Jean-Richard Bloch (25 May 1884 – 15 March 1947) was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...

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 ...

and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. He was a member of the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...

(PCF) and worked with

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (, , 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littérature''. He wa ...

in the evening daily ''

Ce soir ''Ce soir'' (English: Tonight), was a French daily newspaper founded by the French Communist Party and directed by Louis Aragon and Jean-Richard Bloch. History The newspaper was established on the initiative of the Communist Party general sec ...

''.

Early life

Bloch was born into a Jewish family. His father was an engineer with the

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffi ...

Literary career

He became a professional writer in 1909, after having worked for two years in a high school as an aggregated teacher. By this time, he was already known as a left-leaning intellectual. In 1910 he launched '' L’Effort libre'', a "review of revolutionary civilization". He joined the French Army in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and was injured three times on the battlefields of the Marne and in Verdun. After the war, he felt remorse for having joined the army. He also suffered from neurosis caused by the horrors of war and by the premature death of his youngest daughter, Solange. It was during this time that Bloch traveled to Africa on the advice of a friend. His logbook made during this maritime voyage was published in newspapers and magazines of the period and was later serialized into a three volume book set. In 1937, he was responsible for organising ''

Naissance d'une cité '' Naissance d'une cité'' was a "popular spectacle" held at the Vélodrome d'hiver on 18 October 1937 as part of the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne. The auteur for the event was Jean-Richard Bloch. The spect ...

'', a "popular

spectacle In general, spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates. Derived in Middle English from c. 1340 as "specially prepared or arranged display" it was borrowed from Old French ''spectacle'', itself a reflection of the ...

" performed on 19 October as part of the

Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mus ...

Family life

Brother-in-law of

André Maurois André Maurois (; born Émile Salomon Wilhelm Herzog; 26 July 1885 – 9 October 1967) was a French author. Biography Maurois was born on 26 July 1885 in Elbeuf and educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen, both in Normandy. A member of ...

Literary works

* A Publisher of "''L'Effort Libre''", 1910–1914 (

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

literary magazine) * ''Lévy'', 1912 * ''... et Compagnie'', 1918 (novel) * ''La nuit Kurde'' (novel) * ''Sybilla'', 1932 (novel) * ''Carnaval est mort'', 1920 (critic) * A leader of "''Europe''" (with

Jean Guéhenno Jean Guéhenno born Marcel-Jules-Marie Guéhenno (25 March 1890 – 22 September 1978) was a French essayist, writer and literary critic. Life and career Jean Guéhenno, writer and educator, was a prominent contributor to the NRF. He was edito ...

) * ''Offrande à la musique'', 1930 (ballet) * ''Destin du siècle'', 1931 * ''Naissance d'une culture'', 1936 * ''Toulon'' (a play) * ''De la France trahie à la France en armes'', 1949

References

External links

20th-century French novelists 20th-century French male writers Jewish novelists 20th-century French Jews French literary critics 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights French Communist Party members 1884 births 1947 deaths French male novelists French male dramatists and playwrights French senators elected by the National Assembly {{France-politician-stub