author
Ernest Legouvé
1807–1903
A major figure in 19th-century French letters, this playwright and essayist moved easily between popular theater, literary criticism, and public lectures. He is especially remembered for the plays he wrote with Eugène Scribe and for his thoughtful writing on reading, education, and the lives of women.
2 Audiobooks
Adrienne Lecouvreur
by Eugène Scribe, Ernest Legouvé
Bataille de dames
by Eugène Scribe, Ernest Legouvé
About the author
Born in Paris on February 14, 1807, Ernest Legouvé built a long literary career that ranged across poetry, fiction, theater, and essays. He first gained notice as a young writer when the Académie française awarded one of his early poems, and he went on to become one of the best-known men of letters in France.
Legouvé wrote many successful plays, often in collaboration with Eugène Scribe, including Adrienne Lecouvreur, which helped secure his reputation on the French stage. Beyond drama, he became well known as a lecturer and essayist, especially for works such as L'Art de la lecture and for lectures on women and education that attracted wide attention in the mid-19th century.
His standing in French literary life was confirmed when he was elected to the Académie française in 1855. He lived until March 14, 1903, leaving behind the image of a versatile writer who cared not only about the stage, but also about how literature is read, spoken, and connected to everyday life.