André Maurois
André Maurois (1885–1967) is the author of novels and short stories, critical and philosophical essays, literary memoirs and historical works. But Maurois is first of all the master of biographical genre.
The anniversary exhibition embraces practically all the genre variety of Maurois’ writing: art biographies, art publicism, books on history, novels, short stories etc. About one hundred editions including collected works and books about his life and creative career in French and English languages are on display.
Among editions presented at the exhibition noteworthy is the Collection of Works by André Maurois (1992) based on literary biographies of great writers – Dumas, Balzac, Byron and others.
Maurois wrote literary portraits as brilliantly as biographies; the thorough critical studies dedicated to lives and creativity of celebrated personalities: Dickens, Chateaubriand, Russo, Flaubert, Proust and many othes. The book От Монтеня до Драгона is about them.
The exposition also includes the writer’s books published during his lifetime: Une carriere (1922), Un essai sur Dickens (1927), Disraeli (1931), Byron (1930), L’anglaise et d’autres femmes (1932), Le cercle de famille (1932), Les Anglais (1937) etc.
The first Russian translation of André Maurois’ The History of France (2008) is, perhaps, his main historical work. The author traces the becoming and development of the French nation and the state from late antiquity to the beginning of the revolution of the XVIII century. Basing on a wide variety of historiographic sources, Maurois creates a colorful picture of the past.
The image of the literary life of France from the beginning of the XX century up to the middle of the 1960s and also the author’s progressive belief found a bright reflection in the book 60 Years of My Literary Life (1977).
The author had wrote his Memoirs (1970) during twenty years to finish them two weeks before his death. This book by André Maurois was published in Russian in 1999 (series “My ХХ Century”) is presented at the offered exhibition as well.
