Jean Charles Emmanuel Nodier (29 April 1780 – 27 January 1844) was a French author and librarian who introduced a younger generation of

Romanticists Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

to the ''conte fantastique'', gothic literature, and

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

tales. His dream related writings influenced the later works of

Gérard de Nerval Gérard de Nerval (; 22 May 1808 – 26 January 1855) was the pen name of the French writer, poet, and translator Gérard Labrunie, a major figure of French romanticism, best known for his novellas and poems, especially the collection '' Les ...

Early years

He was born at

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzer ...

in France, near the border with Switzerland. His father, on the outbreak of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, was appointed mayor of Besançon and consequently chief police magistrate, and seems to have become an instrument of the tyranny of the Jacobins without sharing their principles. But his son was for a time an ardent citizen, and is said to have been a

Jacobin Club , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = P ...

member at the age of twelve. In 1793 Charles saved the life of a lady guilty of sending money to an ''émigré'', declaring to his father that if she were condemned he would take his own life. He was sent to

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

, where he studied with

Eulogius Schneider Eulogius Schneider (baptized as: Johann Georg; October 20, 1756 – April 1, 1794) was a Franciscan friar, professor in Bonn and Dominican in Strasbourg. Life Johann Georg Schneider was born as the son of a wine grower and his wife in Wipfe ...

, the notorious Jacobin and public prosecutor of

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

, but a good Greek scholar.

Activism and wanderings

During the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...

his father put him under the care of Justin Girod-Chantrans, with whom he studied English and German. His love of books began very early, and he combined with it a strong interest in nature, which Girod-Chantrans was able to foster. He became librarian in his native town, but his exertions in the cause of suspected persons brought him under suspicion. An inspection of his papers by the police, however, revealed nothing more dangerous than a dissertation on the antennae of insects.

Entomology Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as ara ...

continued to be a favourite study with him, but he varied it with

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...

and pure literature and even political writing. For a skit on

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, in 1803, he was imprisoned for some months. He then left Paris, where he had gone after losing his position at Besançon, and for some years lived a very unsettled life at Besançon, Dole, and in other places in the Jura. During these wanderings he wrote his novel, ''Le peintre de Salzbourg, journal des émotions d'un coeur souffrant, suivi des Meditations du cloître'' (1803). The hero, Charles, who is a variation of the

Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel '' Th ...

type, desires the restoration of the monasteries, to afford a refuge from the woes of the world. At Dole, on 31 August 1808, he married Désirée Charve. Nodier was working as a secretary to the elderly

Sir Herbert Croft, 5th Baronet Sir Herbert Croft, 5th Baronet (1 November 1751 – 26 April 1816), English author best known for his novel '' Love and Madness''. Life Croft was born at Dunster Park, Berkshire, son of the son of Herbert Croft and Elizabeth Young. He matricula ...

and his platonic friend Lady Mary Hamilton. During this time he translated Hamilton's book ''Munster Village'' and helped her write ''La famille du duc de Popoli'' or ''The Duc de Popoli'' which was published in 1810. In December 1812 Nodier moved to

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

, then the capital of the newly established French

Illyrian Provinces The Illyrian Provinces sl, Ilirske province hr, Ilirske provincije sr, Илирске провинције it, Province illirichegerman: Illyrische Provinzen, group=note were an autonomous province of France during the First French Empire that e ...

, and was in 1813 the last editor of a multilingual newspaper, the ''Official Telegraph of the Illyrian Provinces'' (''

Télégraphe officiel des Provinces Illyriennes The ''Télégraphe officiel des Provinces Illyriennes'' was a multilingual bi-weekly newspaper published in Laibach from 1810 to 1814, during the period of French rule in the region. History The ''Télégraphe officiel'' was founded in 1810 as p ...

