Félix Gras ( Malemort-du-Comtat, May 3, 1844 –

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...

, March 4, 1901) was a Provençal poet and

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

Gras was born into a farming family and went to secondary school at the college of Sainte Garde, in Saint Didier. He studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

as a clerk to the

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

Jules Giéia in Avignon, later becoming a notary himself, but also enthusiastically attended poetry meetings where he read his first poems. Soon abandoning his law training, Gras published '' Li Carbounié'' (''The Charcoal-burners''), a rustic

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

in twelve cantos, in 1876, noted for its "elemental passion" and scenic descriptions, for which he gained immediate recognition. In 1879, he married the niece of

Joseph Roumanille Joseph Roumanille (; 8 August 1818 – 24 May 1891) was a Provençal poet. He was born at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), and is commonly known in southern France as the father of the Félibrige, for he first conceived the idea of r ...

, the husband of his sister Rose Anaïs. His next work, '' Toloza'', an epic poem about the invasion of the

Albigenses Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Follow ...

Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester ( – 4 August 1265), later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was a nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the ...

, came in 1882, to further acclaim. He produced a volume of short poems, '' Li Roumancero Provençal'', in 1887, followed by a collection of prose stories, '' La Paplino'', in 1891. In 1891 (succeeding

), Gras was elected 3rd Capoulie (president) of Le Félibre Rouge, a literary and cultural association founded by

Frédéric Mistral Joseph Étienne Frédéric Mistral (; oc, Josèp Estève Frederic Mistral, 8 September 1830 – 25 March 1914) was a French writer of Occitan literature and lexicographer of the Provençal form of the language. He received the 1904 Nobel P ...

(1st Capoulie) and other Provençal writers to defend and promote the

Provençal language Provençal may refer to: *Of Provence, a region of France * Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France *''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language *Franco-Provençal language, a distinct Roman ...

and Provençal literature. He held this post until his death. Gras achieved popular success in 1896 with the novel '' Li Rouge dou Miejour'', which was translated into French as ''Les Rouges du Midi'' (''Reds of the South''). It was praised by former

British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

, and was subsequently published in several other languages. He then wrote a trilogy of tales dealing with the late period 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 considere ...

with ''Li Rouge dóu Miejour'' (''The Reds of the Midi''), '' La Terrour'' (''The Terror'') and '' La Terrour Blanco'' (''The White Terror'', which features

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 who ...

as a character). Baker, Ernest A., ''A Guide to Historical Fiction''. London : G. Routledge and Sons, 1914.(pg. 272) This series is considered by some to be the most remarkable prose work in the Provençal language. The epitaph on his tomb, in his native town of Malemort, reads:

Amo moun village maï que toun village, amo ma Provenço maï que ta province, amo la Franço maï que tout !

References

External links

Félix Gras, poète et écrivain provençal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gras, Felix 1844 births 1901 deaths People from Vaucluse Occitan-language writers French poets French novelists French historical novelists Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age