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Victor DucangeFrench novelist and playwright
Date of Birth: 24.11.1783
Country:  France |
Content:
- French Novelist and Playwright Victor Ducange
- Literary Career
- Multi-Volume Novels and Successful Plays
- International Acclaim and Influence
- Later Years and Legacy
French Novelist and Playwright Victor Ducange
Early Life and EducationFrench novelist and playwright Victor Ducange (1783-1833) was born in The Hague, Netherlands, where his father served as secretary of the French embassy. He studied in Paris at the Collège Louis-le-Grand.
Literary Career
After serving in the customs department, Ducange lost his job during the Restoration period. From then on, he made a living as a prolific writer. He published the liberal newspaper _Le Diable rose, ou le petit courrier de Lucifer_.
Ducange's writings were often considered anti-government and immoral, leading to several prison sentences. He was forced to flee to Belgium in 1823 to avoid arrest.
Multi-Volume Novels and Successful Plays
Ducange wrote numerous multi-volume novels, but he became even more famous for his plays, which he often co-wrote with others, including Pixérécourt. His plays were popular in the boulevard theaters of Paris, with _Thirty Years, or the Life of a Gambler_ (1827) being particularly successful.
International Acclaim and Influence
Ducange's popularity extended beyond France, with his plays performed in theaters across Europe. His works were mentioned in novels by Balzac and in writings by Russian literary figures such as Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Odoevsky.
Later Years and Legacy
Ducange's criminal plots drew criticism from some, including Ivan Krylov. However, he was also praised by poets like Alexei Koltsov. His plays had a significant influence on Alexander Ostrovsky and can be seen in Lermontov's _Masquerade_.
By the late 19th century, Ducange's works had become outdated and were no longer well-known. Gustave Flaubert's novel _Bouvard et Pécuchet_ (1881) dismissed him as a forgotten author.
