Anatole France short biography. Gilenson B.A.: History of foreign literature of the late XIX - early XX centuries

Under a literary pseudonym Anatole France created by the French writer Anatole Francois Thibaut. He is known not only as an author of works of art, a Nobel Prize winner in literature, but also as a literary critic, a member of the French Academy. Born April 16, 1844 in the French capital. His father was a bookseller, second-hand book dealer, and people who were widely known in the literary environment often visited their house. Anatole studied at the Jesuit college, located in the same place, in Paris, and his studies did not arouse the slightest enthusiasm from him. The result was the repeated passing of the final exams. As a result, the college was completed only in 1866.

After graduation, Anatole got a job at the publishing house of A. Lemerra as a bibliographer. In the same period of his biography, there was a rapprochement with the Parnassus literary school, at the same time the first works appeared - the poetic collection Golden Poems (1873), the dramatic poem Corinthian Wedding (1876). They demonstrated that Frans is not a talented poet, but he lacks originality.

During the years of the Franco-Prussian war, having served for some time in the army, Anatole France was demobilized, after which he continued to improve his skills in the literary field, periodically doing editorial work. In 1875 he became an employee of the Parisian newspaper Vremya. Here, having declared himself as a capable reporter and journalist, he successfully completed an order to write critical articles about contemporary writers. In 1876, Frans becomes the leading literary critic in the editorial office and receives a personal heading "Literary Life". In the same year, he was offered the post of deputy director of the library of the French Senate. He worked in this position for 14 years, and the work did not deprive him of the opportunity to continue to actively engage in writing.

Anatoliy Francis became famous for the novels Jocasta and The Skinny Cat published in 1879, and especially for the satirical novel The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (1881). The work was awarded the French Academy Prize. Subsequently published novels "Thais", "Queen's Tavern Goose Paws", "The Judgments of Mr. Jerome Coignard", "The Red Line", a collection of articles about the classics of national literature, collections of short stories and aphorisms strengthened his reputation as a talented artist of the word and publicist. In 1896, A. France was elected to the French Academy, after which the publication of the sharply satirical "Modern History" began, which continued until 1901.

Intensively engaged in literature, Anatole France did not cease to be interested in public life. In the early 1900s there was a rapprochement with the socialists. In 1904-1905. the novel "On the White Stone" with a socio-philosophical content is published, in 1904 the book "The Church and the Republic" is published. The Russian revolution of 1905-1907 made a great impression on the writer, which immediately affected his work, which emphasizes the emphasis on journalism. In February 1905, Frans created and headed the "Society of Friends of the Russian People and Peoples Affiliated to It." The journalism of this period was included in a collection of essays called Better Times, published in 1906.

The defeat of the Russian revolution evoked an equally strong response in the writer's soul, and the theme of revolutionary transformations became one of the most important in his work. During this period of biography, the novels “Penguin Island”, “The Gods Are Thirsty”, “Rise of the Angels”, a collection of short stories “The Seven Wives of Bluebeard” were published, in 1915 the book “On a Glorious Path” was published, imbued with a patriotic spirit, which was connected with the outbreak of the First World War. However, a year later, France turned into an opponent of militarism and a pacifist.

The October Revolution in Russia was perceived by him with great enthusiasm; he approved the creation in the early 20s. in his homeland of the Communist Party. By this time, the name of Anatoly France is known all over the world, he is considered the most authoritative writer and cultural figure in his country. For merits in the field of literature in 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he sent these funds to Russia to help the starving. His Parisian villa was always open to aspiring writers who came to visit him even from abroad. Anatole France died in 1924, on October 12, not far from Tours, in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire.

Biography from Wikipedia

Anatole France(fr. Anatole France; real name - François Anatole Thibault, François-Anatole Thibault; April 16, 1844, Paris, France - October 12, 1924, Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (Russian) French, France) - French writer and literary critic.

Member of the French Academy (1896). Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1921), whose money he donated to the starving Russia.

Anatole France's father was the owner of a bookstore that specialized in literature on the history of the French Revolution. Anatole France hardly graduated from the Jesuit College, where he studied extremely reluctantly, and, having failed several times in the final exams, passed them only at the age of 20.

Since 1866, Anatole France was forced to earn a living himself, and began his career as a bibliographer. Gradually, he gets acquainted with the literary life of that time, and becomes one of the prominent participants in the Parnassian school.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, Frans briefly served in the army, and after demobilization he continued to write and perform various editorial work.

In 1875 he had his first real opportunity to prove himself as a journalist, when the Parisian newspaper Le Temps commissioned him for a series of critical articles on contemporary writers. The very next year, he becomes the leading literary critic of this newspaper and leads his own column called "Literary Life".

In 1876, he was also appointed deputy director of the library of the French Senate and held this post for the next fourteen years, which gave him the opportunity and means to engage in literature. In 1913 he visited Russia.

In 1922, his writings were included in the Catholic Index of Forbidden Books.

Anatole France died in 1924. After his death, his brain was examined by French anatomists, who, in particular, found that his mass was 1017. He was buried in the cemetery in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His name was given to a number of streets in different cities and communes of France, as well as metro stations in Paris and Rennes.

Social activity

He was a member of the French Geographical Society.

In 1898 Frans took an active part in the Dreyfus affair. Under the influence of Marcel Proust, France was the first to sign Emile Zola's famous manifesto letter "I accuse".

From that time on, Frans became a prominent figure in the reformist, and later the socialist camp, took part in the organization of public universities, lectured to workers, and participated in rallies organized by leftist forces. France becomes a close friend of the socialist leader Jean Jaurès and a literary master of the French Socialist Party.

Creation

Early work

The novel that brought him fame, The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (Russian) French, published in 1881, is a satire that favors frivolity and kindness over harsh virtue.

In subsequent novels and stories by Frans, with great erudition and subtle psychological instinct, the spirit of different historical eras is recreated. "Queen's Tavern Goose Paws" (Russian) fr. (1893) - a satirical story in the taste of the 18th century, with the original central figure of Abbé Jerome Coignard: he is pious, but leads a sinful life and justifies his "falls" by the fact that they strengthen the spirit of humility in him. The same Abbé France deduces in Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard (1893) in Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard.

In a number of stories, in particular, in the collection "Mother-of-Pearl Casket" (Russian) fr. (1892), Frans discovers a vivid fantasy; his favorite topic is the juxtaposition of pagan and Christian worldviews in stories from the first centuries of Christianity or the early Renaissance. The best examples of this kind are "Saint Satyr". In this he had a certain influence on Dmitry Merezhkovsky. The novel "Tais" (Russian) fr. (1890) - the story of a famous ancient courtesan who became a saint - written in the same spirit of a mixture of Epicureanism and Christian charity.

In the novel "Red Lily" (Russian) fr. (1894), against the background of exquisitely artistic descriptions of Florence and painting of the primitives, presents a purely Parisian adultery drama in the spirit of Bourges (except for the beautiful descriptions of Florence and paintings).

Social romance period

Then Frans began a series of peculiar novels with sharp political content under the general title: "Modern History" ("Histoire Contemporaine"). This is a historical chronicle with a philosophical coverage of events. As a modern historian, Frans reveals the insight and impartiality of a scientific prospector, along with the subtle irony of a skeptic who knows the value of human feelings and undertakings.

The fictional plot is intertwined in these novels with real social events, depicting election campaigning, the intrigues of the provincial bureaucracy, incidents of the Dreyfus process, and street demonstrations. Along with this, the scientific research and abstract theories of the armchair scientist, the troubles in his home life, the betrayal of his wife, the psychology of a puzzled and somewhat short-sighted thinker in life affairs are described.

In the center of events that alternate in the novels of this series, there is one and the same person - the learned historian Bergeret, who embodies the philosophical ideal of the author: a condescending skeptical attitude towards reality, ironic equanimity in judgments about the actions of those around him.

satirical novels

The next work of the writer, the two-volume historical work "The Life of Joan of Arc" ("Vie de Jeanne d'Arc", 1908), written under the influence of the historian Ernest Renan, was poorly received by the public. The clerics objected to the demystification of Jeanne, and the book seemed to historians to be insufficiently faithful to the original sources.

On the other hand, a parody of the French story "Penguin Island" (Russian) French, also published in 1908, was received with great enthusiasm. In Penguin Island, the myopic Abbot Mael mistook the penguins for humans and christened them, causing a lot of trouble in heaven and on earth. In the future, in his indescribable satirical manner, France describes the emergence of private property and the state, the emergence of the first royal dynasty, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Most of the book is devoted to contemporary events of Frans: the coup attempt by J. Boulanger, the Dreyfus affair, the mores of the Waldeck-Rousseau cabinet. At the end, a gloomy forecast of the future is given: the power of financial monopolies and nuclear terrorism that destroys civilization. After that, society is reborn again and gradually comes to the same end, which hints at the futility of changing the penguin ( human) nature.

The next great work of art of the writer, the novel "The Gods Thirst" (Russian) fr. (1912), dedicated to the French Revolution.

His novel "Rise of the Angels" (Russian) fr. (1914) is a social satire written with elements of game mysticism. Not the all-good God reigns in Heaven, but the evil and imperfect Demiurge, and Satan is forced to raise an uprising against him, which is a kind of mirror reflection of the social revolutionary movement on Earth.

After this book, France completely turns to the autobiographical theme and writes essays on childhood and adolescence, which later became part of the novels "Little Pierre" ("Le Petit Pierre", 1918) and "Life in Bloom" ("La Vie en fleur", 1922 ).

France and opera

The works of Frans "Thais" and "The Juggler of Our Lady" served as a source for the libretto of the composer Jules Massenet's operas.

Characteristics of the worldview from the encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Frans is a philosopher and poet. His worldview is reduced to refined epicureanism. He is the sharpest of the French critics of modern reality, without any sentimentality revealing the weaknesses and moral falls of human nature, the imperfection and ugliness of social life, morals, relations between people; but in his criticism he introduces a special reconciliation, philosophical contemplation and serenity, a warming feeling of love for weak humanity. He does not judge or moralize, but only penetrates into the meaning of negative phenomena. This combination of irony with love for people, with an artistic understanding of beauty in all manifestations of life, is a characteristic feature of Frans' works. The humor of Frans lies in the fact that his hero applies the same method to the study of the most heterogeneous phenomena. The same historical criterion by which he judges events in ancient Egypt serves him to judge the Dreyfus case and its impact on society; the same analytical method with which he proceeds to abstract scientific questions helps him explain the act of his wife who cheated on him and, having understood it, calmly leave, without judging, but not forgiving either.

Compositions

Modern History (L'Histoire contemporaine)

• Under the city elms (L'Orme du mail, 1897).
• Willow mannequin (Le Mannequin d'osier, 1897).
• Amethyst ring (L'Anneau d'améthyste, 1899).
• Mr. Bergeret in Paris (Monsieur Bergeret à Paris, 1901).

Autobiographical cycle

• My friend's book (Le Livre de mon ami, 1885).
• Pierre Nozière (1899).
• Little Pierre (Le Petit Pierre, 1918).
• Life in Bloom (La Vie en fleur, 1922).

Novels

• Jocasta (Jocaste, 1879).
• "Skinny Cat" (Le Chat maigre, 1879).
• Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard, 1881).
• Passion of Jean Servien (Les Désirs de Jean Servien, 1882).
• Count Abel (Abeille, conte, 1883).
• Thais (Thais, 1890).
• Tavern of Queen Goose Feet (La Rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque, 1892).
• Jérôme Coignard's judgments (Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard, 1893).
• Red lily (Le Lys rouge, 1894).
• Epicurus Garden (Le Jardin d'Épicure, 1895).
• Theatrical History (Histoires comiques, 1903).
• On a white stone (Sur la pierre blanche, 1905).
• Penguin Island (L'Île des Pingouins, 1908).
• The Gods Thirst (Les dieux ont soif, 1912).
• Rise of the Angels (La Révolte des anges, 1914).

Novels collections

• Balthasar (Balthasar, 1889).
• Mother-of-pearl casket (L'Étui de nacre, 1892).
• Well of St. Clare (Le Puits de Sainte Claire, 1895).
• Clio (Clio, 1900).
• Procurator of Judea (Le Procurateur de Judée, 1902).
• Crainquebille, Putois, Riquet, and many other useful stories (L'Affaire Crainquebille, 1901).
• The Stories of Jacques Tournebroche (Les Contes de Jacques Tournebroche, 1908).
• The Seven Wives of Bluebeard (Les Sept Femmes de Barbe bleue et autres contes merveilleux, 1909).

Dramaturgy

• What the hell is not kidding (Au petit bonheur, un acte, 1898).
• Crainquebille (pièce, 1903).
• Willow mannequin (Le Mannequin d'osier, comédie, 1908).
• A comedy about a man who married a mute (La Comédie de celui qui épousa une femme muette, deux actes, 1908).

Essay

• Life of Joan of Arc (Vie de Jeanne d'Arc, 1908).
• Literary life (Critique littéraire).
• Latin genius (Le Génie latin, 1913).

Poetry

• Golden Poems (Poèmes dorés, 1873).
• Corinthian wedding (Les Noces corinthiennes, 1876).

Publication of works in Russian translation

• France A. Collected Works in eight volumes. - M.: State publishing house of fiction, 1957-1960.
• France A. Collected works in four volumes. - M.: Fiction, 1983-1984.

Frans Anatole (Jacques Anatole Francois Thibaut) (1844 - 1924)

French critic, novelist and poet. Born in Paris in the family of a bookseller. He began his literary activity slowly: he was 35 years old when the first collection of short stories was published. He dedicated his autobiographical novels The Book of My Friend and Little Pierre to his childhood years.

The first collection "Golden Poems" and the poetic drama "The Corinthian Wedding" testified to him as a promising poet. The beginning of France's fame as an outstanding prose writer of his generation was laid by the novel "The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard".

In 1891, Tais appeared, followed by Queen Goose Feet's Tavern and The Judgments of M. Jerome Coignard, which provided a brilliant satirical depiction of eighteenth-century French society. In The Red Lily, Frans' first novel with a modern subject, the story of passionate love in Florence is described; The Garden of Epicurus contains examples of his philosophical discourses on happiness. After being elected to the French Academy, France began publishing the Modern History cycle of four novels - Under the Roadside Elm, The Willow Mannequin, The Amethyst Ring and Monsieur Bergeret in Paris.

The writer with sly wit depicts both Parisian and provincial society. In the short story "The Case of Krenkebil", later reworked into the play "Krenkebil", a judicial parody of justice is exposed. A satirical allegory in the spirit of Swift's "Penguin Island" recreates the history of the formation of the French nation.

In Joan of Arc, Frans tried to separate fact from legend in the life of a national saint. The novel "The Gods Thirst" is dedicated to the French Revolution. The book "On the Glorious Path" is filled with a patriotic spirit, but already in 1916 France condemned the war. In four volumes of the Literary Life, he showed himself to be a shrewd and subtle critic. Frans supported the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. In the early 1920s. he was among those who sympathized with the newly formed French Communist Party.

