Fortuné du Boisgobey

French novelist
Fortuné du Boisgobey
Fortuné du Boisgobey
Fortuné du Boisgobey
BornFortuné Hippolyte Auguste Castille
(1821-09-11)11 September 1821
Granville, France
Died(1891-02-26)26 February 1891 (age 69)
Paris, France
OccupationNovelist
GenreCrime fiction, Detective fiction, Historical fiction, Sensation novel
Notable worksThe Convict Colonel, The Chevalier Casse-Cou, The Old Age of Monsieur Lecoq, An Omnibus Mystery,The Severed Hand

Fortuné Hippolyte Auguste Abraham-Dubois (11 September 1821 – 26 February 1891), under the nom de plume Fortuné du Boisgobey, was a French novelist.

Life

Fortuné du Boisgobey was born at Granville (Manche), and graduated from the Lycée Saint-Louis.[1] He served as paymaster to the Army of Africa through several campaigns in Algeria from 1844 to 1848.[2] His parents were wealthy, yet at forty or upwards, he took to writing.[1]

In 1843, using the name Fortuné Abraham-Dubois, he made his literary debut in the Journal d'Avranches with a series entitled Lettres de Sicile recounting a voyage he had taken the year before.[3] His first successful novel, Les Deux comédiens appeared in 1868, under the du Boisgobey pen name in the Petit Journal.[4] The story was popular, and M. Paul Dalloz of the Petit Moniteur signed a contract with the author for seven years at 12,000ƒ a year.[1] His reputation was increased by the publication of Une Affaire mystérieuse and Le Forçat colonel, both published there in 1869.[4] In 1877, Figaro engaged him for a series of novels, which increased the success of that paper.[1] He was prolific, with more than sixty works to his name, and became one of the most popular feuilleton writers.[2] In 1885 and 1886 he was President of the Committee of the Société des gens de lettres.[4] Du Boisgobey died in 1891 after a long illness.

Works

First UK edition of A Railway Tragedy in wraps.

Du Boisgobey was the chief of the followers of Émile Gaboriau, with whom his name is generally associated.[4] He even wrote a sequel, La Vieillesse de M. Lecoq, using Gaboriau's character Monsieur Lecoq in 1877–78.[5] His novels deal with crime, the police, and Parisian life. They had a high circulation, and the greater part of them have been translated into English.

English translations exist for the following works.

  • Le Forçat colonel (1871) - The Convict Colonel at the Internet Archive
  • Le Chevalier Casse-Cou (1873) - The Chevalier Casse-Cou / The Red Camelia at Google Books
    • Le Camélia rouge - The Red Camelia
    • La Chasse aux ancêtres - The Search for Ancestors
  • Le Vrai Masque de fer (1873) - The Iron Mask
  • L’As de cœur (1875) - The Ace of Hearts at the Internet Archive
  • La Tresse blonde (1875) - The Golden Tress at Google Books
  • Le Coup de pouce (1875) - The Thumb Stroke at the Internet Archive
  • Les Mystères du nouveau Paris (1876) - The Mysteries of New Paris
  • L'Enragé (1876) - Marie-Rose; or, The Mystery
  • "La Jambe Noire" (1877) - The Phantom Leg at the Internet Archive
  • Une Affaire mystérieuse (1878) - The Nameless Man at the Internet Archive
  • La Vieillesse de M. Lecoq (1878) - The Old Age of Lecoq, the Detective at Google Books
    • Première partie - The Old Age of Monsieur Lecoq
    • Deuxième partie - The Nabob of Bahour
  • L'Épingle rose (1879) - The Coral Pin at Google Books
    • Première partie - The Coral Pin
    • Deuxième partie - The Temple of Death
  • L'Héritage de Jean Tourniol (1879) - The Robbery of the Orphans; or, Jean Tourniol's Inheritance
  • Le Crime de l'Opéra ou "La Rideau Sanglante" (1879) - The Crime of the Opera House / The Opera-House Tragedy
  • La Main coupée (1880) - The Lost Casket at Google Books / The Severed Hand at the Internet Archive
    • Première partie - The Countess Yalta; or, The Nihilist Spy
    • Deuxième partie - Doctor Villagos; or, The Nihilist Chief
  • Où est Zénobie? (1880) - Where's Zenobia? / Zénobie Capitaine
  • Le Tambour de Montmirail (1880) - The Youngest Soldier of the Grand Armée at the Internet Archive
  • L'Affaire Matapan (1881) - The Matapan Affair at Google Books / The Matapan Jewels
  • L'Équipage du diable (1881) - The Day of Reckoning at Google Books / Satan's Coach
  • Le Crime de l'omnibus (1881) - An Omnibus Mystery at Google Books / The Crime in the Omnibus
  • Le Pavé de Paris (1881) - A Mystery Still at the Internet Archive
  • Les Deux bonnets verts (1881) - Cécile's Fortune at Google Books / Mérindol
  • Le Pignon maudit (1882) - A Fight For A Fortune at the Internet Archive / The Privateersman's Legacy
  • Le Bac (1882) - Who Died Last? or, The Rightful Heir at Google Books / Was it a Murder? or, Who is the Heir? / The Ferry-Boat / Article 722; or, Roger's Inheritance
  • Les Suites d'un duel (1882) - The Results of a Duel at the Internet Archive
  • La Revanche de Fernande (1882) - Fernande's Choice at the Internet Archive
  • Le Cochon d'or (1882) - The Golden Pig; or, The Idol of Modern Paris at Google Books
  • Bouche cousue (1883) - Sealed Lips
  • Le Collier d'acier (1883) - The Steel Necklace at Google Books
  • Le Coup d'œil de M. Piédouche (1883) - The Detective's Eye at Google Books / The Parisian Detective / Piedouche, a French Detective / The Severed Head; or, A Terrible Confession
  • Le Billet rouge (1884) - The Red Lottery Ticket at Google Books / Lover or Blackmailer?
  • Le Mari de la diva (1884) - The Prima Donna's Husband at the Internet Archive
  • Le Secret de Berthe (1884) - Bertha's Secret at the Internet Archive
    • Première partie - Bertha's Secret
    • Deuxième partie - The Countess de Marcenac
  • Babiole (1884) - Pretty Babiole at the Internet Archive
    • Première partie - Babiole, the Pretty Milliner at the Internet Archive
    • Deuxième partie - The Victim of Destiny
  • Margot la Balafrée (1884) - In the Serpent's Coils at Google Books / The Vitriol Thrower
    • Première partie - The Sculptor's Daughter
    • Deuxième partie - The Count's Ring
  • La Voilette bleue (1885) - The Angel of the Chimes at the Internet Archive / The Angel of the Belfry / The Blue Veil; or, The Crime of the Tower
  • Le Cri du sang (1885) - The Cry of Blood at the Internet Archive / A Railway Tragedy at the Internet Archive
  • Le Pouce crochu (1885) - Thieving Fingers at Google Books / Zig-Zag the Clown; or, The Steel Gauntlets
  • La Belle geôlière (1885) - The Jailor's Pretty Wife at the Internet Archive
  • La Bande rouge (1886) - The Red Band; or, The Siege and the Commune at Google Books
    • Première partie - The Red Band
    • Deuxième partie - Scarlet Mystery / The Mystery of the Oak
  • Porte close (1886) - The Condemned Door; or, The Secret of Trigavou Castle at the Internet Archive / The Closed Door
  • Rubis sur l'ongle (1886) - Cash on Delivery: A Novel of Love and the Passion for Gaming at the Internet Archive
  • Cœur volant (1886) - Fickle Heart! a Novel of Love and Racing at the Internet Archive
  • "Le Gredins" (1887)
  • Jean Coup-en-deux (1887) - Death or Dishonor at Google Books
  • Cornaline la Dompteuse (1887) - The Felon's Bequest at the Internet Archive
  • L'Œil-de-chat (1888) - The Cat's-Eye Ring: A Secret of Paris Life
  • Grippe-Soleil (1887) - The Bride of a Day: a Story of Paris Life
  • Le Chalet des Pervenches (1888) - The Half-Sister's Secret at Google Books
  • Mariage d'inclination (1888) - Married for Love at Google Books
  • Le plongeur: scènes de la vie sportive (1889) - The High Roller; or, Plunging and Honeyfugling on the Race-Track: A Sporting Romance
  • Fontenay Coup-d'Epée (1890) - Fontenay, the Swordsman at Google Books
  • Le Chêne-Capitaine (1890) - In Chase of Crime
  • Un Cadet de Normandie au XVIIe siècle (1891) - An Ocean Knight; or, The Corsairs and their Conquerors
  • Acquittée (1892) - The Mysterious Juror at the Internet Archive

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Notes 1891.
  2. ^ a b Chisholm 1911.
  3. ^ Chevrier 1997.
  4. ^ a b c d Moon 1891.
  5. ^ Lai 2004.

References

  • "Notes". The Critic 15 (375): 131. 1891-03-07.
  • Chevrier, Thierry (1997). "Dossier: Fortuné du Boisgobey" (in French). Le Rocambole 1 (1): 23–74. 0765–0507.
  • Moon, George Washington (1891). Men and Women of the Time. London: George Routledge and Sons. pp. 278.
  • Lai, Rick (2004). "THE MONSIEUR LECOQ CHRONOLOGY". "THE MONSIEUR LECOQ CHRONOLOGY". Retrieved 2010-06-19.
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Boisgobey, Fortuné du" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 153–154.

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