Hector Malot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hector Malot
Born	(1830-05-20)20 May 1830 La Bouille, France
Died	18 July 1907(1907-07-18) (aged 77) Fontenay-sous-Bois, France

Hector Malot (born Hector-Henri Malot) was a famous French writer. He was born on May 20, 1830, in a town called La Bouille, in France. He first studied law, but he loved literature more than anything. He became a writer and a critic for newspapers.

Hector Malot wrote more than 70 books in his life. His most well-known book is Sans Famille, which means Nobody's Boy. It was published in 1878. This book tells the story of a young orphan named Remi. Remi is sold to a street musician and travels around. Even though it wasn't planned, Sans Famille became a very popular children's book.

Hector Malot's Early Life

His Birth and Family

Hector Malot's parents were Marie-Anne-Victoire Le Bourgeois and Jean Baptiste Malot. Hector was born on May 20, 1830, in his family home in La Bouille. This town is right next to the Seine River.

A strange thing happened just hours after he was born. A sailboat near their house suddenly crashed into it. The front part of the boat broke the window of Hector's room. People gathered, but little Hector was sleeping peacefully. Many thought this was a sign that he would have an unusual life.

Growing Up in the Countryside

Moving to Bosc-Bénard-Commin

Hector spent his first few years in La Bouille. He loved watching the ships on the Seine River. He saw them load and unload goods. He also watched the ferry and the busy stagecoaches.

In October 1835, Hector's family moved. They went to a place called Bosc-Bénard-Commin. This was because his father, Jean-Baptiste, became a justice of the peace there.

This new home in the countryside helped Hector love reading even more. He would spend hours reading books. He preferred reading stories by famous writers like Racine and Molière over his school lessons.

Hector also started to enjoy nature. He would go on many adventures outdoors. He learned about trees, flowers, insects, and animals. This love for nature stayed with him his whole life.

School Days in Rouen

When Hector was nine, his father sent him to boarding school. This was in Rouen, because he wasn't doing well in his studies. Hector left home in October 1839.

He went to the Heudron and Lamardeley institute. Most of the students there were sons of rich farmers. Here, Hector became friends with Jules Levallois, who later became a literary critic.

In 1842, Hector went to Corneille high school in Rouen. He still didn't do very well in school. He felt that the school system didn't let him express himself. He liked history class best because his teacher was free-spirited and original.

Becoming a Writer

Starting His Career in Paris

Arriving in the Big City

Hector Malot moved to Paris in 1847 when he was 17. He continued his studies at Condorcet high school. He finished high school after two years. His father wanted him to study law, so he did for three years.

But in 1853, Hector decided to follow his dream. He stopped studying law to become a writer. His father did not agree with this choice.

For a while, Hector tried to get a play performed, but it didn't work out. To earn money, he wrote articles for newspapers. He wrote for Journal pour tous because he knew a lot about plants.

Writing His First Novel

Hector was busy with journalism and city life. He found it hard to focus on writing his first novel. So, he decided to move back with his parents. They had left Normandy and settled in Moisselles, near Paris.

Being back in the quiet countryside helped him focus. He worked hard on his first novel, Les Amants. It was published in 1859. By then, Hector was a journalist at L’Opinion Nationale. His first novel was a big success.

In October 1862, Hector's mother passed away. This made him very sad. He later wrote a novel called Romain Kalbris. In this book, a dying mother waits for her sailor son to return. This helped him deal with his sadness.

In 1865, Hector built a wooden house in Fontenay-sous-Bois. He lived there for the rest of his life. He chose the spot carefully. It was near a train station and a forest. This made it easy for him to go to Paris or take walks.

His father, Jean-Baptiste, moved in with him. He stayed there until he died in October 1866. In 1867, Hector married Anna Dariès. They had a daughter named Lucie in 1868. After Anna died in 1880, Hector married Marthe Oudinot de La Faverie. They traveled a lot together.

Sans Famille and Later Years

Publishing His Most Famous Book

In 1878, Hector Malot published his most famous book, Sans Famille. This book is also known as Nobody’s Boy. It tells the adventures of an orphan boy named Rémi. Rémi is sold to a street musician named Vitalis.

Rémi travels through France and England. He tries different jobs and meets many people. His journey is all about finding his real family. Hector Malot wrote this book especially for his daughter, Lucie. He even dedicated the book to her.

End of His Writing Career

In 1887, a newspaper called Journal de Rouen published Hector's novel Ghislaine. This was a way to honor his roots in Normandy.

In 1893, Hector's granddaughter, Perrine, was born. She was named after the main character in his novel En famille (Nobody's Girl), which he wrote a year before. Hector was a very caring grandfather. He loved watching Perrine grow up.

Hector Malot published his last novel, Amours de vieux, in 1894. He decided to stop writing and enjoy his retirement in Fontenay-sous-Bois. He planned many new trips.

However, two years later, he published a book about his own life. It was called Les Romans de mes romans (The Novel of my Novels). He also wrote a text called Le Mousse just before he died. This text was published after his death in 1901. Both of these last works were dedicated to his granddaughter, Perrine.

Hector Malot became paralyzed in 1905. He passed away on July 18, 1907, in Fontenay-sous-Bois. He is buried in the cemetery there. His first wife Anna, his father Jean-Baptiste, his daughter Lucie, his sister Prudence, and his son-in-law are also buried with him.

Hector Malot's grave in Fontenay-sous-Bois

Hector Malot's Books

• Victimes d'Amour (a set of three books):
  • Les Amants (1859)
  • Les Époux (1865)
  • Les Enfants (1866)
• Un Beau frère (1869)
• Madame Obernin (1870)
• Le Docteur Claude (1879)
• Justice (1889)
• L'amour Dominateur (1896)

Books written for children include:

• Les Aventures de Romain Kalbris (1869)
• Sans famille (1888)

His Legacy

Hector Malot's stories have been very popular. Three anime TV series have been made based on his books:

• Nobody's Boy: Remi (1977, 51 episodes, based on Sans Famille)
• The Story of Perrine (1978, 53 episodes, based on En Famille)
• Remi, Nobody's Girl (1996, 26 episodes, based on Sans Famille but with a girl as the main character)

The book Sans Famille has also been made into many movies in France. The most recent one is the 2018 film Remi, Nobody’s Boy by Antoine Blossier.

See also

In Spanish: Hector Malot para niños