1/ Victor Hugo
Undeniably, Victor Hugo is among the most famous French authors ever. Over a span of over six decades, he wrote extensive works, encompassing critical essays, historical sagas, satirical pieces, and poetry.
Victor Hugo’s famous works include Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
2/ Alexandre Dumas
Any list of famous French novelists wouldn’t be complete without Alexandre Dumas.
Dumas left a permanent mark on the literary world during the 19th century, and his works continue to captivate readers today. He wrote many influential novels, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.
Fun Fact: Alexandre Dumas wrote under a pseudonym name. His real name is Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie.
Thanks to his privileged background, Dumas had access to aristocratic circles. He even served King Louis Philippe, the last king of France.
3/ Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant is known for his short stories that explore human folly, moral corruption, and the effects of war and social class on society.
Guy de Maupassant’s famous works include Boule de Suif, The Necklace, and Bel-Ami. His works have inspired the production of various movies.
4/ Marcel Proust
Proust, a renowned author of the 20th century, began writing at a young age. He wrote for Le Mensuel and started an autobiographical novel, Jean Santeuil, which he didn’t finish due to his demise.
He intended to produce In Search of Lost Time, his most famous work, as a ten-volume series but ended on the seventh. Since Marcel was born during the Franco-Prussian War, most of his works focus on the rise of the working class and the aristocracy’s decline.
5/ Émile Zola
Émile Zola is a renowned novelist whose name often appears on the list of famous French novelists. He is renowned for his naturalism and extreme realism, which suggests that the environment shapes the human character. Besides writing novels, Zola was a journalist and playwright who penned many short stories early in his career.
His outstanding work comprises a 20-volume series known as Les Rougon-Macquart. Nana, the 9th novel, is the most famous in this series.
In 1901 and 1902, Zola was a Nobel Prize in Literature nominee.
6/ Albert Camus
In 1957, Albert Camus became the second-youngest person to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature at 44. This award solidified his position as one of the famous French authors of his era.
He is most famous for his novella, The Stranger, which many critics and bibliophiles still celebrate to date. Albert also wrote other well-known works like The Plague and The Fall.
7/ Molière
Most people consider Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, who used the pen name Molière, as one of the most famous French authors.
He was a versatile artist who wrote plays and poems and even acted. Due to his focus on comedy and tragi-comedy, people label Molière as the “Father of Modern French Comedy.”
He is well-known for plays such as The School for Wives, Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and The Miser. Actors perform these books at Comédie-Française, a prestigious theatre in Paris.
8/ Jules Verne
If you want to read much about science fiction, Jules Verne’s books are worth reading. His famous works include Around the World in 80 Days and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
He also wrote autobiographies, songs, and poetry. Various films have adapted several of his novels.
Verne ranks second for the world’s most translated author, behind Agatha Christie and ahead of William Shakespeare.
9/ Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Duras, a French screenwriter, novelist, playwright, and film director, is an exceptional French author of the 20th century.
Despite being born in Vietnam, people regard her as French, and she gained worldwide recognition for her film Hiroshima mon amour script. This script earned her an Oscar nomination in 1961.
In 1986, Duras won the Prix Goncourt for her autobiographical novel, The Lover. In 1992, movie directors adapted the book into a highly regarded film.
10/ Charles Perrault
Although you might have yet to become familiar with him, Charles Perrault’s fame extends beyond France. You have probably heard of his famous stories, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. These stories appear in his Tales of Mother Goose or Stories of the Past with Morals.
Countless adaptations and reinterpretations of Perrault’s tales, written in simple language and intended for entertainment, have occurred over the centuries.
In addition to his fairy tales, Perrault was also a respected poet and civil servant in the court of King Louis XIV.
11/ George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, a highly acclaimed female writer in France, wrote under the pen name George Sand. She went to great lengths, even wearing men’s clothing in public, to overcome gender barriers and get her work published.
She championed women’s rights and the working class, starting her newspaper to spread her message. Sand was also known for her controversial personal life, including her relationship with renowned composer Frédéric Chopin.
Indiana was her first successful novel. She also wrote Rose et Blanche, La Petite Fadette, and Ce Que Disent Les Fleurs.
Today, the Musée de la Vie Romantique commemorates her works and life, and there is a statue in Luxembourg Gardens.
12/ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the author of The Little Prince. Although this novella appears to be a children’s book, it holds a deeper meaning.
He was a decorated writer, winning many of France’s highest literary awards and the U.S. National Book Award.
Before his writing career, Antoine was an aviator and served in the Free France air force during World War II. Unfortunately, he vanished on a reconnaissance mission in 1944, and people presumed him dead.
His family published many of his works later. In addition to The Little Prince, his other notable works include Airman’s Odyssey and Wind, Sand, and Stars.
13/ Gustave Flaubert
It took Flaubert five years to finish his debut novel, November, which marked the start of his literary career.
He is famous for his literary realism and meticulous attention to detail. People also consider him one of the most influential figures in the development of the modern novel.
Flaubert’s most famous work, Madame Bovary, caused controversy upon publication due to its frank depiction of adultery and sexuality. However, the novel is now regarded as a masterpiece of literary realism and has influenced countless writers since its release.
Flaubert’s other notable works include Sentimental Education and Three Tales. Readers acclaimed Gustave as one of the prominent French novelists, especially for his realistic style in French literature.
14/ Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire ranks as one of the most famous French authors. His most notable work is a collection of poems titled The Flowers of Evil. After Baudelaire’s death, a third edition of the book, which included 14 previously unpublished poems, was published.
People believe Charles invented the term “modernity” through this work, influencing the modernist movement. Additionally, people recognize him as one of the first to translate Edgar Allan Poe’s works into French.
15/ Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac, one of the most renowned French writers, has published over 90 novels, plays, and short stories throughout his career.
Balzac’s writing style is famous for its realism and attention to detail, often exploring the social, political, and economic factors that shape human behavior. Balzac’s achievements and impact on French literature earned him the “Father of Realism” title.
His most famous work, La Comédie Humaine, is a collection of interlinked novels and stories depicting French society during the Restoration and the July Monarchy.
16/ Paul Verlaine
Paul Verlaine is a highly-regarded French poet of the late 19th century. During his time, people associated him with various literary movements, including the Parnassians and Symbolists.
His poetry is famous for its dense metaphorical complexity and visionary images, representing the pinnacle of the Symbolist aesthetic. Verlaine believed that the sounds of the words in his poetry were as important, if not more important, than their actual meaning.
His work influenced later generations of Symbolists and French poets, including Rimbaud and Valery.
Verlaine published his most well-known work, Fêtes Galantes, in 1869.
17/ Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir, a prominent female activist and writer, is widely recognized for her contributions to feminist existentialism and theory in France. Her activism was crucial in securing women’s voting rights in 1946.
Simone’s literary works primarily focus on feminism, as evident in her outstanding work titled The Second Sex. This book exposes the oppression of women.
Her book The Mandarins earned her the prestigious literary award Prix Goncourt, cementing her status as one of the best French female writers.
18/ Jean-Paul Sartre
The 20th century saw Jean-Paul Sartre emerge as a prominent figure, celebrated for his role as a French philosopher, playwright, writer, and political activist. He was a significant figure in the development of existentialism and phenomenology and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964.
Sartre gained fame for his writings about the working class and marginalized communities. His famous works include Being and Nothingness, Existentialism and Humanism, Age of Reason, and Nausea.
Sartre also had a romantic relationship with Simone de Beauvoir, another prominent French writer, and they lived together during the Vichy France period.
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