Charles Perrault (French Charles Perrault; January 12, 1628, Paris - May 16, 1703, Paris) - French poet and critic of the era of classicism, member of the French Academy since 1671,
Charles Perrault was born into the family of a judge of the Parisian Parliament, Pierre Perrault, and was the youngest of his six children.
Mostly the mother worked with the children - it was she who taught the children to read and write. Despite being very busy, her husband helped with the boys' classes, and when eight-year-old Charles began studying at Beauvais College, his father often checked his lessons. A democratic atmosphere reigned in the family, and the children were quite able to defend a point of view close to them. However, the rules were completely different in college - cramming and dull repetition of the teacher’s words were required here. Disputes were not allowed under any circumstances. And yet the Perrault brothers were excellent students, and if you believe the historian Philippe Ariès, during the entire period of their studies they were never punished with rods. At that time it was, one might say, a unique case.
However, in 1641, Charles Perrault was kicked out of class for arguing with the teacher and defending his opinion. His friend Boren also left the lesson with him. The boys decided not to return to college, and on the same day, in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, they drew up a plan for self-education. For three years the friends studied Latin, Greek, French history and ancient literature– essentially going through the same program as in college. Much later, Charles Perrault claimed that he received all his knowledge that was useful to him in life during these three years, studying independently with a friend.
In 1651, he received a law degree and even bought himself a lawyer's license, but he quickly became tired of this occupation, and Charles went to work for his brother Claude Perrault - he became a clerk. Like many young people at that time, Charles wrote numerous poems: poems, odes, sonnets, and was also fond of the so-called “court gallant poetry.” Even in his own words, all these works were distinguished by considerable length and excessive solemnity, but they carried too little meaning. Charles's first work, which he himself considered acceptable, was the poetic parody “The Walls of Troy, or the Origin of Burlesque,” written and published in 1652.
Charles Perrault wrote his very first fairy tale in 1685 - it was the story of the shepherdess Griselda, who, despite all the troubles and hardships, became the wife of a prince. The tale was called "Grisel". Perrault himself did not attach any importance to this work. But two years later his poem “The Age of Louis the Great” was published - and Perrault even read this work at a meeting of the Academy. For many reasons, it caused violent indignation among classic writers - La Fontaine, Racine, Boileau. They accused Perrault of disdain for antiquity, which was customary to imitate in the literature of that time. The fact is that recognized writers of the 17th century believed that all the best and most perfect works had already been created - in ancient times. Modern writers, according to the established opinion, had the right only to imitate the standards of antiquity and approach this unattainable ideal. Perrault supported those writers who believed that there should be no dogmas in art and that copying the ancients only meant stagnation.
In 1694, his works “Funny Desires” and “Donkey Skin” were published - the era of the storyteller Charles Perrault began. A year later he lost his position as secretary of the Academy and devoted himself entirely to literature. In 1696, the magazine "Gallant Mercury" published the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty". The fairy tale instantly gained popularity in all strata of society, but people expressed their outrage that there was no signature under the fairy tale. In 1697, the book “Tales of Mother Goose, or Stories and Tales of Bygone Times with Instructions” went on sale simultaneously in The Hague and Paris. Despite its small volume and very simple pictures, the circulation sold out instantly, and the book itself became an incredible success.
Those nine fairy tales that were included in this book were just adaptations of folk tales - but how was it done! The author himself repeatedly hinted that he literally overheard the tales that his son’s nurse told the child at night. However, Charles Perrault became the first writer in the history of literature to introduce the folk tale into the so-called “high” literature - as an equal genre. Now this may sound strange, but at the time of the publication of “Tales of Mother Goose”, high society enthusiastically read and listened to fairy tales at their meetings, and therefore Perrault’s book instantly won high society.
Many critics accused Perrault of the fact that he himself did not invent anything, but only wrote down plots already known to many. But it should be taken into account that he made these stories modern and tied them to specific places - for example, his Sleeping Beauty fell asleep in a palace very reminiscent of Versailles, and the clothes of Cinderella’s sisters were fully consistent with the fashion trends of those years. Charles Perrault simplified the “high calm” of language so much that his fairy tales were understandable and ordinary people. After all, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Thumb spoke exactly as they would have spoken in reality.
