Charles De Bernard 1804

Vocation

French writer who became one of the founders of the 'Gazette de Franche-Comté' and an article in the pages of that journal about 'La peau de chagrin' earned him the thanks and the friendship of Honoré de Balzac. The latter induced him to take up his domicile in Paris and introduced him to the art of novel-writing. Bernard published a volume of odes: 'Plus Deuil que Joie' (1838), which was not much noticed, but a series of stories in the same year gained him the reputation of a genial 'conteur'. They were collected under the title 'Le Noeud Gordien', and one of the tales, 'Une Aventure du Magistrat,' was adapted by Victorien Sardou for his comedy 'Pommes du voisin'. 'Gerfaut', generally acclaimed as his greatest work, crowned by the Academy, appeared also in 1838, then followed 'Le Paravent', another collection of short stories (1839); 'Les Ailes d'Icare' (1840); La Peau du Lion and La Chasse aux Amants (1841); L'Écueil (1842); Un Beau-père (1845); and 'Le Gentilhomme campagnard,' in 1847. Bernard wrote two comedies in collaboration with "Léonce" (Charles-Henri-Ladislas Laurençot, 1805–1862). He died on 6 March 1850 in Sablonville (today known as Neuilly-sur-Seine). A collection of his complete works in 12 volumes was published after his death. His writings have been mostly forgotten today. Link to Wikipedia biography