For many years, France was the main attraction in the salon of his close friend Madame Armand de Caillave, and his Parisian house ("Villa Seyid") turned into a place of pilgrimage for young writers - both French and foreign. In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize literature prize.

The subtle wit inherent in Frans is reminiscent of the irony of Voltaire, with whom he has much in common. In his philosophical views, he developed and popularized the ideas of E. Renan.

), the money of which he donated in favor of the starving Russia.

Biography

Anatole France's father was the owner of a bookstore that specialized in literature on the history of the French Revolution. Anatole France hardly graduated from the Jesuit College, where he studied extremely reluctantly, and, having failed several times in his final exams, he passed them only at the age of 20.

Since 1866, Anatole France was forced to earn a living himself, and began his career as a bibliographer. Gradually, he gets acquainted with the literary life of that time, and becomes one of the prominent participants in the Parnassian school.

Anatole France died in 1924. After his death, his brain was examined by French anatomists, who, in particular, found that his mass was 1017 g. He was buried in the cemetery in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Social activity

In 1898, Frans took the most active part in the Dreyfus affair. Influenced by Marcel Proust, France was the first to sign Émile Zola's famous manifesto letter.

From that time on, Frans became a prominent figure in the reformist, and later the socialist camp, took part in the organization of public universities, lectured to workers, and participated in rallies organized by leftist forces. France becomes a close friend of the socialist leader Jean Jaurès and a literary master of the French Socialist Party.

Creation

Early work

The novel that brought him fame, "The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard" (fr.)Russian, published in 1881, is a satire that favors frivolity and kindness over harsh virtue.

In subsequent novels and stories by Frans, with great erudition and subtle psychological instinct, the spirit of different historical eras is recreated. "Queen Crow's Feet Tavern" (fr.)Russian(1893) - a satirical story in the taste of the 18th century, with the original central figure of Abbé Jerome Coignard: he is pious, but leads a sinful life and justifies his "falls" by the fact that they strengthen the spirit of humility in him. The same Abbé France deduces in Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard (1893) in Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard.

In a number of stories, in particular, in the collection "Mother-of-Pearl Casket" (fr.)Russian(1892), Frans discovers a vivid fantasy; his favorite topic is the juxtaposition of pagan and Christian worldviews in stories from the first centuries of Christianity or the early Renaissance. The best examples of this kind are "Saint Satyr". In this he had a certain influence on Dmitry Merezhkovsky. Roman "Tais" (fr.)Russian(1890) - the story of a famous ancient courtesan who became a saint - written in the same spirit of a mixture of Epicureanism and Christian charity.

Characteristics of the worldview from the encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Frans is a philosopher and poet. His worldview is reduced to refined epicureanism. He is the sharpest of the French critics of modern reality, without any sentimentality revealing the weaknesses and moral falls of human nature, the imperfection and ugliness of social life, morals, relations between people; but in his criticism he introduces a special reconciliation, philosophical contemplation and serenity, a warming feeling of love for weak humanity. He does not judge or moralize, but only penetrates into the meaning of negative phenomena. This combination of irony with love for people, with an artistic understanding of beauty in all manifestations of life, is a characteristic feature of Frans' works. The humor of Frans lies in the fact that his hero applies the same method to the study of the most heterogeneous phenomena. The same historical criterion by which he judges events in ancient Egypt serves him to judge the Dreyfus case and its impact on society; the same analytical method with which he proceeds to abstract scientific questions helps him explain the act of his wife who cheated on him and, having understood it, calmly leave, without judging, but not forgiving either.

Quotes

"Religions, like chameleons, take on the color of the soil on which they live."

"There is no magic stronger than the magic of the word."

Compositions

Modern History (L'Histoire contemporaine)

• Under the city elms (L'Orme du mail, 1897).
• Willow mannequin (Le Mannequin d'osier, 1897).
• Amethyst ring (L'Anneau d'améthyste, 1899).
• Mr. Bergeret in Paris (Monsieur Bergeret à Paris, 1901).

Autobiographical cycle

• My friend's book (Le Livre de mon ami, 1885).
• Pierre Nozière (1899).
• Little Pierre (Le Petit Pierre, 1918).
• Life in Bloom (La Vie en fleur, 1922).

Novels

• Jocasta (Jocaste, 1879).
• "Skinny Cat" (Le Chat maigre, 1879).
• Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard, 1881).
• Passion of Jean Servien (Les Désirs de Jean Servien, 1882).
• Count Abel (Abeille, conte, 1883).
• Thais (Thais, 1890).
• Tavern of Queen Goose Feet (La Rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque, 1892).
• Jérôme Coignard's judgments (Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard, 1893).
• Red lily (Le Lys rouge, 1894).
• Epicurus Garden (Le Jardin d'Épicure, 1895).
• Theatrical History (Histoires comiques, 1903).
• On a white stone (Sur la pierre blanche, 1905).
• Penguin Island (L'Île des Pingouins, 1908).
• The Gods Thirst (Les dieux ont soif, 1912).
• Rise of the Angels (La Révolte des anges, 1914).

