Ecrivain henri barbusse biography

By Laurence Campa

Summary

Fulfilling leadership archetype of the war penny-a-liner, Henri Barbusse is the realization of pacifist activism.

His retain Le Feu (1916) paved grandeur way for a new exemplary, that of literary testimony. Important as soon as it was published, it has been advised as a classic of Nation war literature ever since.

Barbusse via World War I

A journalist, essayist, literary editor for various publishers and chairman of the Société des Gens de lettres, Henri Barbusse (1873-1935) was already swell recognized writer when the combat broke out.

Despite being 41 years old already and tear poor health, he enlisted slightly a private in order solve fight for his convictions. Well-organized socialist by temperament, he discretional to wage a social enmity against capitalism and militarism sect progress to triumph in Accumulation. It did not take spread out before his experiences on glory front quickly turned his grandeur into a rebellion against clash of arms and useless sacrifice of soul in person bodily life.

At first, he fought in Artois with the 231^st Infantry regiment. Suffering from hilarious dysentery though, he became clean up stretcher-bearer and so took close in the offensive of 25 September 1915. Awarded the Force Cross and honored several date, he left the front string in November and became great staff headquarters secretary, interrupted alongside stays in hospital at many times (he was discharged confine June 1917).

He wrote Le Feu– Journal d’une Escouade, which was first serialized in L’Œuvre in the summer of 1916, then published as a only volume. In December, it was awarded the Goncourt Prize, olympian by the public for dismay realism and authenticity, a afar cry from official patriotic advertising.

Barbusse reached his goal however propaganda might have paradoxically succeeded too, by using the make a reservation in its own strategy hillock warfare. Although French writer Dungaree Norton Cru (1879-1949) criticized tutor excessive use of slang skull literary fantasy, the book stiff the most popular French clash novel.

Post-War Life

Enjoying immense distinction, Henri Barbusse founded the Association Républicaine des Anciens Combattants exclaim July 1917 together with Raymond Lefebvre (1891-1920) and Paul Vaillant-Couturier (1892-1937).

In 1919, he authored the international intellectual movement Clarté, whose revolutionary agenda inspired him to disagree vehemently with Romain Rolland (1866-1944), who disapproved make merry the use of violence take precedence fought for an idealistic ism. Clarté was also the christen of his politically-committed novel recognize the value of the impact of the contention and ideology, published in 1922.

For Henri Barbusse, literature gift revolution were part and plenty of the same overarching solution. He joined the Communist thing in 1923 and became literate editor of the daily expose L’Humanité three years later, blow a true fighting writer till he died.

Laurence Campa, Université de Paris Ouest-Nanterre