Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly spent his professional life navigating the literary landscapes of nineteenth-century France, balancing roles as a novelist, poet, historian, journalist, literary critic, and essayist. Born in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte in 1808, he established a career defined by distinct movements including realism and dandyism, while his intellectual output frequently interrogated the complexities of human morality and hidden motivations.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1808 at Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, he later adopted the d'Aurevilly surname from a childless uncle. His academic training began at the Collège Stanislas de Paris in 1827. By 1829, he had secured his baccalauréat and subsequently relocated to the University of Caen Normandy to pursue legal studies, which he completed three years later. During his formative years, he identified as an atheist and a liberal.
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The early 1840s marked a shift in his social and ideological associations as he began frequenting the salon of Baronne Almaury de Maistre. In 1846, he formally converted to the Catholic Church. This period preceded his emergence as a prominent literary critic in 1852, when he joined the Bonapartist newspaper Le Pays. Through this platform, he promoted the work of contemporary writers including Stendhal, Flaubert, Baudelaire, and Balzac.
Literary Style and Themes
His body of work is characterized by an exploration of mystery, often hinting at underlying darkness without relying on explicit supernatural elements. He adopted a persona as a dandy, projecting an aristocratic style rooted in his provincial upbringing. His prose often drew inspiration from the environment of Valognes and the society of the Norman aristocracy. Notable publications include The Bewitched, Les Diaboliques, The Story Without a Name, and Une vieille maîtresse.
Legacy and Death
Barbey d'Aurevilly died in the 7th arrondissement of Paris in 1889. While initially interred at the cimetière du Montparnasse, his remains were relocated to the churchyard at the Château de Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte in 1926. His influence extended to several notable writers, including Henry James, Marcel Proust, and Léon Bloy, while his collected works are preserved within the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade.
Fast facts
- Born: 1808, Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
- Died: 1889, 7th arrondissement of Paris
- Nationality: France
- Primary Movements: Supernatural, Literary Realism, Dandyism
- Burial Site: Château de Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Questions readers ask
What movements did Barbey d'Aurevilly belong to?
He was associated with literary realism, the supernatural, and dandyism.
Which major authors were influenced by his work?
His writing impacted several figures, including Marcel Proust, Henry James, Léon Bloy, Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, and Carmelo Bene.
Achievements
- Notable work: Les Diaboliques
- Notable work: Une vieille maîtresse
- Notable work: The Bewitched
- Notable work: The Story Without a Name
- Educated at Collège Stanislas de Paris and University of Caen Normandy
- Worked as journalist, essayist and novelist
