IV INTRODUCTION

His career as a novelist may be dated f rom the year 1866. In that year appeared a collection of his shorter stories among which the one entitled Lise shows very careful treatment and considérable literary skill. His first larger novel appeared in the same year under the title : Robert Burat, This novel had been published before under the title Un assassin. In it the acute critic Sainte-Beuve had noticed our author's close touch with modem lif e. A number of other novels foUowed showing an increasing skill in the handling of subjects pertaining to modem lif e, and a steady progress in literary art. In 1868, Madeleine Bertin; in 1869 La Povdre au vent; in 1870 Amiaîid Barbes; in 1872 Le Eoman des Soldats, and Noèl Rambert; in 1874 Les Muscadins; in 1875 Les Belles FolieSy and Carpeatix; 1878 La Fugitive, 1881 Ixi Maîtresse, and Les Amours d'un Liteme; 1882 Le Million; 1883 Noris, and Un Enlèvement au XVJIIe Siècle, a study of much historical interest; 1884 Le Prince Zilah; 1885 Jean Momas; 1887 Candidat ! Among his latest efforts are La Messe Rouge which was published subsequently under the title Puyjoli^ La Sucxiession, a novel of contemporaneous political life {mœurs) and Za Frontière.

Mr. Claretie has also produced a number of dramas and a few comédies, some of them being dramatized versions of his stories. Among the earlier ones we mention : La Famille des Oueux (1SQ9) , Raymond Lindey (1870), Les Muscadins (1874), ail thèse dramas in five acts. Les Ingrats (1875) is a comedy in four acts. Among his later dramatized pièces the two comédies : Le Prince Zilah and Monsieur le Ministre were very successful at the G^mna^e théâtre. Other dramatized novels are : Le beau Solignac (1880) and Le Régiment de