About
Alain-René Lesage, born on May 6, 1668 in Sarzeau, Brittany, and died on November 17, 1747 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, was a French writer. Orphaned at a young age, he studied at a Jesuit college in Vannes and then law in Paris. Married in 1694, he supported himself by writing, being one of the first French authors to live solely by his pen. He achieved his first successes in 1707 with the comedy 'Crispin, rival de son maître' and the satirical novel 'Le Diable boiteux'. His dramatic masterpiece is 'Turcaret' (1709), a biting satire of financiers. His picaresque novel 'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane' (1715-1735) is regarded as one of the earliest realistic novels in European literature.
* 1668-05-06 — † 1747-11-17
Major works
- Crispin, rival de son maître (1707)comedy
- Le Diable boiteux (1707)novel
- Turcaret (1709)comedy
- Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane (1715-1735)novel
Key milestones
- 1707First successes with 'Crispin, rival de son maître' and 'Le Diable boiteux'.
- 1709Performance of 'Turcaret', a satire of financiers.
- 1715-1735Publication in four volumes of 'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane'.
Themes
social satirepicaresquerealismpopular theatrecritique of manners
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com · bnf.fr