Аннотация: Victor Hugo, Alexander Dumas and Charles Nodier. A historical and biographical essay.
Victor Hugo, Alexander Dumas and Charles Nodier. A historical and biographical essay.
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) and Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) were the sons of generals of the Republican, Napoleonic era.
Their fathers at some point has fallen out of favor under Napoleon (for General Hugo, the situation ended happily).
Both Hugo and Dumas at some point took the literary path. In the Paris.
A faint hint onto Nodier may be found in the biography of Victor Hugo before the appearance of Charles Nodier. General Hugo for a short while became a Spanish nobleman (1811-1812-1813). His wife came to Madrid to see him. She sometimes added to her maiden name the name of her aunt's tiny estate in Brittany: Trébuchet de la Renaudière.
The fame of Charles Nodier expanded after the release in 1818 of his novel "Jean Sbogar".
Charles Nodier (1780-1844) is 22 years older than Hugo and Dumas.
n 1820, Victor Hugo in two weeks wrote a big story "Bug-Jargal". The protagonist, a black chief, the leader of the slave revolt on San Domingo - the embodiment of virtues. In 1825 Hugo made a novel out of the mentioned big story.
In 1823, shortly after his move to Paris, Alexander Dumas exchanged remarks with a spectator sitting next to him at one of the performances. As it turned out the next day, Charles Nodier turned out to be a neighbor.
One day Victor Hugo saw in the newspaper a large article by Charles Nodier, dedicated to "Hans of Iceland" ("Han d'Islande") (1823) - the work by Hugo.
"Classicist writers are praised and romantics are read," - Nodier remarked in his review of "Hans of Iceland".
Victor Hugo and Charles Nodier get acquainted soon after the review. Nodier is 44 years old; he is the author of a number of works. (Among the other works by Nodier is 'The History of Secret Societies in the Army' ("Histoire des sociétés secrètes de l'armée"), which, in particular, describes the ambush organized by Nodier himself. The 'History' was published anonymously).
Charles Nodier is famous.
In January 1824, Charles Nodier became Keeper of the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal. At the library he received a spacious office apartment, in which began to gather writers. The literary salon is known as Le Cénacle.
In may 1825, Victor Hugo and Charles Nodier go to the coronation of king Charles X in Reims. Shortly before that, Charles X appointed Victor Hugo a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Nodier was appointed an official historiographer of the coronation of Charles X.
Nodier suggested to Victor Hugo the unofficial position of the official poet.
The ode, written by Hugo after the coronation and in honor of the coronation, gained popularity, which brought a money. The king Charles X gave Hugo in recognition of creativity a service de table of Sevres porcelain. The service was so beautiful that it was not used for eat.
In the summer of 1825, Hugo and Nodier go on a journey. Money (2250 francs) were received from the publisher as an advance - under the work " Poetic and picturesque journey to Mont Blanc." The journey was successful. The publisher went bankrupt. The book, although written, was not published.
1827. The Preface to the play "Cromwell" is read by Victor Hugo in the Arsenal at Nodier in the presence of a "Guard of French romantics".
In 1828, Alexandre Dumas recalls that he once accidentally met Charles Nodier - in the theater. He writes a letter to Nodier, asking for a recommendation to Baron Taylor, the Royal Commissioner of the Comédie-Française. Taylor meets the young Dumas benevolently.
In 1829, the critic Hyacinthe de Latouche directed his gaze to the Cenacle. He accused the "Literary Association" that its members receive a priority advertising in the French press and in the works of co-comrades. (In other words, they, according to Latouche, they were advertising each other). Latouche believed that "French literature" turned into a giant chain of "a letters of happiness."
Nodier in the review allowed an ambiguous assessment of one of Hugo's works. It was the reason for the reproach from side of Hugo towards Nodier (1829).
In 1829, Alexandre Dumas' play 'Henry III and His Courts' was staged at Comédie-Française.
The acquaintance between Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas took place as follows. Dumas sent (in the form of courtesy and invitation) tickets for the 'Henry III" to Hugo and the poet Alfred de Vigny. Writers came to the play. Hugo and Dumas get acquainted.
Baron Taylor, the royal commissioner of the Comédie-Française and a friend of Nodier, is sympathetic to the work of Victor Hugo.
A great success will come to Victor Hugo and to his play 'Hernani' on the stage of the 'Comédie-Française' (1830). The relationship between Hugo and Nodier gradually cools.
After the successful staging of the play 'Henry III and His Courts', the acquaintance between Alexander Dumas and Charles Nodier turns into a close communication.
Information, acquaintances, manners - all this Alexander Dumas scooped, gained from Nodier and in the circle of Nodier. The opinion was expressed that Nodier became for Alexander Dumas something like a conditional father.
Allegedly, Nodier said to Alexander Dumas: "You are, Negroes, all are the same, you love beads and trinkets."
At one of the Versailles receptions, Dumas and Hugo appeared together - in the officer uniforms of the National Guard (a barely noticeable a Frondeur'ing - a symbol of adherence to republican values).
1841. Charles Nodier took the position of Director of the Academy (a person who is presiding at the meetings), Hugo - of a Vice-Director (he was elected to the Academy on 7 January 1841 through the fourth attempt).
Alexandre Dumas attempts to become a member of the Academy... He even married... All attempts are unsuccessful...
27 January 1844 - Charles Nodier died.
Alexandre Dumas was never nominated to the Academy. He didn't reach up to an election procedure.
An immortality to Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Charles Nodier came in a different way.
(In a writing of this essay was used the information from the works (1) "Alexandre Dumas" by Henri Troyat, (2) 'Three Dumas' ["Titans: A Three-Generation Biography of the Dumas"] by André Maurois, (3) "Victor Hugo" by Graham Robb, (4) "Dumas" by Maxim Chertanov, (5) "Hugo" by Natalia Muraveva, (6) "Victor Hugo" by Paevskaya-Lukanina A.N. [A Russian-language publications].
December 17, 2019 11:25
Translation from Russian into English: December 17, 2019 21:11.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Виктор Гюго, Александр Дюма и Шарль Нодье. Историко-биографический очерк.'.