Charles Nodier
Charles Nodier was a notable French writer and librarian born on April 29, 1780, in Besançon, France. He came of age during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution, influencing his early life and literary pursuits. Nodier's education included studies in English, German, and philology, and he gained experience as a librarian, which allowed him to develop a passion for literature and rare books. His literary contributions included poetry, novels, and unique short tales that blended narrative with bibliographic elements, showcasing fantastic characters. Notably, he became an influential figure in the Romantic literary movement, mentoring young writers such as Victor Hugo and Alfred de Musset. Nodier's appointment as the librarian of the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris in 1824 marked a significant period in his career, facilitating his literary influence and collaborations. He was recognized for his contributions to literature with his election to the French Academy in 1833 and membership in the Legion of Honor in 1843. Nodier's legacy continued posthumously, with works, including fairy tales, published even after his death on January 27, 1844.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Charles Nodier
Writer
- Born: April 29, 1780
- Birthplace: Besançon, France
- Died: January 27, 1844
- Place of death: Paris, France
Biography
Charles Nodier was born on April 29, 1780, in Besançon, France, near the eve of the French Revolution. His father became mayor and chief police magistrate of the town where, in 1783 at the age of twelve, Charles is said to have saved a woman found guilty of sending money to someone who had fled the revolution. He proclaimed to his father that he would commit suicide if the woman was condemned.
The young Nodier was sent to Strasbourg to live with Eulogius Schneider, a Jacobin governor of Alsace and a Greek scholar. When the revolution’s Reign of Terror got underway, Nodier’s father moved him to another overseer, Girod de Chautrans, where he studied English and German. Nodier returned to Besançon, where he became the town’s librarian. He began to study philology, literature, political writing, and entomology; when he came under police suspicion for his association with suspected anti-revolutionaries, a search of his papers came up with little more than his dissertation on the antennae of insects.
In 1803, he wrote a skit about Napoleon and even to the length of writing the French ruler about it, as though daring the authorities to imprison him—which they did, for a month or so. He moved to Paris for a time after losing his librarian position, but returned to Besançon, where he married. He did not become domesticated enough to curtail his voyages around the Continent as he also began to write. He became editor of a journal called the Illyrian Telegraph, published in French, German, and Italian.
A poet and novelist, Nodier penned some unusual short tales that were part narrative and part bibliographic, featuring fantastic characters. He was credited with helping put together a French dictionary, although the extent of his role has been questioned by literary researchers. A twelve-volume collection of his work came out in 1832.
Nodier received the appointment in 1824 to the librarianship of the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal in Paris. His twenty years there provided him with facilities to collect and study rare books, and a rallying place for a literary group of young men who became known collectively of the Romanticists of 1830 and on whom he exerted a great influence. Literary lights such as Victor Hugo, Alfred de Musset, and Sainte-Beuve admitted his influence on them, and Hugo became a special friend to him.
Nodier won election to the French Academy in 1833, and became a member of the Legion of Honor in 1843, a year before his death on January 27, 1844. His publications continued with a number of fairy stories in the year of his death and yet another work which appeared after he was dead.