Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe facts for kids

Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe (which means Memoirs from Beyond the Grave in English) is a famous book. It is a memoir, which is like a personal story of someone's life. The author was François-René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848). He was a French writer, politician, and historian. Many people see him as the person who started French Romanticism.

This book was put together and published after Chateaubriand died. The first part came out in 1849, and the second part in 1850. It shares his life story, including his private thoughts and big historical events. Chateaubriand was known for his beautiful writing style. His thoughtful and sometimes sad writing made him a hero for young Romantic writers. For example, a young Victor Hugo once said, "I will be Chateaubriand or nothing."

About the Book

A memoir is a book where someone writes about their own life experiences. Chateaubriand's Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe is special. It tells about important political and historical events. But it also shares his personal life and what he hoped for. This makes it similar to Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Chateaubriand was very good at writing in a poetic way. This means his words flowed beautifully and had a deep meaning. The book also has a feeling of melancholy. This is a thoughtful sadness. This style helped make Chateaubriand very popular with young French Romantics.

How the Book Was Written

Chateaubriand Meditating on the Ruins of Rome (c. 1810s) by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson.

Chateaubriand decided to write his memoirs in Rome in late 1803. However, he did not start writing until 1809. Other projects kept him busy, which slowed his progress. He returned to working on the memoirs in 1817.

The first version of the book was finished in 1826. He probably wrote much of it while he was an ambassador in London. At this time, he planned to call the book Memories of My Life.

In 1830, Chateaubriand changed his mind. He decided to make the book much bigger. He changed the title to Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe. He went back and rewrote parts of the original text. He also added several new sections. He divided his life before 1830 into three main parts. These were his time as a soldier and traveler, as a novelist, and as a statesman. The book became more than just his personal story. He wanted to include the big historical and political events of his time.

Publishing the Memoirs

Chateaubriand sometimes read parts of his work in public. These readings happened at special gatherings called salons. In 1836, he gave the rights to his book to a publishing group. This group published his work until he died. They paid him money for this. This financial help allowed him to finish the book. He added a fourth set of volumes. In 1841, he wrote a long conclusion for the entire work.

Chateaubriand originally wanted the book to be published much later. He thought it should come out at least fifty years after his death. But he had money problems. Because of this, he said he had to "mortgage [his] tomb." This meant he had to allow the book to be published sooner to get money.