Despite the enormous popularity of fairy tales, Charles Perrault, at almost seventy years old, did not dare to publish them under own name. On the books was the name of Pierre de Armancourt, the eighteen-year-old son of the storyteller. The author feared that fairy tales, with their frivolity, could cast a shadow on his authority as an advanced and serious writer.
However, you can’t hide a sew in a bag, and very quickly the truth about the authorship of such popular fairy tales became known in Paris. IN high society it was even believed that Charles Perrault signed his name youngest son, in order to introduce him to the circle of the Princess of Orleans - the young niece of the sun-like King Louis. By the way, the dedication on the book was addressed specifically to the princess.
It must be said that disputes about the authorship of these tales are still ongoing. Moreover, the situation in this matter was completely and irrevocably confused by Charles Perrault himself. He wrote his memoirs shortly before his death - and in these memoirs he described in detail all the most important affairs and dates of his life. Mention was also made of his service with the almighty Minister Colbert, and Perrault’s work in editing the first “Dictionary” French", and every single ode written to the king, and translations of Italian fables by Faerno, and research comparing new and ancient authors. But not once did Perrault even mention the phenomenal “Tales of Mother Goose”... But to add this book to the register own achievements It would be an honor for the author! If we talk modern language, then the rating of Perrault's fairy tales in Paris was unimaginably high - only one bookstore of Claude Barbin sold up to fifty books a day. It is unlikely that even the adventures of Harry Potter could even dream of such a scale today. It was unheard of for France that the publisher had to repeat the printing of Mother Goose Tales three times in just one year.
The death of the storyteller completely confused the issue of authorship. Even in 1724, Mother Goose's Tales were published with the name of Pierre de Hamencourt in the title. But public opinion However, it was later decided that the author of the fairy tales was Perrault Sr., and fairy tales are still published under his name.
Few people today know that Charles Perrault was a member of the French Academy, author scientific works and a renowned poet of his time. Even fewer people know that it was he who legalized the fairy tale as literary genre. But every person on Earth knows that Charles Perrault - great storyteller and the author of the immortal "Puss in Boots", "Cinderella" and "Bluebeard".
Information sheet:
Every adult remembers the magical fairy tales of Charles Perrault from his childhood. Their heroes have passed through the centuries and still remain loved. No inquisitive child will remain indifferent to the story of the sly Puss in Boots, poor Cinderella or the villain Bluebeard. And the slightly modified Little Red Riding Hood is perceived as written in Russia.
Fairy-tale adventures unobtrusively teach children attentiveness and responsibility, a positive attitude towards life.
Who wrote the fairy tales?
The author did not reveal the secret of his magical works to anyone. It is believed that he processed folk tales and published them under the name of his son, because he was afraid of condemnation from high society for such an activity. The second version was the father’s desire to bring his heir to a high position.
The collection was received very well. People liked the language of presentation and the plots so much that the book was literally swept off the shelves. Rave reviews were passed from mouth to mouth. The entire society in the royal palace was also keen on discussing the adventures of fairy-tale heroes.
There were rumors that children's fairy tales were published by Charles Perrault. But in his memoirs, written at the end of his life, he did not mention them at all. Therefore, the question of the authorship of father or son was lost for centuries. Although it was Perrault who began to be considered the founder of children's literature and pedagogy.
Features of Perrault's works
It is impossible to say which fairy tales are the best, because they are all written in the same interesting way. These are real magical stories, but as if from real world. Features of Perrault's stories are the vividness of the plot combined with faith in its possible implementation. Children feel this idea well and immediately rank Perrault’s fairy tales among their favorites.
The list of works is given on the page in alphabetical order. You can read or print any of them for free.
in that he selected several stories from the mass of folk tales and recorded their plot, which had not yet become final. He gave them a tone, a climate, a style that was characteristic of the 17th century, and yet very personal.
Among the storytellers who “legalized” the fairy tale in serious literature, the very first and honorable place is given to the French writer Charles Perrault. Few of our contemporaries know that Perrault was a venerable poet of his time, an academician of the French Academy, and the author of famous scientific works. But it was not his thick, serious books that brought him worldwide fame and recognition from his descendants, but wonderful tales"Cinderella", "Puss in Boots", "Bluebeard".
Charles Perrault was born in 1628. The boy's family was concerned about the education of their children, and at the age of eight, Charles was sent to college. As historian Philippe Ariès notes, school biography Perrault is a biography of a typical excellent student. During their training, neither he nor his brothers were ever beaten with rods - an exceptional case at that time.
After college, Charles takes private law lessons for three years and eventually receives a law degree.
At twenty-three he returns to Paris and begins his career as a lawyer. Perrault's literary activity occurred at a time when high society a fashion for fairy tales appears. Reading and listening to fairy tales is becoming one of the common hobbies of secular society, comparable only to reading detective stories by our contemporaries. Some prefer to listen philosophical tales, others pay tribute to ancient fairy tales, passed down in the retellings of grandmothers and nannies. Writers, trying to satisfy these demands, write down fairy tales, processing plots familiar to them from childhood, and the oral fairy tale tradition gradually begins to turn into a written one.
However, Perrault did not dare to publish the fairy tales under his own name, and the book he published bore the name of his eighteen-year-old son, P. Darmancourt. He feared that, with all the love for “fairy-tale” entertainment, writing fairy tales would be perceived as a frivolous activity, casting a shadow with its frivolity on the authority of a serious writer.
Perrault's fairy tales are based on famous folklore plot, which he presented with his characteristic talent and humor, omitting some details and adding new ones, “ennobling” the language. Most of all, these tales were suitable for children. And it is Perrault who can be considered the founder of world children's literature and literary pedagogy.
Charles Perrault, now we call him a storyteller, but in general during his lifetime (he was born in 1628, died in 1703). Charles Perrault was known as a poet and publicist, dignitary and academician. He was a lawyer, the first clerk of the French Minister of Finance Colbert.
When Colbert founded the Académie de France in 1666, one of its first members was Charles's brother, Claude Perrault, whom Charles had recently helped win a competition to design the façade of the Louvre. A few years later, Char Perrault was also accepted into the Academy, and he was assigned to head the work on the “General Dictionary of the French Language”.
The story of his life is both personal and social, and politics mixed with literature, and literature, as if divided into what glorified Charles Perrault over the centuries - fairy tales, and what remained transient. For example, Perrault became the author of the poem “The Age of Louis the Great,” in which he glorified his king, but also the work “Great Men of France,” the voluminous “Memoirs,” and so on and so forth. In 1695, a collection of poetic tales by Charles Perrault was published.
But the collection “Tales of Mother Goose, or Stories and Tales of Bygone Times with Teachings” was published under the name of Charles Perrault’s son Pierre de Armancourt-Perrault. It was the son who, in 1694, on the advice of his father, began to write down folk tales. Pierre Perrault died in 1699. In his memoirs, written a few months before his death (he died in 1703), Charles Perrault does not write anything about who was the author of the fairy tales or, more precisely, the literary record.
These memoirs, however, were published only in 1909, and twenty years after the death of the writer, academician and storyteller, in the 1724 edition of the book “Tales of Mother Goose” (which, by the way, immediately became a bestseller), authorship was first attributed to Charles Perrault alone . In a word, there are many “blank spots” in this biography. The fate of the storyteller himself and his fairy tales, written in collaboration with his son Pierre, is described in such detail for the first time in Russia in the book “Charles Perrault” by Sergei Boyko.
Charles Perrault (1628−1703) - French poet, writer and one of the most beloved personalities France XVII century. He is still remembered today for a collection of fairy tales published in 1697 called Mother Goose's Tales. (Wikipedia).
We know about the writer's life mainly through the memoirs he wrote for his grandchildren. Although he wrote extensively about public life, he hid his personal life, and therefore very little is known about his wife and children.
