Jean-Baptiste-Alfred Assollant (20 March 1827 – 3 March 1886) was a French author, journalist and activist.

Biography

After graduating from

École Normale École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...

, he began Assollant his career by teaching Paris and in a few other cities. A staunch Republican, Assollant became involved in journalism by writing polemical articles against the reign of

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

. Seeking to secure a freer existence in North America, he traveled for two years in the United States, California and Canada. He returned to Paris in 1858 and Then in 1858 published ''Scènes de la vie des États-Unis'', which he followed with novels and short stories based on his travels in North America. A fierce opponent of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

, Assollant returned to journalism by contributing to the opposition press. Having become an author of novels for young people, he published, in 1867, ''The Marvelous Adventures of Captain Corcoran''. This novel, as well as ''The Story of Pierrot'' were popular books among young adults at the time. In 1869, he was a candidate in the legislative elections in the fifth constituency of Paris but obtained a small number of votes. In the 1871 elections, he canvassed the voters of Creuse, with no more success than in Paris. After the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, he devoted himself to political writing and became especially linked to the organs close to the supporters of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

. Under the influence of political defeats and personal sorrows, Assollant spent the last years of his life living in a small hotel. After his death, Assollant was first buried in the cemetery of Saint-Ouen but his grave was relocated to Père-Lachaise since 1890.

Selected works

* ''Scènes de la vie des États-Unis, Acacia, les butterfly, une fantasie américaine'', Paris 1859 * ''Brancas'', Paris 1859 * ''Deux amis en 1792'', Paris 1859 (dt. ''Zwei Freunde im Jahre 1792'', 1863) * ''Histoire fantastique du célèbre Pierrot écrite par le magicien Alcofribas'', 1860 * ''Les aventures de Karl Brunner'', Paris 1860 * ''Marcomir, histoire d'un étudiant: Roman'', Paris 1862. * ''Aventures merveilleuses mais authentiques du capitaine Corcoran'', Paris 1867 (en. ''The Marvelous Adventures of Captain Corcoran'') * ''François Bûchamor: récits de la vieille France'', Paris 1872 * ''Rachel, histoire joyeuse'', Paris 1874 * ''La croix des prêches'', Paris 1877 * ''Pendragon'', Paris 1881

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Assollant, Alfred 1827 births 1886 deaths 19th-century French writers 19th-century French journalists French republicans French children's writers Collège Stanislas de Paris alumni 19th-century French politicians Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery