author
Jean Richepin
1849–1926
A bold French poet, novelist, and dramatist, he was known for writing about working-class and outsider lives with unusual energy and frankness. His work helped shake up French poetry in the late 19th century and kept him a vivid literary presence for decades.
1 Audiobook
La Glu
by Jean Richepin
About the author
Born in Médéa, Algeria, on February 4, 1849, Jean Richepin became one of the more forceful voices in French literature of his time. He studied at the École Normale Supérieure, served during the Franco-Prussian War, and built a reputation as a writer who drew on restless, wide-ranging experience.
Richepin wrote poetry, novels, and plays, and he became especially known for his sharp, vigorous language and his interest in people on the social margins. His 1876 collection La Chanson des gueux caused a scandal and was prosecuted for offending public morals, which only strengthened his image as a daring and unconventional author.
Over time, he moved from literary rebel to established public figure. He was elected to the Académie française in 1908 and remained active until his death in Paris on December 12, 1926. Today he is remembered for the vitality of his style and for bringing rougher, less polished corners of society into French literature with sympathy and force.