author
Philarète Chasles
1798–1873
A lively 19th-century French critic, journalist, and professor, he helped open up English and German literature to French readers. His work blends sharp literary judgment with a strong curiosity about ideas, history, and public life.
2 Audiobooks
Contes bruns
by Honoré de Balzac, Philarète Chasles, Charles Rabou
About the author
Born at Mainvilliers in 1798, Philarète Chasles became one of the best-known French men of letters of his time. He wrote as a critic and journalist, and he built a reputation for looking beyond France to the wider literary world.
Years spent in England shaped him deeply, and he became especially important as an interpreter of English-language literature for French readers. He wrote on figures such as Shakespeare, Mary Stuart, Charles I, and Cromwell, and his broad outlook helped make foreign literature feel more immediate and relevant in France.
Chasles also taught at the Collège de France, where he was associated with English and German literature. He died in Venice in 1873, leaving behind a large body of literary and historical writing that reflects both Romantic-era energy and a lasting interest in how national literatures speak to one another.