Ernest-Aimé Feydeau
BiographyErnest-Aimé Feydeau (March 16, 1821–October 27, 1873) was a French writer and the father of the noted comic playwright Georges Feydeau.
Ernest was born in Paris and he began his literary career in 1844 with the publication of a volume of poetry, Les Nationales. Either the partial failure of this literary effort or his marriage soon afterwards to a daughter of the economist Blanqui, caused him to devote himself to finance and to archaeology.
He finally gained success with his novel Fanny (1858), a success due chiefly to the cleverness with which it depicted and excused the corrupt manners of a certain portion of French society. In 1861 he married Léocadie Bogaslawa, née Zelewska (1838–1924). This was followed in rapid succession by a series of fictions, similar in character to Fanny but wanting the attraction of novelty; none of them enjoyed the same popularity. Besides his novels he wrote several plays and dabbled in other genres. He died in Paris.
Bibliography
Les Nationales (poetry, 1844)
Fanny (novel, 1858)
Histoire générale des usages funèbres et des sépultures des peuples anciens (3 vols., non-fiction, 1857–1861)
Le Secret du bonheur (3 vols., sketches of Algerian life, 1864)
Monsieur de Saint-Bertrand (novel, 1864)
The Ballet Dancer’s Husband (sequel to Monsieur de Saint-Bertrand, 1860s)
L’Allemagne en 1871 (caricature of German life and manners, 1872)