author
Henri Massis
1886–1970
A sharp and influential voice in 20th-century French letters, this essayist and critic wrote passionately about literature, culture, and the spiritual direction of Europe. His work reflects both the energy of Parisian intellectual life and the fierce debates of his era.
1 Audiobook
La vie d'Ernest Psichari
by Henri Massis
About the author
Born in Paris on March 21, 1886, Henri Massis became known as a French essayist, literary critic, and historian of literature. He studied at the Lycée Condorcet and later pursued philosophy in Paris, building the strong classical and intellectual background that shaped his writing.
Early in his career, he drew attention through literary and cultural debates, including work published under the shared pseudonym Agathon with Alfred de Tarde. Over time he became a prominent conservative Catholic voice in French public life, writing on literature, politics, and the cultural identity of Europe.
Massis was elected to the Académie française in 1960, a sign of the standing he achieved in French literary culture. He died in Paris on April 16, 1970, leaving behind a body of work that offers a vivid window into the ideological and literary struggles of his century.