Émile Gaboriau
Émile Gaboriau (1832-1873) was a pioneering French novelist recognized for his significant contributions to the crime fiction genre. After a relatively uneventful early life and a short stint in the cavalry, he moved to Paris around 1856, where he began writing sensational serialized stories for newspapers. Gaboriau is best known for his groundbreaking work, "The Widow Lerouge," which is often regarded as the world's first true detective novel and showcases a strong influence from Edgar Allan Poe. He authored a total of fourteen novels, including four that can be classified as detective fiction, reflecting his keen interest in crime and mystery. His character Monsieur Lecoq is seen as a precursor to later detectives, including Sherlock Holmes, highlighting his impact on the genre's development. Gaboriau's works are characterized by melodramatic plots often centered on family scandals, with the resolution of mysteries serving as a subplot rather than the story's climax. Despite the verbose nature of his writing, Gaboriau's novels remain important in the evolution of popular literature, particularly in the realm of detective fiction. He passed away in Paris in 1873, likely from a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence modern crime writers.
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Émile Gaboriau
French novelist
- Born: November 9, 1832
- Died: September 25, 1873
Biography
After an uneventful childhood and a brief period of service in the cavalry, Émile Gaboriau (gah-bawr-yoh) arrived in Paris around 1856, where he eventually began to write sensational serial stories for the daily newspapers. Since he specialized in romances of crime, he spent much time in police courts and morgues searching for material. Turning to the novel, Gaboriau soon produced the popular The Widow Lerouge, which shows the influence of Edgar Allan Poe and in which the detection of crime is an important theme; this work has the distinction of being called the world’s first true detective novel. There followed in quick succession fourteen novels, of which four can be classified as detective fiction. His life was brief; he died in Paris on September 28, 1873, probably of a heart attack.
Many of Gaboriau’s novels were soon translated into English, first in the United States and then in England. Devotees of detective fiction point out the influence of Gaboriau’s novels on the subsequent development of the genre. His Monsieur Lecoq in many ways is the prototype of many a later ingenious detective, especially Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. In Gaboriau’s novels, the solution of the mystery, although often skillfully worked out, is usually not the climax of the story. Melodramatic family scandal is basic to most of his works. Gaboriau’s novels are sensational, discursive, and verbose; yet, without a doubt, they are significant contributions to a popular literary type.
Bibliography
Bell, A. Craig. “The Rise and Fall of the Detective Novel.” Contemporary Review 272 (April, 1998): 196-200. Traces the development of the detective genre, giving brief mention to Gaboriau.
Bonniot, Roger. Émile Gaboriau: Ou, La Naissance du roman policier. Paris: J. Vrin, 1985. A meticulous critical biography in French.
Murch, A. E. The Development of the Detective Novel. 1958. Reprint. New York: Philosophical Library, 1968. Gaboriau’s importance as the father of the detective novel is discussed; considers Gaboriau’s police-officer hero as well as his plot structure and themes.
Panek, LeRoy Lad. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1987. This history of the detective story and how it developed contains a chapter on Gaboriau.
Roth, Marty. Foul and Fair Play: Reading Genre in Classic Detective Fiction. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1995. A poststructural analysis of the conventions of mystery and detective fiction. Examines 138 short stories and works from the 1840’s to the 1960’s. Helps place Gaboriau within the context of the genre.
Sayers, Dorothy L. Les Origines du Roman Policier: A Wartime Wireless Talk to the French. Translated by Suzanne Bray. Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, England: Dorothy L. Sayers Society, 2003. Address to the French by the famous English mystery author, discussing the history of French detective fiction and its relation to the English version of the genre. Provides perspective for understanding Gaboriau.
Scaggs, John. Crime Fiction. New York: Routledge, 2005. Contains discussion of Gaboriau’s novels.
Symons, Julian. Bloody Murder: From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel—A History. 3d ed. New York: Mysterious Press, 1993. Provides a lucid presentation of Gaboriau’s many contributions to the genre and of his influence on future practitioners.