure-Catherine Labay) was a hairdresser. Belle Krelsamer(Belle Krelsamer) gave Dumas a daughter in 1831 Marie-Alexandrine(Marie-Alexandrine Dumas). In 1860 from Amelie Cordier Dumas's second daughter was born Michaela-Clely-Josépha-Elizabeth Cordier(Micaëlla-Clélie-Josepha-Élisabeth Cordier). Dumas's other son's name was Henry Bauer(Henry Bauer).
Alexandre Dumas (French Alexandre Dumas; July 24, 1802, Villers-Cotterets - December 5, 1870) - French writer, whose adventure novels made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. He was also a playwright and journalist.
Alexandre Dumas was born in 1802 to the family of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas and Marie-Louise Labouret, the daughter of an innkeeper in Villers-Cotterets. Dumas was considered a quadroon because his paternal grandmother was a black slave from the island of Haiti.
Dumas spent his childhood, adolescence and youth in his hometown. There he became friends with Adolphe de Leuven, a poet and regular at Parisian theaters. Dumas decided to become a playwright. He decided to move to Paris. Twenty-year-old Alexander, who had no education (his only trump card was his excellent handwriting), was given a position at the Palais Royal in the office of the Duke of Orleans. Dumas began to complete his education. One of his acquaintances compiled a list of authors for Alexander that he should read: it included classic books, memoirs, and chronicles. Dumas visited theaters in order to study the profession of a playwright; at one of the performances he accidentally met Charles Nodier. Together with Leven, Dumas composed the vaudeville “Hunting and Love”, which was accepted for production by the Ambigu Theater.
Dumas, who had to support his mother, as well as his illegitimate son Alexander, wrote a play. The drama "Henry III and His Court" was created in two months. The actors of the Comédie Française, after reading the play in Melanie Valdor's salon, asked to be accepted out of turn. The premiere was successful on February 10, 1829, and it was a victory for the romantics in the theater.
Dumas became a regular at the famous Nodier salon in the Arsenal, where representatives new school- romanticism. He was one of the first to turn to drama from modern life, dared to touch upon the role of passion in modern society. What was also new was that the author endowed modern man intensity of feelings, which, according to generally accepted opinion, was characteristic of the Renaissance. His play “Anthony” was brought to life by personal circumstances - at that time Dumas was experiencing a passion for the poetess Melanie Waldor, whom he portrayed in the image of Adele d’Herve. The drama premiered on May 3, 1831 at the Porte Saint-Martin theater.
Dumas, like no one else, had the ability to hold the audience's attention from the first to the last act and write effective lines at the end. His name on the poster meant big box office receipts for theater directors, and for other playwrights he became a co-author capable of bringing the most unsuccessful plays to success.
In July 1830, the July Revolution took place in France, overthrowing Charles X and establishing a bourgeois kingdom. The Duke of Orleans took the throne under the name Louis Philippe. Alexandre Dumas was among the rebels who stormed Royal Palace Tuileries.
In 1840 he married actress Ida Ferrier. The couple actually separated in 1844, but the divorce was never finalized. Dumas earned a lot of money, but constantly spent it on luxurious look life. In 1847 he built a castle near Port Marly, named Monte Cristo.
In 1853, returning to Paris, he founded the newspaper “Musketeer”, in which he published his “Memoirs”, published the novels “The Parisian Mohicans”, “The Jehu Brothers”. In 1858-1859, the writer made a trip to Russia, traveling from St. Petersburg to Astrakhan and further to the Caucasus. Returning to Paris and wanting to acquaint his compatriots with his impressions from this trip, Dumas opened his own publishing house and in April 1859 began publishing the newspaper “Caucasus. A travel and romance newspaper published daily.” In the same year, “Caucasus” was published in Paris as a separate book.
Dumas spent a year in Russia (1858-1859), visited St. Petersburg, the sights of Karelia, Valaam Island, Uglich, Moscow, Tsaritsyn, Astrakhan, and Transcaucasia. Dumas wrote a book about his trip to Russia: Travel Impressions. In Russia.
For three years he participated in the struggle for a united Italy, and was personally acquainted and close with Garibaldi. Dumas perceived the news of the first defeats of the French during the Franco-Prussian War as a personal grief. Soon the first blow overtook him. Half-paralyzed, he managed to reach his son’s house, where he died a few months later.
In 2002, Dumas's ashes were transferred to the Paris Pantheon.
His works have been translated into many languages and served as material for numerous theatrical productions and movies.
Alexandre Dumas is a French writer who wrote many adventure novels, which in turn brought him enormous popularity, and to this day Dumas is perhaps considered one of the most famous and readable writers France. But in addition to novels, Dumas was also involved in drama and journalism.
Check out below short biography Alexandra Dumas.
Family and the beginning of creative activity
It is interesting that his son was also named Alexander, and he also became a writer, so in order not to be confused, when mentioning the elder Dumas, they began to add “Dumas the Father.”
The French writer was born in 1802. His father was a general (Thomas-Alexandre Dumas), and his mother was the daughter of an innkeeper (Marie-Louise Labouré). Alexandre Dumas grew up and matured in Ville-Cotterets, where his mother was from. Adolphe de Leuven, a peer of Dumas, as well as a poet and theater aficionado, became his close friend. Against the backdrop of such communication, Dumas decided for himself that he would become a playwright, so he went to try his luck in Paris. True, he did not have much money or useful contacts, but there were old friends of his father, on whom young Alexander relied.
