Edmond François Valentin About facts for kids
.png)
Edmond François Valentin About (February 14, 1828 – January 16, 1885) was a French writer. He wrote novels, newspaper articles, and plays. He was known for his witty and often funny stories.
Contents
About's Early Life
Edmond About was born in a town called Dieuze. This town is in the Moselle area of France. In 1848, he joined a famous school called the École Normale. He was the second-best student to get in that year. His classmates included other famous writers and thinkers. People said About was full of energy and very bright. One of his teachers even told him he would be "a little Voltaire". Voltaire was a famous French writer known for his sharp wit.
After college, About went to a French school in Athens, Greece. But he did not want to become a professor. In 1853, he came back to France. He then decided to become a full-time writer and journalist.
His Writing Career
Edmond About became famous for his entertaining writing. He often wrote about serious topics in a funny way. He sometimes criticized the church, which was a bold thing to do back then.
Famous Books
His best-known novel is Le Roi des montagnes (1856). This means The King of the Mountains. In this story, About imagined a funny situation. He had seen that in Greece, some bandits and police worked together. So, he wrote about a bandit chief who turns his criminal business into a proper company. It was a very clever and funny idea!
About also wrote a book about modern Greece. It was called La Grèce contemporaine (1854). This book was very popular right away. Another novel, Tolla (1855), caused some talk. People thought it was too much like an older Italian novel. But this did not stop him from writing.
Other Works
Over the years, About wrote many different things. He wrote more novels and short stories. He also wrote a play, but it was not very successful. He wrote many articles for newspapers. He also wrote about art and politics. Some of his other well-known books include:
- Le nez d'un notaire (1862) – The Notary's Nose
- L'homme à l'oreille cassée (1862) – The Man with a Broken Ear
- Trente et quarante (1858) – Thirty and Forty
Politics and Later Life
About had his own ideas about the government. He was generally friendly to the French Empire at the time. But he also spoke out when he disagreed. In 1870, France went to war with Prussia. Because of this war, About lost his home in Alsace. He had bought this home with money from his successful books.
After the war, the Empire fell. About then became a supporter of the republic. He fought against those who wanted to go back to old ways. From 1872 to 1877, his newspaper, the XIXe Siècle (19th Century), became very powerful.
On January 23, 1884, Edmond About was chosen to be a member of the Académie française. This is a very important group that protects the French language. Sadly, he died before he could officially join. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His grave has a sculpture by Gustave Crauck.
Filmography
Many of Edmond About's stories have been made into movies:
- L'uomo dall'orecchio mozzato (Italy, 1916), based on L'Homme à l'oreille cassée
- Per un figlio (Italy, 1920), based on Germaine
- Germaine (Italy, 1923), also based on Germaine
- The Prince's Child (Germany, 1927), based on Le Roi des montagnes
- The Man with a Broken Ear (1934), based on L'Homme à l'oreille cassée
- Mi vida en tus manos (Spain, 1943), based on his short story Le Buste
- Trente et Quarante (1945), based on the novel Trente et Quarante
- Le Roi des montagnes (1964), based on Le Roi des montagnes
See also
In Spanish: Edmond About para niños
-
The grave of Edmond About in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris
