August Lafontaine
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August Heinrich Julius Lafontaine (5 October 1758 – 20 April 1831) was a German
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
.


Biography

Lafontaine was born and brought up in Brunswick, the son of the court painter Ludolph Lafontaine and his fifth wife, the court maid-in-waiting Sophie Elisabeth Thorbrügge. He was educated in
Helmstedt Helmstedt (; Eastphalian: ''Helmstidde'') is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. The historic university and Hanseatic city conserves an important monumental heritage of ...
, where he studied
theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, but took no degree.Dirk Sangmeister
Der Lieblingsdichter der Nation...
article in German newspaper ''Die Zeit'' no. 31, 1999.
He then acted as a private tutor until 1789. In 1792, he served as a field chaplain in the
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
n army, and in 1800 settled in Halle. He became canon of the
Magdeburg Cathedral Magdeburg Cathedral (german: Magdeburger Dom), officially called the Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine (german: Dom zu Magdeburg St. Mauritius und Katharina), is a Protestant cathedral in Germany and the oldest Gothic cathedral in the cou ...
as a reward for the dedication of one of his books to
Friedrich Wilhelm III Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...
and Luise.


Works

The popularity of his novels, which are sentimental and didactic tales of domestic life, was remarkable. In his lifetime, he was the most popular German novelist, his works surpassing by far the popularity of his contemporary
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...
's. He wrote over 150 volumes, using the pseudonyms Gustav Freier, Miltenberg or Selchow. His novels' tone of conservative moralizing sentimentality was regarded with high favor at the court of Prussia. Far less impressed was
August Wilhelm Schlegel August Wilhelm (after 1812: von) Schlegel (; 8 September 176712 May 1845), usually cited as August Schlegel, was a German poet, translator and critic, and with his brother Friedrich Schlegel the leading influence within Jena Romanticism. His trans ...
, writing in ''
Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...
'' in May 1798: "He has indeed become a favourite writer. Lafontaine can never be more than that.... or his worklacks poetry, spirit, and romantic verve." Among his more popular works are: * ''Der Naturmensch'' (1791) * ''Gemälde des menschlichen Herzen'' (Paintings of the Human Heart; 1792 and later, 15 vols.) * ''Der Sonderling'' (1793) * ''Familiengeschichten'' (Family Stories; 1797-1804, 12 vols.) * ''Saint Julien'' (1798) * ''Fedor und Marie'' (1805) * ''Descriptions of the Life of Man'' (1811) * ''Die Pfarre an der See'' (The Parsonage on the Lake Side; 1816, 3 vols.) * ''Le Confessioni al Sepolcro'' traduzione dal tedesco, con note e tavole incise in rame; stampato a Roma (1822, 3 vol.)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lafontaine, August 1758 births 1831 deaths Writers from Braunschweig Writers from Halle (Saale) People from the Duchy of Brunswick 18th-century German novelists 19th-century German novelists German male novelists 19th-century German male writers 18th-century German male writers