author
Paul Scarron
1610–1660
A sharp, funny voice of 17th-century France, he turned satire, theater, and comic storytelling into something lively and modern-feeling. Best known for Le Roman comique, he wrote with wit even while enduring years of severe illness.
2 Audiobooks
Le Roman Comique
by Paul Scarron
Le prince corsaire
by Paul Scarron
About the author
Born in Paris and baptized in July 1610, Paul Scarron became one of the liveliest literary figures of his time: a poet, playwright, and novelist whose work helped shape French burlesque writing, drama, and the comic novel. He is especially remembered for Le Roman comique, a spirited tale of traveling actors that kept its charm long after many of his topical jokes faded.
Scarron's writing is often noted for its playful, mocking tone. He enjoyed parody, exaggeration, and turning grand subjects into comedy, which made his work stand out in 17th-century French literature. Alongside his novels, he also wrote plays and satirical verse, building a reputation as an inventive and entertaining stylist.
His later life was marked by chronic illness, and he spent many years in pain, yet he remained active in literary society. He died in Paris on October 6, 1660. He is also often mentioned as the first husband of Françoise d'Aubigné, who later became Madame de Maintenon.