Novels collections

• Balthasar (Balthasar, 1889).
• Mother-of-pearl casket (L'Étui de nacre, 1892).
• Well of St. Clare (Le Puits de Sainte Claire, 1895).
• Clio (Clio, 1900).
• Procurator of Judea (Le Procurateur de Judée, 1902).
• Crainquebille, Putois, Riquet and many other useful stories (L'Affaire Crainquebille, 1901).
• The Stories of Jacques Tournebroche (Les Contes de Jacques Tournebroche, 1908).
• The Seven Wives of Bluebeard (Les Sept Femmes de Barbe bleue et autres contes merveilleux, 1909).

Dramaturgy

• What the hell is not kidding (Au petit bonheur, un acte, 1898).
• Crainquebille (pièce, 1903).
• Willow mannequin (Le Mannequin d'osier, comédie, 1908).
• A comedy about a man who married a mute (La Comédie de celui qui épousa une femme muette, deux actes, 1908).

Essay

• Life of Joan of Arc (Vie de Jeanne d'Arc, 1908).
• Literary life (Critique littéraire).
• Latin genius (Le Génie latin, 1913).

Poetry

• Golden Poems (Poèmes dorés, 1873).
• Corinthian wedding (Les Noces corinthiennes, 1876).

Publication of works in Russian translation

• France A. Collected Works in eight volumes. - M .: State publishing house of fiction, 1957-1960.
• France A. Collected works in four volumes. - M .: Fiction, 1983-1984.

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Notes

Literature

• Likhodzievskiy S.I. Anatole France [Text]: Essay on creativity. Tashkent: Goslitizdat UzSSR, 1962. - 419 p.

Links

• - A selection of articles by A. V. Lunacharsky
• Trykov V.P.. Electronic Encyclopedia "Modern French Literature" (2011). Retrieved December 12, 2011. .

An excerpt characterizing Frans, Anatole

Rostov, preoccupied with his relationship with Bogdanych, stopped on the bridge, not knowing what to do. There was no one to chop (as he always imagined a battle), and he also could not help in lighting the bridge, because he did not take with him, like other soldiers, a bundle of straw. He stood and looked around, when suddenly there was a crackling sound on the bridge like scattered nuts, and one of the hussars, who was closest to him, fell with a groan on the railing. Rostov ran to him along with the others. Again someone shouted: "Stretcher!". The hussar was picked up by four people and began to lift.
“Ohhh! ... Drop it, for Christ's sake,” the wounded man shouted; but they still picked it up and laid it down.
Nikolai Rostov turned away and, as if looking for something, began to look at the distance, at the water of the Danube, at the sky, at the sun. How beautiful the sky looked, how blue, calm and deep! How bright and solemn the setting sun! How softly and glossy the water shone in the distant Danube! And even better were the distant mountains blue beyond the Danube, the monastery, the mysterious gorges, the pine forests flooded to the tops with fog ... it’s quiet, happy there ... thought Rostov. “There is so much happiness in me alone and in this sun, and here ... groans, suffering, fear and this vagueness, this haste ... Here again they shout something, and again everyone ran somewhere back, and I run with them, and here she is.” , here it is, death, above me, around me ... A moment - and I will never see this sun, this water, this gorge again ”...
At that moment the sun began to hide behind the clouds; ahead of Rostov other stretchers appeared. And the fear of death and the stretcher, and the love of the sun and life - all merged into one painfully disturbing impression.
“Oh my God! He Who is there in this sky, save, forgive and protect me!” Rostov whispered to himself.
The hussars ran up to the grooms, the voices became louder and calmer, the stretcher disappeared from sight.
- What, bg "at, sniffed the pog" oh? ... - the voice of Vaska Denisov shouted over his ear.
“It's all over; but I'm a coward, yes, I'm a coward," thought Rostov, and, sighing heavily, he took from the hands of the horseman his Grachik, who had put aside his leg, and began to sit down.
- What was it, buckshot? he asked Denisov.
- Yes, what a! shouted Denisov. - Well done g "worked! And g" work skveg "naya! Attack is a kind deed, g" kill in the dog, and here, chog "does not know what, they hit like a target.
And Denisov rode off to a group that had stopped not far from Rostov: the regimental commander, Nesvitsky, Zherkov and an officer of the retinue.
"However, no one seems to have noticed," Rostov thought to himself. And indeed, no one noticed anything, because everyone was familiar with the feeling that an unfired junker experienced for the first time.
- Here's a report for you, - said Zherkov, - you look, and they will make me a second lieutenant.
“Report to the prince that I lit the bridge,” the colonel said solemnly and cheerfully.
- And if they ask about the loss?
- A trifle! - the colonel boomed, - two hussars were wounded, and one on the spot, - he said with visible joy, unable to resist a happy smile, loudly chopping off a beautiful word on the spot.

