Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the

serial novel In literature, a serial is a printing or publishing format by which a single larger work, often a work of narrative fiction, is published in smaller, sequential instalments. The instalments are also known as ''numbers'', ''parts'' or ''fascicle ...

in France with his very popular and widely imitated '' The Mysteries of Paris'', which was published in a newspaper from 1842 to 1843. Francis Amery. "Sue, "Eugène", in Pringle, David. 1998. ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers''. Detroit, MI: St. James Press (pp. 680–681). .

Early life

Sue was born in Paris, France. He was the son of a distinguished surgeon in

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 ...

's army,

Jean-Joseph Sue Prof Jean-Joseph Sue FRS FRSE (20 April 1710 – 15 December 1792) was a French surgeon and anatomist. Life He was born at La Colle-sur-Loup on 20 April 1710 the son of Pierre Jean Sue (d.1714) and his wife, Marguerite Bellisime (d.1748). Jean- ...

, and had

Empress Joséphine Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810 ...

as his godmother. Sue himself acted as surgeon both in the 1823 French campaign in Spain and at the Battle of Navarino in 1827. In 1829 his father's death put him in possession of a considerable fortune, and he settled in Paris.

Literary career

Sue's naval experiences supplied much of the material for his first novels, ''Kernock le pirate'' (1830), ''Atar-Gull'' (1831), ''La Salamandre'' (2 vols, 1832), ''La Coucaratcha'' (4 vols, 1832–1834), and others, written at the height of the Romantic movement of 1830. In the quasi-historical style he wrote ''Jean Cavalier, ou Les Fanatiques des Cevennes'' (4 vols, 1840) and ''Latréaumont'' (2 vols, 1837). His ''Mathilde'' (6 vols, 1841) contains the first known expression of the popular proverb "''La vengeance se mange très-bien froide''", translated in 1846 as "''Revenge is very good eaten cold''" by D. G. Osborne, also constituting the first known English usage of the proverb later expressed in English as ''"Revenge is a dish best served cold"''. He was strongly affected by the socialist ideas of the day, and these prompted his most famous works, the "anti-Catholic" novels: '' The Mysteries of Paris'' (''Les Mystères de Paris'') (published in ''

Journal des débats The ''Journal des débats'' ( French for: Journal of Debates) was a French newspaper, published between 1789 and 1944 that changed title several times. Created shortly after the first meeting of the Estates-General of 1789, it was, after the ou ...

'' from 19 June 1842 until 15 October 1843) and ''The Wandering Jew'' (''Le Juif errant''; 10 vols, 1844–1845), which were among the most popular specimens of the

. ''The Wandering Jew'' is a Gothic novel depicting the titular character in conflict with the villain, a murderous Jesuit named Rodin. These works depicted the intrigues of the nobility and the harsh life of the underclass to a wide public. ''Les Mystères de Paris ''spawned a class of imitations all over the world, the

city mysteries City mysteries are a 19th-century genre of popular novel, in which characters explore the secret underworlds of cities and reveal corruption and exploitation, depicting violence and deviant sexuality. They were popular in both Europe and the United ...

. Sue's books caused controversy because of their strongly violent scenes, and also because of their socialist and anti-clerical subtexts. He followed up with some singular books: ''Les Sept pêchés capitaux'' (16 vols, 1847–1849) contained stories to illustrate each of the

seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

; ''Les Mystères du peuple'' (1849–1856), a long series of historical novels which was suppressed by the censor in 1857; and several others, all on a very large scale, though the number of volumes gives an exaggerated idea of their length. ''Les Mystères du peuple'' is a lengthy series of novels and novellas dealing with French history. ''Les Mystères du peuple'' begins with a novel graphically depicting slavery in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

(''The Iron Collar''). Other ''Les Mystères du peuple'' novels dealt with

Early Christianity Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewis ...

(''The Silver Cross''), King Clovis I (''The Poniard's Hilt''), the founding of the

Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...

(''The Iron Arrow-Head''), the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

in Palestine (''The Pilgrim's Shell''), the Albigensian Crusade (''The Iron Pincers''), the

Jacquerie The Jacquerie () was a popular revolt by peasants that took place in northern France in the early summer of 1358 during the Hundred Years' War. The revolt was centred in the valley of the Oise north of Paris and was suppressed after a few week ...

(''The Iron Trevet''),

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

(''The Executioner's Knife'') and 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

(''Sword of Honor''). The novels were translated into English (as the "Mysteries of the People") and published in New York by

Daniel De Leon Daniel De Leon (; December 14, 1852 – May 11, 1914), alternatively spelt Daniel de León, was a Curaçaoan-American socialist newspaper editor, politician, Marxist theoretician, and trade union organizer. He is regarded as the forefather o ...

and his son, Solon. Some of Sue's books, among them ''The Wandering Jew'' and ''The Mysteries of Paris'', were dramatized by himself, usually in collaboration with others. His period of greatest success and popularity coincided with that of Alexandre Dumas, with whom he has been compared. According to

Umberto Eco Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular 1980 novel ''The Name of th ...

