About, Edmond |
| NOVELIST, JOURNALIST (FRANCE) |
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BORN 14 Feb 1828, Dieuze, Moselle - DIED 17 Jan 1885, Paris GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 36, ligne 01, O, 35) |
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Edmond About studied at the École Normale, but he didn't wish to pursue a professional career, although he joined the French school in Athens for a while. In 1853 he was back in France and he turned his attention to journalism and literature. His work was funny and anti-clerical and soon attracted attention. His book "La Grèce contemporaine" was instantly successful and "Le roi des montagnes" (1856), a satirical novel, is now his best known work. He was critical (but not unfriendly) towards the Second Empire and was glad that Émile Ollivier was able to form a liberal ministry in 1870. The Franco-Prussian war cost him his home in Alsace, that he had bought in 1858. Now the empire was gone he became a republican and his paper XIXe Siècle was quite influencial. In 1884 he was elected into the Académie française, but he died before he was able to take his seat there. His monument at the Père Lachaise cemetery was created by Gustave Crank. Related persons • was painted by Baudry, Paul • was a friend of Sarcey, Francisque |
| Images |
 The grave of Edmond About at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (19 Nov 2006) |
Sources • Le Clère, Marcel, Cimetières & Sepultures de Paris, Hachette, Paris, 1978 • Oosthoek Encyclopedie, 1948 • Edmond François Valentin About - Wikipedia (EN) |