Pursued by the 100,000-strong French army under Bonaparte, met with hostile inhabitants, no longer trusting their allies, lacking food, and forced to act beyond all foreseeable conditions of war, the Russian army of 35,000, under the command of Kutuzov, hastily retreated down the Danube, stopping where it was overtaken by the enemy, and fighting back with rearguard deeds, only as far as it was necessary in order to retreat without losing burdens. There were cases under Lambach, Amstetten and Melk; but, despite the courage and steadfastness, recognized by the enemy himself, with which the Russians fought, the consequence of these deeds was only an even faster retreat. The Austrian troops, who had escaped capture at Ulm and joined Kutuzov at Braunau, now separated from the Russian army, and Kutuzov was left only to his weak, exhausted forces. It was impossible to think of defending Vienna any longer. Instead of an offensive, deeply thought-out, according to the laws of the new science - strategy, war, the plan of which was transferred to Kutuzov when he was in Vienna as an Austrian gofkriegsrat, the only, almost unattainable goal that now seemed to Kutuzov was that, without destroying the army like Mack under Ulm, to connect with the troops marching from Russia.
On October 28, Kutuzov with an army crossed to the left bank of the Danube and stopped for the first time, putting the Danube between himself and the main French forces. On the 30th, he attacked Mortier's division on the left bank of the Danube and defeated it. In this case, trophies were taken for the first time: a banner, guns and two enemy generals. For the first time after a two-week retreat, the Russian troops stopped and, after a struggle, not only held the battlefield, but drove the French away. Despite the fact that the troops were undressed, exhausted, one-third weakened backward, wounded, killed and sick; despite the fact that on the other side of the Danube the sick and wounded were left with a letter from Kutuzov entrusting them to the philanthropy of the enemy; despite the fact that the large hospitals and houses in Krems, converted into infirmaries, could no longer accommodate all the sick and wounded, despite all this, the stop at Krems and the victory over Mortier significantly raised the spirit of the troops. The most joyful, though unfair, rumors circulated throughout the army and in the main apartment about the imaginary approach of columns from Russia, about some kind of victory won by the Austrians, and about the retreat of the frightened Bonaparte.
Prince Andrei was during the battle with the Austrian general Schmitt, who was killed in this case. A horse was wounded under him, and he himself was slightly scratched in the arm by a bullet. As a sign of the special favor of the commander in chief, he was sent with the news of this victory to the Austrian court, which was no longer in Vienna, which was threatened by French troops, but in Brunn. On the night of the battle, excited, but not tired (despite his seemingly slight build, Prince Andrei could endure physical fatigue much better than the strongest people), arriving on horseback with a report from Dokhturov to Krems to Kutuzov, Prince Andrei was sent that same night courier to Brunn. Departure by courier, in addition to awards, meant an important step towards promotion.
The night was dark and starry; the road was blackened between the whitening snow that had fallen the day before, on the day of the battle. Either sorting through the impressions of the past battle, or joyfully imagining the impression that he would make with the news of the victory, recalling the farewell to the commander-in-chief and comrades, Prince Andrei galloped in the mail cart, experiencing the feeling of a man who had been waiting for a long time and, finally, reached the beginning of the desired happiness. As soon as he closed his eyes, the firing of guns and guns was heard in his ears, which merged with the sound of wheels and the impression of victory. Now he began to imagine that the Russians were fleeing, that he himself had been killed; but he hurriedly woke up, with happiness, as if again learning that none of this had happened, and that, on the contrary, the French had fled. He again recalled all the details of the victory, his calm courage during the battle, and, having calmed down, dozed off ... After a dark starry night, a bright, cheerful morning came. The snow was melting in the sun, the horses were galloping fast, and indifferently to the right and to the left, new diverse forests, fields, villages passed.
At one of the stations, he overtook a convoy of Russian wounded. The Russian officer who was driving the transport, lounging on the front cart, shouted something, scolding the soldier with rude words. Six or more pale, bandaged and dirty wounded were shaking along the rocky road in long German bows. Some of them spoke (he heard the Russian dialect), others ate bread, the heaviest ones silently, with meek and painful childlike participation, looked at their courier galloping past.
Prince Andrei ordered to stop and asked the soldier in what case they were wounded. “The day before yesterday on the Danube,” answered the soldier. Prince Andrei took out a purse and gave the soldier three gold coins.
“All of them,” he added, addressing the approaching officer. - Get well, guys, - he turned to the soldiers, - there is still a lot to do.
- What, adjutant, what news? – asked the officer, apparently wanting to talk.
- Good ones! Forward, - he shouted to the driver and galloped on.
It was already completely dark when Prince Andrei drove into Brunn and saw himself surrounded by tall houses, the lights of shops, windows of houses and lanterns, beautiful carriages rustling along the pavement and all that atmosphere of a big busy city, which is always so attractive for a military man after the camp. Prince Andrei, despite the fast ride and sleepless night, approaching the palace, felt even more lively than the day before. Only the eyes shone with a feverish brilliance, and thoughts changed with extreme rapidity and clarity. Again, all the details of the battle were vividly presented to him, no longer vaguely, but definitely, in a concise presentation, which he made in his imagination to Emperor Franz. He vividly presented himself with random questions that could be made to him, and the answers that he would make to them. He believed that he would immediately be presented to the emperor. But at the large entrance of the palace an official ran out to him and, recognizing him as a courier, escorted him to another entrance.
– From the corridor to the right; there, Euer Hochgeboren, [Your Honor,] ​​you will find the adjutant's wing on duty, - the official told him. “He takes him to the Minister of War.
The adjutant on duty, who met Prince Andrei, asked him to wait and went to the Minister of War. Five minutes later the adjutant wing returned and, leaning especially politely and letting Prince Andrei go ahead of him, led him through the corridor to the office where the Minister of War was studying. The aide-de-camp wing, by his refined courtesy, seemed to want to protect himself from the Russian adjutant's attempts at familiarity. The joyful feeling of Prince Andrei weakened significantly when he approached the door of the office of the Minister of War. He felt insulted, and the feeling of insult passed at the same instant, imperceptibly for him, into a feeling of contempt based on nothing. A resourceful mind at the same instant suggested to him the point of view from which he had the right to despise both the adjutant and the minister of war. “It must be very easy for them to win victories without smelling gunpowder!” he thought. His eyes narrowed contemptuously; he entered the office of the Minister of War with particular slowness. This feeling was even more intensified when he saw the Minister of War sitting over a large table and for the first two minutes paying no attention to the newcomer. The Minister of War lowered his bald head with gray temples between two wax candles and read, marking the papers with a pencil. He finished reading without raising his head as the door opened and footsteps were heard.
“Take this and pass it on,” said the Minister of War to his adjutant, handing over the papers and not yet paying attention to the courier.
Prince Andrei felt that either of all the affairs that occupied the Minister of War, the actions of the Kutuzov army could least of all interest him, or the Russian courier had to be made to feel this. But I don't care, he thought. The Minister of War moved the rest of the papers, smoothed their edges with edges, and raised his head. He had an intelligent and characteristic head. But at the same moment he turned to Prince Andrei, the intelligent and firm expression on the face of the Minister of War, apparently, habitually and consciously changed: on his face there was a stupid, feigned, not hiding his pretense, smile of a man accepting many petitioners one after another .
- From General Field Marshal Kutuzov? - he asked. “Good news, I hope?” Was there a collision with Mortier? Victory? It's time!
He took the dispatch, which was in his name, and began to read it with a sad expression.
- Oh my god! My God! Schmit! he said in German. What a misfortune, what a misfortune!
Having run through the dispatch, he laid it on the table and looked at Prince Andrei, apparently thinking something.
- Oh, what a misfortune! Deal, you say, decisive? Mortier is not taken, however. (He thought.) I am very glad that you brought good news, although the death of Schmitt is a dear price for victory. His Majesty will certainly wish to see you, but not today. Thank you, take a rest. Be at the exit after the parade tomorrow. However, I will let you know.
The stupid smile that had disappeared during the conversation reappeared on the face of the Minister of War.
- Goodbye, thank you very much. Sovereign Emperor will probably wish to see you,” he repeated and bowed his head.
When Prince Andrei left the palace, he felt that all the interest and happiness brought to him by victory had now been abandoned by him and transferred into the indifferent hands of the Minister of War and the courteous adjutant. His whole frame of mind instantly changed: the battle seemed to him a long-standing, distant memory.