, parts of Sue's book ''Les Mystères du peuple'' served as a source for

Maurice Joly Maurice Joly (22 September 1829 – 15 July 1878) was a French political writer and lawyer known for '' The Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu'', a political satire of Napoleon III. Known life Most of the known informati ...

in his 1864 work ''Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu'', a book attacking

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

and his political ambitions. The two are depicted in

Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series '' The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...

's cartoon book ''The Plot'', co-authored with Eco. Eco, Umberto (1994), "Fictional Protocols",

Six Walks in the Fictional Woods ''Six Walks in the Fictional Woods'' is a non-fiction book by Umberto Eco. Originally delivered at Harvard for the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures in 1992 and 1993, the six lectures were published in the fall of 1994. Overview The book derives its ...

, Cambridge, MA:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

, p. 135, .

Political career

After the French Revolution of 1848, Sue was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the Paris-Seine constituency in April 1850. He was exiled from Paris in consequence of his protest against the

French coup d'état of 1851 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 ...

. This exile stimulated his literary production. Sue died in Annecy-le-Vieux, Savoy on 3 August 1857 and was buried at the Cimetière de Loverchy ( Annecy) in the Non-Catholic's Carré des "Dissidents".

Legacy

* ''Rue Eugène Sue'' in the 18th arrondissement of Paris near the Marcadet-Poissonniers station of the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

, not far from

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 ...

and the Sacré-Cœur. * ''Calle Eugenio Sue'' in

Polanco, Mexico City Polanco is a neighborhood in the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City. Polanco is an affluent '' colonia'', noted for its luxury shopping along Presidente Masaryk Avenue, the most expensive street in Mexico, as well as for the numerous promin ...

. * Sue is a character in

's 2010 novel ''

The Prague Cemetery ''The Prague Cemetery'' ( it, Il cimitero di Praga) is a novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It was first published in October 2010; the English translation by Richard Dixon appeared a year later. Shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Ficti ...

''. * United States socialist

Eugene Victor Debs Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five times the candidate of the Soc ...

was named after Eugène Sue and

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 ...

. * In Thomas Pynchon's 2006 novel ''

Against the Day ''Against the Day'' is an epic historical novel by Thomas Pynchon, published in 2006. The narrative takes place between the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the time immediately following World War I and features more than a hundred characters spr ...

'', an intelligent dog named Pugnax enjoys reading Sue.

Bibliography

* ''Kernock le pirate'' (1830) * ''Atar-Gull'' (1831) * ''La Salamandre'' (2 vols, 1832) * ''La Coucaratcha'' (4 vols, 1832–1834) * ''Jean Cavalier, ou Les Fanatiques des Cevennes'' (4 vols, 1840) * ' (2 vols, 1837) * ''Mathilde'' (6 vols, 1841) * '' The Mysteries of Paris'' (Les Mystères de Paris) (published in ''

'' from 19 June 1842 until 15 October 1843) * ''

The Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. ...

'' (Le Juif errant; 10 vols, 1844–1845) * ''Les Sept pêchés capitaux'' (16 vols, 1847–1849) * ''Les Mystères du peuple'' (The Mysteries of the People) (1849–1856) **"The Gold Sickle; or, Hena, the Virgin of the Isle of Sen" **"The Brass Bell; or, The Chariot of Death" **"The Iron Collar; or, Faustine and Syomara" **"The Silver Cross; or, The Carpenter of Nazareth" **"The Casque’s Lark; or, Victoria, The Mother of the Fields" **"The Poniard's Hilt; or, Karadeucq and Ronan" **"The Branding Needle; or, The Monastery of Charolles" **"The Abbatial Crosier; or, Bonaik and Septimine" **"The Carlovingian Coins; or, The Daughters of Charlemagne" **"The Iron Arrow-Head; or, The Maid of the Buckler" **"The Infant’s Skull; or, The End of the World" **"The Shell of the Pilgrim; or, Fergan the Quarryman" **"The Iron Pincers; or, Mylio and Karvel" **"The Iron Trevet; or, Jocelyn the Champion" **"The Knife of the Executioner; or, Joan of Arc" **"The Pocket Bible; or, Christian the Printer" **"The Blacksmith’s Hammer; or, The Peasant-Code" **"The Sword of Honour; or, The Foundation of the French Republic" **"The Galley Slave’s Ring; or, The Family of Lebrenn"

References

External links

''Wandering Jew and Wandering Jewess''
dramatic screenplay adaptations by Robert Douglas Manning, * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sue, Eugene 1804 births 1857 deaths 19th-century French male writers 19th-century French novelists Critics of the Catholic Church French fantasy writers French historical novelists French male novelists French propagandists French socialists Writers from Paris Writers of Gothic fiction Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages