Paul Meurice (5 February 1818 – 11 December 1905) was a French novelist and playwright best known for his friendship with

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

Biography

Meurice was born and died in Paris. In 1836, aged eighteen, he was introduced to Hugo by his friend Auguste Vacquerie, and soon became a devoted follower. He had literary ambitions and embarked on a career as playwright. In 1848, Hugo made him the editor-in-chief of a journal he had just founded, called ''L'Événement''. (This resulted in Meurice's imprisonment in 1851, during Hugo's exile.) Their friendship was very deep: the poet was a witness at Meurice's marriage to Palmyre Granger, daughter of the painter Jean-Pierre Granger. During the twenty years of Hugo's exile, Meurice looked after the financial and literary interests of the proscribed writer. He meanwhile continued his own literary career, publishing novels, some in collaboration with

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

, for whom he would also ghost-write. He adapted ''

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

'', ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'' and '' Quatre-Vingt-Treize'' for the stage. With Vacquerie, and Victor Hugo's son

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

, Meurice founded the journal '' Le Rappel'' in 1869. On Hugo's death in 1885, Meurice and Vacquerie were made executors of his estate. In this capacity, Meurice compiled some posthumous collections of Hugo's poems. He established the Maison de Victor Hugo in Paris in 1902.

Works

*''Benvenuto Cellini'', play in 5 acts and 8 scenes, music by Adolphe de Groot, Paris, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 1 April 1852 *''Schamyl'', play in 5 acts and 9 scenes, music by Gondois, Paris, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 26 June 1854 *''Paris'', play in 5 acts, 26 scenes, prologue and epilogue, Paris, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 21 July 1855 *''L'Avocat des pauvres'', play in 5 acts, Paris,

Théâtre de la Gaîté (boulevard du Temple) The Théâtre de la Gaîté (), a former Parisian theatre company, was founded in 1759 on the boulevard du Temple by the celebrated Théâtre de la foire, Parisian fair-grounds showman Jean-Baptiste Nicolet as the Théâtre de Nicolet, ou des Gra ...

, 15 October 1856 *''Fanfan la Tulipe'', play in 7 acts, Paris,

Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique The (, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the boulevard du Temple immediately adjacent to the Théâtre de Nicolet. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in 1827 was destroyed by fire. A ...

, 6 November 1858 *''Le Maître d'école'', play in 5 acts, Paris, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique, 10 March 1859 *''Le Roi de Bohème et ses sept châteaux'', play in 6 acts, Paris, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-comique, 22 October 1859 *''François les Bas-Bleus'', play in 5 acts and 7 scenes, Paris, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique, 31 January 1863 *''Les Deux Diane'', play in 5 acts and 8 scenes, Paris, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-comique, 8 March 1865 *''La Vie nouvelle'', comedy in 4 acts, with prologue, Paris, Théâtre de l'Odéon, 8 April 1867 *''La Brésilienne'', play in 6 acts with prologue, Paris, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique, 9 April 1878 *''Quatre-vingt-treize'', play based on the novel by Victor Hugo, by Paul Meurice, Paris,

Théâtre de la Gaîté (rue Papin) In 1862 during Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Haussmann's modernization of Paris, the Théâtre de la Gaîté () of the boulevard du Temple was relocated to the rue Papin across from the Square des Arts et Métiers.

, 24 December 1881 *''Le Songe d'une nuit d'été'', fairy-tale after Shakespeare (1886) *''Struensée'', drama, Paris,

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

, 5 November 1898 ;Plays written in collaboration *With Auguste Vacquerie : ''Paroles'',See: ''Théâtre (études et copies). Hamlet, Falstaff, Paroles, d'après Shakespeare'', 1864
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comedy based on Shakespeare, Paris, Second Théâtre-Français, 28 February 1843 *With Auguste Vacquerie : ''Antigone'', tragedy after

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

, Paris, Second Théâtre-Français, 21 May 1844 *With

: ''Hamlet, prince de Danemark'', play in verse in 5 acts and 8 scenes, after Shakespeare, Paris, Théâtre historique, 15 December 1847 *With

George Sand Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. Being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balz ...

: '' Les Beaux Messieurs de Bois-Doré'', play in 5 acts, 1862 *With George Sand : ''Le Drac'', ''drame fantastique'' in 3 acts, 1865 *With George Sand : ''Cadio'', play in 5 acts and 8 scenes, 1868 *Revision of work by Paul Foucher : ''Notre-Dame de Paris'', play in 5 acts and 12 scenes, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, 1886 *With Charles Hugo : ''Les Misérables'', drama, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, Paris, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 27 December 1899 ;Novels *''La Famille Aubry'' (3 volumes, 1854) *''Louspillac et Beautrubin'' (1854) *''Scènes du foyer. La Famille Aubry'' (1856) *''Les Tyrans de village'' (1857) *''Les Chevaliers de l'esprit. Césara'' (1869)Bibliothèque Hugo – Jussieu Vitrine n° 9 repère 31, 104, 105
/ref> *''Le Songe de l'amour'' (1889) ;Correspondence *''Correspondance entre Victor Hugo et Paul Meurice'', preface by Jules Claretie (1909)

Bibliography

*Gustave Simon, « Paul Meurice. Souvenirs intimes », ''La Revue de Paris'', mai-juin 1906, p. 61–96
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meurice, Paul 1818 births 1905 deaths Writers from Paris 19th-century French novelists 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery