Maurice Constantin-Weyer
Maurice Constantin-Weyer was a French-Canadian author born in 1881 in Bourbonne-les-Bains, France, who eventually settled in St. Claude, Manitoba, Canada. In his early years in Canada, he faced challenges in farming and married Dina Proulx, a Métis woman, with whom he had three children. With the onset of World War I, he returned to France to serve in the military, where he was wounded multiple times and earned decorations for his bravery. After the war, he shifted his focus to writing and became known for his extensive literary contributions that included over fifty books, many of which depicted life on Canada's western frontier.
His works often sparked discussions, particularly after the publication of "La Bourrasque," a fictionalized biography of Louis Riel, which led to controversy over his representation of the Métis community and accusations regarding his personal life. Despite these criticisms, he earned recognition for his vivid portrayal of the Canadian landscape and received the prestigious Prix Goncourt Award in 1928 for "Un Homme se penche sur son passe." Constantin-Weyer passed away in Vichy, France, in 1964, leaving a complex legacy as one of the prolific writers of the Canadian West.
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Subject Terms
Maurice Constantin-Weyer
Writer
- Born: April 24, 1881
- Birthplace: Bourbonne-les-Bains, Haute-Marne, France
- Died: October 22, 1964
- Place of death: Vichy, France
Biography
Maurice Constantin-Weyer was born in Bourbonne-les-Bains, France, in 1881. In his early twenties, Constantin-Weyer moved to Canada, settling in St. Claude, Manitoba. He spent a number of years at St. Claude where he unsuccessfully attempted farming. He married Dina Proulx, a Métis (a person of mixed Native American and French-Canadian ancestry) from the neighboring parish of St. Daniel. Constantin-Weyer and his wife had three children.
After the outbreak of World War I, Constantin-Weyer returned to France to fight in the war. He was wounded several times and received military decorations for his efforts. Following the war, he returned to Manitoba where he began to write. His lifework includes over fifty books, a number of which romanticize Canada’a western frontier.
Following the publication of La Bourrasque (1925; translated as A Martyr’s Folly and as The Half- Breed, 1930), a fictionalized biography of Louis Riel, Constantin-Weyer became entangled in a controversy with the Métis community in Manitoba and was accused of abandoning his wife and children prior to the war. Critics of Constantin- Weyer’s writing also accused him of writing stereotypical portrayals of the Métis. However, the same critics admitted that he had thoroughly described the western Canadian landscape. In spite of the controversy, Constantin-Meyer is considered one of the most prolific fiction writers of life in the Canadian West. In 1928, he received the Prix Goncourt Award for one of his best works, Un Homme se penche sur son passe (1928; translated as A Man Scans His Past, 1929). Constantin-Meyer died in Vichy, France, in 1964.