About
Louis-Henri Murger, known as Henry Murger, was a French writer born in Paris in 1822. From a modest background, he had a difficult youth, living in poverty with his artist friends, an experience that inspired his major work, Scènes de la vie de bohème. First published as a serial, then adapted for the stage with Théodore Barrière, this semi-autobiographical tale was a great success and became the source of Puccini's opera La Bohème. Murger also wrote other scenes of Parisian life and contributed to the Revue des Deux Mondes. He received the Légion d'honneur in 1859, but died poor in 1861 at the age of 38.
* 1822-03-27 — † 1861-01-28
Major works
- Scènes de la vie de bohème (1851)novel
- Scènes de la vie de jeunesse (1851)novel
- Le Pays latin (1851)novel
- Les Buveurs d'eau (1854)novel
- Le Sabot rouge (1860)novel
Key milestones
- 1849Stage adaptation of Scènes de la vie de bohème with Théodore Barrière at the Théâtre des Variétés.
- 1859Received the Légion d'honneur.
- 1861Died in Paris, nearly penniless; his funeral was a major public event.
Themes
Bohemian lifePovertyFriendshipArt and creation19th-century Paris
Sources: id.loc.gov · id.loc.gov · britannica.com