Georges Ohnet

Georges Ohnet (1848-), French novelist and man of letters, was born in Paris on the 3rd of April 1848. After the war of 1870 he became editor of the Pays and the Constitutionnel in succession. In collaboration with the engineer and dramatist Louis Denayrouze (b. 1848) he produced the play Regina Sarpi, and in 1877 Marthe. He was an admirer of Georges Sand and bitterly opposed to the realistic modern novel. He began a series of novels, Les Batailles de la vie, of a simple and idealistic character, which, although attacked by the critics as unreal and commonplace, were very popular. The series included Serge Panine (1881) which was crowned by the Academy; Le Maitre de forges (1882), La Grande Marniere (1885), Volonte (1888), Dernier amour (1891). Many of his novels have been dramatized with great success, Le Maitre de forges, produced at the Gymnase in 1883, holding the stage for a whole year. His later publications indude Le Crepuscule (1902), Le Marchand de poisons (1903), La Conquerante (1905), La Dixieme Muse (1906).