kids encyclopedia robot

Alain Robbe-Grillet facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Alain Robbe-Grillet
Alain Robbe-Grillet.jpg
Robbe-Grillet in 2006
Born (1922-08-18)18 August 1922
Brest, Finistère, France
Died 18 February 2008(2008-02-18) (aged 85)
Caen, France
Occupation Writer
filmmaker
Years active 1953–2008
Known for Member of the Académie française
Spouse(s) Catherine Robbe-Grillet

Alain Robbe-Grillet (born August 18, 1922 – died February 18, 2008) was a famous French writer and filmmaker. He was a key person in a new style of writing called the Nouveau Roman (which means "new novel") in the 1960s. Other writers in this style included Nathalie Sarraute and Claude Simon. Alain Robbe-Grillet was chosen to be a member of the Académie française, a very important French group, in 2004. He was married to Catherine Robbe-Grillet.

Biography

Alain Robbe-Grillet was born in Brest, France. His family had many engineers and scientists. He studied to become an agricultural engineer. During World War II, he worked for a short time in Nuremberg. He saw this time as a bit like a holiday because he had free time to go to the theatre and opera.

In 1945, he finished his studies at the National Institute of Agronomy. Later, his work as an agricultural engineer took him to places like Martinique, French Guiana, and Morocco.

His Work

Robbe-Grillet's first novel was called The Erasers. It was published in 1953. After this, he became a full-time writer. Important critics like Roland Barthes liked his early books.

He also became a literary advisor for a publishing company called Les Éditions de Minuit. He worked there from 1955 to 1985. After writing four novels, he started working in film. In 1961, he wrote the script for a movie called Last Year at Marienbad. Later, he began to write and direct his own films.

In 1963, Robbe-Grillet published For a New Novel. This book was a collection of his ideas about new ways to write novels. He also taught about his novels at New York University from 1971 to 1995.

Alain Robbe-Grillet was chosen to join the Académie française in 2004. However, he never officially became a member. This was because he didn't want to follow some old traditions. For example, he refused to prepare his welcome speech beforehand. He also didn't want to buy and wear the special green uniform and sword. He thought these traditions were old-fashioned.

In 1960, he signed a paper called the Manifesto of the 121. This paper supported Algeria's fight for independence.

His Style of Writing

Alain Robbe-Grillet's writing style is often described as "realist." This means he tried to show things exactly as they appear. His stories often didn't follow a straight timeline. The plots could be broken up, making his novels feel like a cubist painting. Cubist paintings show objects from many angles at once. His work is special because it can mean many different things to different people.

His Films

Robbe-Grillet loved creating stories not just in books, but also in films. Making movies was just as important to him as writing novels. His film career started when Alain Resnais asked him to work on the 1961 movie Last Year at Marienbad. This film was nominated for an Oscar in 1963. It also won the Golden Lion award in 1961.

Death

Alain Robbe-Grillet passed away in 2008 in Caen, France. He died from heart problems.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alain Robbe-Grillet para niños

kids search engine
Alain Robbe-Grillet Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.