author
Anatole Cerfberr
1835–1896
A lively Paris-born journalist and critic, he wrote under several pen names and is best remembered for his deep interest in literature and the stage. His work on Balzac’s fictional world helped earn him lasting attention beyond the newspapers of his day.
3 Audiobooks
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Part 2
by Anatole Cerfberr, Jules François Christophe
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — Z
by Anatole Cerfberr, Jules François Christophe
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Part 1
by Anatole Cerfberr, Jules François Christophe
About the author
Born in Paris on July 6, 1835, and later dying in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1896, Anatole Cerfberr was a French journalist, dramatic critic, and author. He contributed to many newspapers and magazines, often using pseudonyms including Arthur Clary, Antoine Cerlier, and Fulgence Ridal.
He was known as an admirer of Honoré de Balzac and Victor Hugo, and he published poems, biographies, and literary studies alongside his journalism. Today he is especially associated with work connected to Balzac’s La Comédie humaine, including the Répertoire de la comédie humaine, written with Jules Christophe and recognized by the Académie française.
Cerfberr’s career reflects the rich literary journalism of 19th-century France: curious, engaged, and closely tied to the theater and the novel. For modern readers, he offers a window into the literary culture that grew up around Balzac and his contemporaries.