Georges Duhamel
Encyclopedia
Georges Duhamel was a French
author, born in Paris
. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I
was attached to the French Army
. In 1920, he published Confession de minuit (ISBN 2-7152-1793-5), the first of a series featuring the anti-hero Salavin. In 1935, he was elected as a member of the Académie française
.
Between 1906 and 1909 he founded l'Abbaye de Créteil
with Charles Vildrac
(who would become his brother in law). The group brought together poets, writers, musicians and painters. From 1912, he became an editor of the literary review Mercure de France
. In 1935, he took over the direction of the review and its publishing house. In 1938, because of Duhamel's anti-war stance, he was replaced by Jacques Bernard, but Duhamel returned to directing the Mercure de France publishers in 1945 (he was majority stock-holder of the company).
When the First World War was declared, Duhamel signed up and worked as an army surgeon for four years, often in dangerous situations. This painful experience provided the subject matter for two narratives which brought him immediate success, Vie des martyrs and Civilization (which won him the Prix Goncourt
in 1918). Once he returned to civilian life, Duhamel dedicated himself to literature and defending human civilisation. In 1919, he found two spots in the Val-d'Oise
where he would henceforth spend his summers (Sausseron Valley and Valmondois
).
In 1935, Duhamel was elected to the 30th chair at the Académie française
. Between 1930 and 1940 he traveled to many conferences in France and abroad, speaking brilliantly of French language and culture as well as promoting the idea of a civilisation built on the human heart rather than technological progress.
During the Second World War, Duhamel's work was banned by the Germans. He showed courage in his opposition to the occupation and the Petainist faction of the Académie française, later receiving public praise from Général de Gaulle
.
After the war, Duhamel was named president of the Alliance française
and returned to public speaking on French culture. He built up numerous schools of the Alliance. Duhamel's health deteriorated from 1960 and he reduced his activities. He died in Valmondois on the 13th April 1966.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
author, born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was attached to the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. In 1920, he published Confession de minuit (ISBN 2-7152-1793-5), the first of a series featuring the anti-hero Salavin. In 1935, he was elected as a member of the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
.
Biography
Georges Duhamel was born in the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris on the 30th June 1884. He was the third child of a family which struggled to survive on the income of his unstable father. After a childhood disrupted by numerous moves, Georges nonetheless passed his baccalaureate in 1902 and decided to become a doctor (though he continued with his literary interests also).Between 1906 and 1909 he founded l'Abbaye de Créteil
Abbaye de Créteil
The Abbaye de Créteil or Abbaye group was an utopian, artitstic and literary community founded in 1907...
with Charles Vildrac
Charles Vildrac
Charles Vildrac , born "Charles Messager", was a French playwright and poet.Born in Paris, Vildrac's first poems were written when he was a teenager in the 1890s. In 1901 he published Le Verlibrisme, a defense of traditional verse...
(who would become his brother in law). The group brought together poets, writers, musicians and painters. From 1912, he became an editor of the literary review Mercure de France
Mercure de France
The Mercure de France was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group....
. In 1935, he took over the direction of the review and its publishing house. In 1938, because of Duhamel's anti-war stance, he was replaced by Jacques Bernard, but Duhamel returned to directing the Mercure de France publishers in 1945 (he was majority stock-holder of the company).
When the First World War was declared, Duhamel signed up and worked as an army surgeon for four years, often in dangerous situations. This painful experience provided the subject matter for two narratives which brought him immediate success, Vie des martyrs and Civilization (which won him the Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
in 1918). Once he returned to civilian life, Duhamel dedicated himself to literature and defending human civilisation. In 1919, he found two spots in the Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise is a French department, created in 1968 after the split of the Seine-et-Oise department and located in the Île-de-France region. In local slang, it is known as "quatre-vingt quinze" or "neuf cinq"...
where he would henceforth spend his summers (Sausseron Valley and Valmondois
Valmondois
Valmondois is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France.-Local attractions:*Musée des tramways à vapeur et des chemins de fer secondaires français* Musée de la Meunerie-References:** -External links:* * *...
).
In 1935, Duhamel was elected to the 30th chair at the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. Between 1930 and 1940 he traveled to many conferences in France and abroad, speaking brilliantly of French language and culture as well as promoting the idea of a civilisation built on the human heart rather than technological progress.
During the Second World War, Duhamel's work was banned by the Germans. He showed courage in his opposition to the occupation and the Petainist faction of the Académie française, later receiving public praise from Général de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
.
After the war, Duhamel was named president of the Alliance française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
and returned to public speaking on French culture. He built up numerous schools of the Alliance. Duhamel's health deteriorated from 1960 and he reduced his activities. He died in Valmondois on the 13th April 1966.
General
- Vie des martyrs (1917)
- Civilisation (1918) (Prix Goncourt)
- La Possession du monde (1919)
- Les Hommes abandonnés (1921)
- Vie et aventures de Salavin (5 volumes) (1920-1932)
- I. Confession de minuit
- II. Deux hommes
- III. Journal de Salavin
- IV. Le Club des Lyonnais
- V. Tel qu'en lui même
- Les plaisirs et les Jeux (1922)
- Le prince Jaffar (1924)
- La Pierre d'Horeb (1926)
- Lettres au Patagon (1926)
- Le Voyage de Moscou (1927)
- Les sept dernières plaies (1928)
- La nuit d'orage (1928)
- Scènes de la vie future (1930)
- Géographie cordiale de l’Europe (1931)
- Les jumeaux de Vallangoujard (1931)
- Querelles de familleQuerelles de familleQuerelles de famille is a novel by Georges Duhamel published in 1932 by Mercure de France, dedicated to Roger Martin du Gard.- Summary :...
(1932) - Chronique des Pasquier (10 volumes) (1933-1945)
- I. Le notaire du Havre
- II. Le jardin des bêtes sauvages
- III.Vue de la terre promise
- IV. La nuit de la Saint Jean
- V. Le desert de Bièvre
- VI. Les MaîtresLes MaîtresLes Maîtres is the sixth volume in Georges Duhamel's Chronique des Pasquier. It tells the story of Laurent Pasquier, a research student who is working for two rival academics, professors Chalgrin and Rohner...
- VII. Cécile parmi nous
- VIII. Le combat des ombres
- IX. Suzanne et les jeunes hommes
- X. La passion de Joseph Pasquier
- Fables de mon Jardin (1936)
- Mémorial de la guerre blanche (1939)
- Positions Françaises (1940)
- Lieu d'asile (1940)
- Chronique des Saisons amères (1944)
- La Musique consolatrice (1944)
- Paroles de médecin (1944)
- Inventaire de l’abîme (1944)
- Biographie de mes fantômes (1944)
- Le temps de la recherche (1947)
- semaille au vent (1947)
- Le bestiaire et l'herbier (1948)
- La pesée des âmes (1949)
- Le voyage de Patrice Périot (1950)
- Les espoirs et les épreuves (1953)
- Lumières sur ma vie (5 volumes)
- I. Inventaire de l'abime
- II. Biographie de mes fântômes
- III. Le temps de la recherche
- IV. La pesée des Ames
- V. Les éspoirs et les épreuves
Poetry
- Des légendes, des batailles (1907)
- L’homme en tête (1909)
- Selon ma loi (1910)
- Compagnons (1912)
- Elégies (1920)
- Anthologie de la poèsie lyrique française (1923)
- Les voix du vieux monde,mis en musique par Albert Doyen (1925)
Criticism
- Paul Claudel (1913)
- Les Poètes et la poésie (1914)
- Défense des Lettres (1937)
- Confessions sans pénitence (1941)
Theatre
- La lumière (1911)
- Dans l'ombre des statues (1912)
- Le combat (1913)
- Le cafard (1916)
- l'œuvre de athlètes (1920)
- Quand vous voudrez (1921)