Prince Andrei stayed in Brunn with his acquaintance, the Russian diplomat Bilibin.

FRANCE, ANATOL(France, Anatole, pseudonym; real name - Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault, Thibault) (1844–1924), French critic, novelist and poet. Born April 16, 1844 in the family of a bookseller. He began his literary activity slowly: he was 35 years old when the first collection of short stories was published. He dedicated autobiographical novels to his childhood years. My friend's book (Le Livre de mon ami, 1885) and Little Pierre (Le Petit-Pierre, 1918).

First collection golden poems (Les Poemes dores, 1873) and verse drama Corinthian wedding (Les noces corinthiennes, 1876) testified to him as a promising poet. The beginning of the fame of Frans as an outstanding prose writer of his generation was laid by the novel The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (Le Crime de Silvestre Bonnard, 1881).

In 1891 appeared Thais (Tais), for her - Queen's Tavern Goose Paws (La Rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque, 1893) and Jérôme Coignard's opinions (Les Opinions de M. Jérome Coignard, 1893), which gave a brilliant satirical depiction of the French 18th century. AT red lily (Le Lys rouge, 1894), Frans' first novel with a contemporary plot, describes a passionate love story in Florence; Garden of Epicurus (Le Jardin d'Epicure, 1894) contains samples of his philosophical discourse on happiness, which consists in the achievement of sensual and intellectual joys.

After being elected to the French Academy (1896), France began to publish the cycle Modern history (Histoire contemporary, 1897–1901) of four novels - Under the roadside elm (L "Orme du mail, 1897), Willow Mannequin (Le Mannequin d'osier, 1897), Amethyst ring (L "Anneau d" amethyste, 1899) and Mister Bergeret in Paris (M.Bergeret a Paris, 1901). The writer depicts both Parisian and provincial society with sly wit, but at the same time sharply critical. AT modern history current events are mentioned, in particular the Dreyfus affair.

