Louis Amédée Eugène Achard (19 April 1814 – 25 March 1875) was a prolific French novelist. Achard was born in

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

. After a short stay near

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

, where he supervised a farm, he went to

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

, and then

, where he became a journalist and wrote for the ''Sémaphore.'' He moved to Paris, where he wrote for the ''Vert-Vert'', the ''Entracte'', the ''Charivari'', and the ''Époque''. Achard wrote extensively for the ''Époque'', even writing for his colleagues when they lacked inspiration. He then collaborated in the

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

journal ''Le Pamphlet'', and was gravely wounded in a duel with a man named Fiorentino, whom he had defamed. While still convalescent, he left for Italy with the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

to cover the war for the ''Journal des Débats''. Achard was a prolific writer. In addition to his journalism, he wrote about thirty plays and about forty books. He is known today primarily for his

cloak and dagger "Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common by the time of the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery. Over ...

novels. Some incorrectly claim that he was the originator of the term (

Ponson du Terrail Pierre Alexis, Viscount of Ponson du Terrail (8 July 1829 – 20 January 1871) was a French writer. He was a prolific novelist, producing in the space of twenty years some seventy-three volumes, and is best remembered today for his creation of ...

used the term a little before him), but he did write a novel called ''la Cape et l'Épée'' (''The Cloak and Dagger'') in 1875. Achard also wrote many books on manners. He died, aged 60, in Paris.

Works

*'' Belle-Rose'' (1847) *'' Les Petits-fils de Lovelace'' (1854) *'' La Robe de Nessus'' (1855) *'' Maurice de Treuil'' (1857) *'' Le Clos Pommier'' (1858) *'' La Sabotière'' (1859) *'' Les Misères d'un millionnaire'' (1861) *'' Histoire d'un homme'' (1863) *'' Les Coups d'épée de M. de La Guerche'' (1863) Republished by Phébus in 1991 *'' Mme de Sarens'' (1865) *'' La Chasse à l'idéal'' (1867) *'' Marcelle'' (1868) *'' Envers et contre tous'' (1874) (sequel to ''Les Coups d'épées de M. de

La Guerche La Guerche () is a Communes of France, commune in the Indre-et-Loire Departments of France, department in central France. Population People from La Guerche are called ''Guerchois'' in French. Popular culture Louis Amédée Achard, an author c ...

'') Republished by Phébus in 1991 *'' La Cape et l'Épée'' (1875) *'' Toison d'or'' (1875) (sequel to ''La Cape et l'Épée'')

Bibliography

* *

External links

* * 1814 births 1875 deaths Writers from Marseille 19th-century French novelists Writers from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 19th-century French journalists French male journalists French male novelists 19th-century French male writers 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights {{France-playwright-stub