'') published in French, German and Italian. It was there that Nodier composed, in 1812, the first draft of his novel ''Jean Sbogar''. The story about a love between a

brigand Brigandage is the life and practice of highway robbery and plunder. It is practiced by a brigand, a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery. Oxford English Dictionary second edition, 1989. "Brigand.2" first recorded u ...

and a daughter of a rich merchant was finally published in 1818. After the evacuation of French forces from the

Illyrian provinces The Illyrian Provinces sl, Ilirske province hr, Ilirske provincije sr, Илирске провинције it, Province illirichegerman: Illyrische Provinzen, group=note were an autonomous province of France during the First French Empire that e ...

in 1813 he returned to Paris, and the Restauration found him a royalist, though he retained something of republican sentiment. In 1824 he was appointed librarian of the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, a position that he kept for the rest of his life. He was elected a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

in 1833, also of the

Société Entomologique de France The Société entomologique de France, or French Entomological Society, is devoted to the study of insects. The society was founded in 1832 in Paris, France. The society was created by eighteen Parisian entomologists on January 31, 1832. The fi ...

when this was formed in 1832, and he was made a member of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

. He died, aged, 63, in Paris. The twenty years at the Arsenal were the most important and fruitful of Nodier's career. He had the advantage of a settled home in which to collect and study rare and unusual books; and he was able to establish a celebrated literary salon, known as Le

Cénacle Cénacle is the name given to a Parisian literary group of varying constituency that began about 1826 to gather around Charles Nodier. The group sought to revive in French literature the old monarchical spirit, the spirit of medieval mystery and ...

, rallying a knot of young literary men to romanticism (the so-called

of 1830), some of whom would achieve great renown themselves.

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

Alfred de Musset Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay (; 11 December 1810 – 2 May 1857) was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist.His names are often reversed "Louis Charles Alfred de Musset": see "(Louis Charles) Alfred de Musset" (bio), Biography.com, 2007 ...

and

Sainte-Beuve Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (; 23 December 1804 – 13 October 1869) was a French literary critic. Early life He was born in Boulogne, educated there, and studied medicine at the Collège Charlemagne in Paris (1824–27). In 1828, he s ...

all acknowledged their obligations to him, and

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

incorporated his recollections of Nodier into his novelette ''La Dame au Collier de Velours''. The group included Alphonse de Lamartine and

. Nodier was a passionate admirer of

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 tr ...

, Laurence Sterne and

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, and himself contributed to the literature that was one of the leading traits of the Romantic school.

Works

His best and most characteristic work, which is exquisite in its kind, consists partly of short tales of a more or less fantastic character, partly of nondescript articles, half bibliographic, half narrative, the nearest analogue to which in English is to be found in some of the papers of Thomas De Quincey. The best examples of the latter are to be found in the volume entitled ''Mélanges tirés d'une petite bibliothèque'', published in 1829 and afterwards continued. Of his tales the best are ''Infernaliana'' (1822); ''Smarra, ou les démons de la nuit'' (1821); '' Trilby, ou le lutin d'Argail'' (1822); ''Histoire du roi de Bohême et de ses sept châteaux'' (1830); ''La Fée aux miettes'' (1832); ''Inès de las Sierras'' (1837); ''Les quatre talismans et la légende de soeur Béatrix'' (1838),The source for the opera '' Béatrice'' by André Messager together with some fairy stories published in the year of his death, and ''Franciscus Columna'', which appeared after it. The ''Souvenirs de jeunesse'' (1832) are interesting but untrustworthy , and the ''Dictionnaire universel de la langue française'' (1823), which, in the days before Littré, was one of the most useful of its kind, is said to have been not wholly or mainly Nodier's . There was a so-called collection of ''Œuvres complêtes'' published in 12 vols. in 1832, but at that time much of the author's best work had not yet appeared, and it included but a part of what was previously published. Nodier found an indulgent biographer in

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...

on the occasion of the younger man's admission to the academy. During the 1820s, after adapting Dr.

John William Polidori John William Polidori (7 September 1795 – 24 August 1821) was a British writer and physician. He is known for his associations with the Romantic movement and credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction. His most suc ...

's short story "

The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori taken from the story Lord Byron told as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the novel '' ...

" successfully for the stage in France (''Le Vampire'', 1820), Nodier involved himself in the theatre for a few years. Among these works were ''Bertram ou le Pirate'' (1822), based on a play by

Charles Maturin Charles Robert Maturin, also known as C. R. Maturin (25 September 1780 – 30 October 1824), was an Irish Protestant clergyman (ordained in the Church of Ireland) and a writer of Gothic plays and novels.Chris Morgan, "Maturin, Charles R(obert ...

in England (''Bertam, or The Castle of St. Aldobrand''), and ''Le Monstre et le Magicien'' (1826), which adapted an English play based on Mary Shelley's novel ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...

''. Nodier also translated and adapted an Italian play by Carmillo Frederici (''Le Delateur''-''The Informer'') in 1821. Despite the success of these works, he lost interest in the theatre, and by the late eighteen twenties devoted himself entirely to literature, mostly to the conte fantastique. An account of his share in the Romantic movement is to be found in Georg Brandes's ''Main Currents in Nineteenth Century Literature''. Nodier's ''Description raisonnée d'une jolie collection de livres'' (1844), which is a catalogue of the books in his library, contains a life by Francis Wey and a complete bibliography of his numerous works. See also Sainte-Beuve, ''Portraits littéraires'', vol. ii.; Prosper Mérimée, ''Portraits historiques et littéraires'' (1874); and A Estignard, ' (1876), containing his letters to his childhood friend and fellow enthusiast in literature, Charles Weiss. A collection of Nodier's dream writings (''De Quelques Phénomènes Du Sommeil'') was published by Le Castor Astral in 1996.

Musical adaptations of Nodier's ''Trilby''

Nodier's 1822 novella ''Trilby, ou le lutin d'Argail'', provided the inspiration for the ballet '' La Sylphide'', 1832, to a scenario devised by

Adolphe Nourrit Adolphe Nourrit (3 March 1802 – 8 March 1839) was a French operatic tenor, librettist, and composer. One of the most esteemed opera singers of the 1820s and 1830s, he was particularly associated with the works of Gioachino Rossini and Giacomo ...

. In 1870, the novella was adapted for another ballet titled ''

Trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...

'' by the great choreographer

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters an ...

, balletmaster of the

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

's Imperial Ballet of

St. Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. The

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

John Barnett John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

's 1834 opera ''

The Mountain Sylph ''The Mountain Sylph'' is an opera in two acts by John Barnett to a libretto by Thomas James Thackeray, after '' Trilby, ou le lutin d'Argail'' by Charles Nodier. It was first produced in London at the Lyceum Theatre in 1834 with great success. ...

'' is also adapted from ''Trilby'', via the ballet ''La Sylphide''. Père-Lachaise - Division 49 - Nodier 01

Commemoration

There are streets in France named after Charles Nodier, located in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

Paris, Pantin,

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded b ...

and

. The centre of French science and culture in

, established in December 1966, was in 1983 named the Charles Nodier French Cultural Centre (now the Charles Nodier French Institute). It is housed on the left bank of the Ljubljanica, between the

Prešeren Square Prešeren Square ( sl, Prešernov trg) is the central square in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is part of the old town's pedestrian zone and a major meeting point where festivals (like the annual Ljubljana Dragon Carnival), concerts, spo ...

and the St. James' Bridge. From 1994 to 2008, the institute regularly published a bulletin titled ''Le Petit Nodier''. Since 1985, a bronze bust of Nodier stands at the court of its building, work of

Jakov Brdar Jakov Brdar (born 22 April 1949) is a Slovene sculptor of Bosnian descent. He is the author of many public statues and sculptures in Ljubljana. In 1998, he received the Prešeren Fund Award for the sculpture group ''Pridiga ptičem'' (Sermon t ...

, according to the plans by the architect Marjan Ocvirk. It is a vivid portrait with a sharp look and some traces of the

Secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...

style.

Selected works

Fiction and creative writings

* ''Stella, ou Les Proscrits'' (1802) – (''Stella or The Exiles'') – a juvenile novel which was subsequently abandoned by the author in his several collected works. * ''Le Dernier Chapitre de Mon Roman'' (1803) – (''The Last Chapter of My Novel'') – a short novel. * ''Le Peintre de Salzbourg, Journal des Émotions d'un Cœur Souffrant'' (1803) – (''The Painter of Salzbourg, Journal of a Suffering Heart'') – a novel. * ''Les Tristes, ou mélanges tirés des tablettes d'un suicidé'' (1806) – a collection of death-haunted romantic writings which includes Nodier's first conte fantastique, "Un Heure, ou la Vision"; and the poetic essay "Les Méditations du Cloître", which was inspired by Chateaubriand. * ''Le Chant des Morlaques'' (1814) – (''The Song of the

Morlachs Morlachs ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Morlaci, Морлаци or , ; it, Morlacchi; ro, Morlaci) has been an exonym used for a rural Christian community in Herzegovina, Lika and the Dalmatian Hinterland. The term was initially used for a bilingual Vlach ...

'') – a short poetic essay that has been included in a collection of Nodier's dream writings. * ''Contes fantastiques'' (1814) – a fantasy short stories collection. * ''Jean Sbogar, Histoire d'un Bandit Illyrien Mysterious'' (1818) – a full-length novel. A gothic political romance mostly set in

Illyria In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...

. * ''Thérèse Aubert, Roman d'Amour Pendant les Guerres Vendéennes'' (1819) – a love story set in the wake of the

, it is in the form of a novella. * ''Le Vampire'' (1820) – (''The Vampire'') – an atmospheric full-length theatrical play, freely adapting the story of

. * ''Adèle'' (1820) – written in the form of letters, a love story of novella length. * ''Smarra, ou les Démons de la Nuit, conte fantastique'' (1821) – the author's most celebrated work, a remarkable novella, one of his dream writings, which features a vampire. The word "Smarra" was taken from the Dalmatian word for "Nightmare". * ''Trilby, ou le Lutin d'Argail, conte fantastique'' (1822) – one of Nodier's best known works, an atmospheric adult fairy tale of novella length set in a Scottish landscape. * ''Infernaliana'' (1822) – a book of little tales of ghosts and vampires, some of which were culled from earlier sources. * ''Le Songe d'Or, ou Arlequin et l'Avare, Pantomime Anglais en 11 Tablaux'' (1828) – a pantomime for the theatre which was subsequently adapted into a short story in 1832. * ''Mélanges tirés d'une petite bibliothèque'' (Paris: Crapelet, 1829) * ''Histoire du Roi de Bohême et de ses Sept Châteaux'' (1830) – an experimental full-length novel. * ''De Quelques Phénomènes du Sommeil'' (1831) – (''Of Some Phenomena of Sleep'') – a short journalist piece, one of Nodier's dream writings, also published under the title ''Le Pays des Rêves''. * ''M. de la Mettrie, ou les Superstitions'' (1831) – a short story which has been included in a collection of Nodier's dream writings. * ''Souvenirs de Jeunesse'' (1832) – (''Souvenirs of Youth'') – a collection of novellas comprising "Séraphine", "Clémentine", "Amélie", and "Lucréce et Jeannette". Subsequent editions included "Thérèse". Dedicated to Alphonse de Lamartine. * ''La Fée aux Miettes, conte fantastique'' (1832) – (''The Crumb Fairy'') – a full-length novel. A satirical adult fairy tale set in Scotland, it is one Nodier's most celebrated works. * ''Mademoiselle de Marsan, conte fantastique'' (1832) – a gothic short novel. * ''Jean-François les Bas-Bleus'' (1832) – a short story. * ''Le Dessin de Piranèse'' (1833) – a descriptive essay that develops into one of Nodier's dream writings. A shorter version was published as ''Piranèse'' in 1836. * ''Hurlubleu'' (1833) – a novella. * ''La Combe de l'Homme Mort'' (1833) – a short weird horror story. * ''Trésors des Fèves et Fleurs des Pois'' (1833) – a short story. * ''M. Cazotte'' (1834) – a short story. * ''Des Hallucinations et des Songes en Matière Criminal'' (1835) – an essay which has been included in a collection of the author's dream writings. * ''Paul ou le Resemblance'' (1836) – a short story. * ''Inès de Las Sierras'' (1837) – a gothic novella set in a nocturnal storm.

complained to the author about the rationalization of this story in an addendum at its end, and Nodier conceded the point. This is recorded in Dumas' novella ''La Femme au Collier de Velours'', which begins with a personal portrait and some reminiscences of Nodier and the Cėnacle. * ''Les Quatre Talismans, et La Légende de Sœur Beatrix'' (1838) – two 'contes fantastiques,' a short novel and a short novella, the latter composed of Christian imagery. * ''La Neuvaine de la Chandeleur, et Lydie'' (1839) – a novella and a short story. * ''Franciscus Columna'' (1844) – a novella.

Some non-fiction works

* ''Dissertation sur l'Usage des Antennes dans les Insectes'' (1798) – (''A Dissertation on the Use of Antennae in Insects''). * ''Pensées de Shakespeare Extraites de ses Ouvrages'' (1800) – (''Thoughts of Shakespeare Taken from his Works'') – a short essay. * ''Bibliographie Entomologique'' (1801) – (''Entomological Bibliography''). * ''Dictionnaire Raisonné des Onomatopées Françaises'' (1808) – (''Reasoned Dictionary of French Onomatopoeia'') – a dictionary of words derived from the sound associated with the subject (e.g. Cuckoo). A high point of the author's early years which was somewhat expanded in a new edition of the book in 1828. * ''Questions de Littérature Légale'' (1812) * ''Histoire des sociétés secrètes de l'armée : et des conspirations militaires qui ont eu pour objet la déstruction du gouvernement de Bonaparte.'' Paris : Gide fils, 1815. (Eds.) Nodier, Bazin, Didier, Lemare, Lombard; English trans. (2008) Cornerstone Book Publishers. * ''Promenade de Dieppe aux Montagnes de l'Écosse'' (1821) – a book describing Nodier's travels through Britain including Scotland. His experience of the Scottish landscape inspired two of his best known works: ''Trilby'' and ''La Fée aux Miettes'', which were set in Scotland. * ''Essai sur le Gaz Hydrogène et les Divers Modes d'Éclairage Artificiel'' (1823) – (''An Essay on Hydrogen Gas and the Various Methods of Artificial Lighting''). * ''Dictionnaire Universal de la Langue Française'' (1823) – (''Universal Dictionary of the French Language''). * ''Mélanges Tirés d'une Petite Bibliothèque'' (1829) * ''Du Fantastique en Littérature'' (1830) – a full-length study of the weird or fantastic in literature. * ''Bibliographie des Fous: De Quelques Livres Excentriques'' (1835) – (''Bibliography of the Mad: Of Some Eccentric Books''). * ''La Seine et ses Bords'' (1836–1837) – (''The Seine and its banks'') – a full-length description of the river and the geography of its banks. Illustrated by Marville and Foussereau. * ''Description Raisonnée d'une Jolie Collection de Livres'' (1844) – (''Reasoned Description of a Beautiful Collection of Books'').

A contested novel

* ''Lord Ruthwen, ou Les Vampires'' (1820) – a rambling vampire novel based on earlier sources, a description of which is given at the end of the book. The overall theme is in the form of a sequel to Dr.

's short story "

", and the material suggests that it may originally have been intended as a play. The title page of the first edition attributed publishing to the author of ''Jean Sbogar'' and authorship to the pseudonym "C. B.", causing historians to speculate that the book was written by a contemporary vaudeville manager named Cyprien Bérard, with whom Nodier was associated. The sources for the stories suggest the knowledge of a librarian and a bibliophile, and the novel misspells the name Ruthven as occurred in the text of ''Promenade de Dieppe aux Montagnes de l'Écosse''. There are features of Nodier's ''Jean Sbogar'' and ''Les Tristes'' in the novel, but the writing is hurried and lacks the quality of Nodier's other fictional works.

References

External links

''Cahiers d'Études Nodiéristes''
scholarly journal devoted to Nodier studies (in French).
"Jean Sbogar, Volume One" (in French)

"Jean Sbogar, Volume Two" (in French)
* *

*

*

* * * * ttps://archive.org/details/promenadefromdi01nodigoog "Promenade from Dieppe to the Mountains of Scotland" (In English)
"Promenade de Dieppe aux Montaignes de l'Ecosse" (In French)

"Dictionnaire Raisoné des Onomatopées Françaises" (Second edition of 1828, in French)

"La Fée aux Miettes" (In French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nodier, Charles 1780 births 1844 deaths 18th-century French writers 18th-century French male writers 19th-century French novelists 19th-century French poets 19th-century French short story writers 19th-century French male writers Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery French lexicographers French fantasy writers French monarchists French librarians French entomologists Members of the Académie Française Writers from Besançon French male novelists French male short story writers Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur French male non-fiction writers 19th-century lexicographers French bibliophiles

Early years

Activism and wanderings

Works

Musical adaptations of Nodier's ''Trilby''

Commemoration

Selected works

Fiction and creative writings

Some non-fiction works

A contested novel

References

Further reading

External links