In the novel The Krenkebil case (L"Affaire Crainquebille, 1901), later revised into a play Krenkebil (Crainquebille, 1903), a judicial parody of justice is exposed. Satirical allegory in the spirit of Swift penguin island (L "Île des pingouins, 1908) recreates the history of the formation of the French nation. AT Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, 1908) Frans tried to separate facts from legends in the biography of the national saint, although he himself was skeptical of any historical research, considering judgments about the past always more or less subjective. In a novel dedicated to the French Revolution The gods are thirsty (Les Dieux ont soif, 1912) expressed his disbelief in the effectiveness of revolutionary violence; written on a modern subject Rise of the angels (La Revolte des anges, 1914) ridiculed Christianity. Book On a glorious path (Sur la Voie glorieuse, 1915) is filled with a patriotic spirit, but already in 1916 France condemned the war. in four volumes literary life (La Vie litteraire, 1888–1894), he proved to be a perceptive and subtle critic, but extreme subjectivity forced him to refrain from any assessments, since in his eyes the significance of a work was determined not so much by its merits as by the critic's personal predilections. He joined E. Zola in defending Dreyfus, and from a collection of essays To better times (Vers les temps meilleurs, 1906) reveals his sincere interest in socialism. France supported the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. In the early 1920s, he was among those who sympathized with the newly formed French Communist Party.

For many years, France was the main attraction in the salon of his close friend Madame Armand de Caillave, and his Parisian house (Villa Seyid) became a place of pilgrimage for young writers, both French and foreign. In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The subtle wit inherent in Frans is reminiscent of the irony of Voltaire, with whom he has much in common. In his philosophical views, he developed and popularized the ideas of E. Renan. Frans died in Tours on October 13, 1924.

(real name - Anatole Francois Thibaut)

(1844-1924) French realist writer

Anatole France was born in Paris to a family of booksellers. He spent his childhood in a bookstore located in the center of Paris on the banks of the Seine. He grew up among books, and sometimes literary characters seemed to him more alive than real people.

Having received a classical education at St. Stanislaus College, the young man began to help his father. Constant reading made the future writer a widely and versatilely educated person. He begins to cooperate with various publishing houses, editorial offices of magazines and newspapers, publishes the first collections of poems.

Fame came to him in 1881 after the publication of his first novel, The Crime of Sylvester Bonard. The old scientist Sylvester Bonar spends most of his life at his desk. He lives primarily by spiritual interests, easily puts up with life's adversities and eschews selfish and stupid people. What society considers lawful and worthy of imitation, the protagonist of the novel considers immoral. He kidnaps the young Jeanne Alexander, the granddaughter of his beloved, from the boarding school, because he cannot see how they seek to cripple her with a mediocre education. But according to the laws of bourgeois society, Bonar commits a crime punishable by law. Entering the fight for Jeanne, he is transformed. The fate of people begins to excite him more than old books.

The novel "The Crime of Sylvester Bonar" introduced a new hero into literature - an eccentric philosopher, a naive enthusiast who does not recognize the generally accepted dogmas of public morality.

The attitude of the writer to social norms of morality can be defined in one word - atheism. The theme of religion runs through all the works of Anatole France. Christian dogma for him is a symbol of stupidity, obscurantism and inhumanity.

In the works of Anatole France, everything is caricatured, satirically rethought. The author's attitude to the events and people described is ironic, and often sarcastically mocking. With irony and a skeptical grin, he reveals the inner world of the characters and the behind-the-scenes side of events, watching what is happening from the side.

Anatole France is the author of the Modern History tetralogy, consisting of the novels Under the Roadside Elm (1897), The Willow Mannequin (1897), The Amethyst Ring (1899), Monsieur Bergeret in Paris (1901), and novels Penguin Island (1908), The Gods Thirst (1912) and others.

The evolution of his views proceeded against the backdrop of social and political events that took place at the turn of the two centuries.

In his youth, the ideas of the 18th century enlighteners, especially Voltaire, with their faith in the human mind and in the happy future of mankind, had a decisive influence on the formation of Frans's views. However, after much turmoil and unsettling events of the late 19th century, he can no longer share their faith in the future. Anatole France is skeptical about the possibility of a person to create a society with a higher mentality. He remains an aloof and ironic observer of the vanity of human life.

The Dreyfus case dramatically changed the writer's worldview. In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jewish officer, was accused of spying for Germany and sentenced to exile. This lawsuit quickly developed into a political one, splitting society into two camps: opponents and supporters of Dreyfus. Supporters of Dreyfus (among them the writers Emile Zola and Anatole France) proved that the accusations were fabricated by nationalists and anti-Semites. After a long struggle, Dreyfus was pardoned in 1899, and then rehabilitated in 1906. The Dreyfus case had a huge impact not only on the development of the social life of France, but also on the relationship of previously close people. Anatole France broke off all relations with his former friends Maurice Barres and Jules Lemaitre; he returned to the government the order of the Legion of Honor, which he had previously been awarded; scandalously refused membership in the French Academy after E. Zola was expelled from there. More and more the writer shares the ideals of socialism. He welcomed the first Russian revolution of 1905-1907. and the October Revolution of 1917, was published in the communist newspaper "Humanite" and created the Society of Friends of Russia.

Anatole France died at the height of his fame (in 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature) and was buried in Paris in the Pantheon, the tomb of the great people of France.