In the biography of Alexandre Dumas, it is interesting that at the age of twenty, Dumas did not yet have sufficient education, but he had excellent handwriting. Be that as it may, thanks to General Foix, the young man received a position in the Paris chancellery. To expand his knowledge and broaden his horizons, Dumas went to theaters, read a lot and even began to compose. His vaudeville "Hunting and Love" was accepted and staged at the Ambigyu Theater.
Personal life in the biography of Alexandre Dumas and life in Russia
Alexandre Dumas married the actress Ida Ferrier in 1840, but it is known that he was very loving, and therefore allowed himself simultaneous love relationship and with other girls. Although after 4 years life together in 1844, Dumas decided to separate from his legal wife; the couple never officially divorced.
In general, speaking about the biography of Alexandre Dumas, it should be noted that the writer led a rather luxurious life and spent money generously. Dumas' income was high and his financial situation was brilliant. Alexandre Dumas even decided to publish his own magazine and organized his own theater, but both enterprises failed.
In 1851 literary biography Alexandra Dumas was replenished with Memoirs, which are still highly valued among his works, and which he began to publish after escaping to Brussels, which in turn was facilitated by the coup of 1851.
From 1858 to 1859 Dumas lived in Russia. He visited St. Petersburg, Karelia, the island of Valaam, Moscow, Tsaritsyn.
For about three years, Alexandre Dumas took an active part in the fight for the unification of Italy, and when the writer learned about the defeat of French troops in the Franco-Prussian War, it shocked him. Perhaps these events partially led to the first blow, when Dumas was almost paralyzed. He barely made it to the place where his son lived, and through a short time died.
A small assessment of creativity in the biography of Alexandre Dumas
There was no artistic perfection in Alexandre Dumas's plays, but only he knew how to hold the audience from the beginning to the very end and offer bright lines at the very end. When the name of Alexandre Dumas appeared on posters, all directors knew that there would be big box office receipts, and playwrights dreamed of working with Dumas on their plays, since the talented Dumas could turn the most unsuccessful play into a successful one.
After reading the biography of Alexandre Dumas, you can give your assessment to this writer at the top of the page. In addition, we bring to your attention a section of all
Alexandre Dumas (father) is a French writer, journalist, playwright, author of popular adventure novels, which made him one of the most famous and widely read French writers in the world. The word “father” is added to his name, because... the son was also named Alexander, and he also gained fame in literary field. Alexandre Dumas's homeland was the small town of Villers-Cotterets near Paris, where he was born on July 24, 1802 into the family of a famous cavalry general in the Napoleonic army. Alexander was a Quaternonian on his father's side: his grandmother was black. His father died in 1806, leaving the family in a rather deplorable situation; in any case, his mother did not have enough money for a quality education, and Alexander replenished his knowledge by reading a lot.
Dumas met his youth in his hometown. Alexander's friend, who loved to visit Parisian theaters, strengthened his intention to become a playwright. Thanks to their father, their family still had some connections in Paris, and the young man who moved to the capital in 1822 was able to get a job in the office of the Duke of Orleans and at the same time began to fill the gaps in education.
The first published works of Alexandre Dumas the Father were vaudeville plays, plays and magazine articles. The debut vaudeville “Hunt for Love” was immediately accepted for production, which inspired the writing of the drama. “Henry III and His Court” was received very warmly by the public, and its subsequent ones were also successful. dramatic works, thanks to which creativity turned into a source of good income for Dumas. Call his plays perfect with artistic point sight would be an exaggeration, but the young playwright had the gift of holding attention until the end of the performance, even frankly weak plays with his co-authorship acquired a new, successful life, packed the halls.
The July Revolution of 1830 involved Dumas in active social activities. Taking the side of the opposition, he was forced to flee to Switzerland due to the threat of arrest. 1835 was marked in his biography by the release of the first historical novel- “Isabella of Bavaria”, which, according to the writer’s idea, was supposed to mark the beginning of a large cycle of works that illuminated big period life of his country. In 1840, he married actress Ida Ferrier, but this did not stop him from having affairs on the side. In 1844, the couple, without further filing for divorce, actually ended their relationship.
Inspired by the success of Isabella of Bavaria, in the 40s. Alexandre Dumas publishes historical adventure novels in newspapers, thanks to which he became a world-famous writer: “The Three Musketeers” (1844) and two sequels to the trilogy – “Twenty Years Later” (1845), “The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years Later” (1848-1850), “The Count of Monte Cristo” (1844-1845), “Queen Margot” (1846), “Madame de Monsoreau” (1846), “The Two Dianas” (1846), “Forty-Five” (1848 ). Literary activity brought Dumas very good income, but the writer spent all the money, not wanting to deny himself luxury. In 1851, he even had to hide from creditors in Belgium.
Throughout 1858-1859. Dumas traveled around Russia, and his impressions from his trips formed the basis of the five-volume travelogue “From Paris to Astrakhan.” Being acquainted with Garibaldi, Dumas the father was a participant in the Italian national liberation movement for three years, and in 1860 he went on a campaign to Sicily. During the war between Austria and Prussia, in 1866 he was a war correspondent. IN last years life was on the verge of poverty and subsisted on the support of children. Almost no attention was paid to his death on December 5, 1870 in Puy: at that time Prussian troops occupied France. In 2002, the ashes of Dumas the Father were reburied in the Paris Pantheon.
The writer’s literary heritage is amazing: in full meeting his works included more than a thousand volumes. In this regard, they often talk about co-authors, assistants, who worked under the “Dumas brand”, literary blacks, although the writer himself was famous for his very high efficiency and enormous diligence. Be that as it may, no one has yet been able to dislodge his name from the first line of the world ranking of the most prolific writers.