Tales of Charles Perrault (list)
Biography of the writer
Perrault was born in Paris in 1628 in the family of a wealthy lawyer. At the age of nine he was sent to the Collège de Beauvais day school. Although he was always first in his class, his school career ended prematurely when he quarreled with his teacher while debating philosophy. Young Perrault left school, never to return! But he was not left alone. One of his friends, a boy named Beurein, supported him and left school with him. Over the next four years, both boys studied together and remained lifelong friends.
In 1651, Charles received a degree from the University of Orléans. He tried many professions, including medicine, theology and law. He then took a job in the office of his brother Pierre, who was then chief tax commissioner. Work was scarce, and he read books from his brother's extensive library.
Later he returned to writing poetry, which he loved very much as a child. His poems, published anonymously, instantly became so popular that one famous poet even took credit for some of them. Then Perrault considered it necessary to reveal his authorship. But when he learned that the poet had used his poems to impress a young lady, he forgave the fraud.
Later, Perrault turned his attention to architecture. In 1657, he drew up plans for a house for his brother and supervised its construction. The French minister Colbert was so impressed by Charles's work that he took him into charge of the construction of the royal buildings and put him in charge of Versailles, which was then under construction.
Perrault took on this work with enthusiasm, but continued to do other things: he wrote odes in honor of the king, planned projects and even found time to encourage musicians and support the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. He also worked with his brother Claude to found the Academy of Sciences.
In the second half of the 17th century, between French writers there was a dispute about the benefits modern writers compared to the writers of antiquity. Charles Perrault played an important role in this debate, arguing against the genre and thematic limitations of classical literature.
His youthful habit of independent thinking drew him into this most famous literary controversy of that era. In one of his poems, Perrault praised the writers of his age, but humiliated the authors ancient classics. This led to a huge scandal with writers rushing to attack Perrault, who defended himself good humor and published his defense in four volumes"Le Parallèle des Anciens et des Modernes" (The Parallel of Ancients and Modernity). This work was published in 1688-1696. Charles felt great pride in this dry and boring work, which is now completely forgotten.
Beginning of a literary career
After twenty years of work for Colbert, Perrault resigned in 1683. Resignation from civil service marked the beginning of his greatest literary activity. He wrote and published several poems and other literary works, most of which are now forgotten. Between 1691 and 1697 he composed his immortals:
- Stories about death (Stories or tales from the past);
- Fairy tales in verse.
It is surprising that Perrault was ashamed of his fairy tales. He refused to publish the tales in his name, so they were published under the pseudonym P. Darmancourt. To maintain the secret, Perrault went so far as to abandon his regular publisher, Coinard.
Tales of Charles Perrault
IN folk art Perrault found rich stories and images to create new ones works of art. He turned to folklore, collecting several stories published in 1697 in a collection "Tales of Mother Goose".
The tales appeared anonymously in the magazine Requail, which was published in The Hague.
- Gingerbread house.
- Funny wishes.
- Dove (Donkey skin).
The first tale appeared anonymously in 1691, but was later republished under the author's name in 1695. Perrault based his stories on folk tales. However, Griselda's story was not directly based on the fairy tale, but was borrowed from Boccaccio.
The collection of fairy tales became instantly popular, spawning dozens of imitators in France. The book was extremely successful and was eventually translated into English language in 1729 by Robert Samer.
In the modern version original stories The Perraults have lost most of their gruesome details. Original stories often dark, some of them what we today call "adult themes", and by modern standards there is too much violence. The story of the murderer Bluebeard and his murdered wives is especially terrible.
Even beloved classics Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood are brutally honest when it comes to little children being eaten. Nevertheless, these tales make an impression on the reader as strongly as ever. You can read the fairy tales of Charles Perrault endlessly. Each story is entertaining and comes with a moral at the end, which often seems strange and funny to our "modern" thinking.
The fairy tale stories of Charles Perrault are known to everyone. They inspired many composers to create musical works. Directors and screenwriters also did not ignore amazing tales this author, and many wonderful films have been created based on his works. Fairy tale characters Perrault comes to life in amusement parks, on theater stages, in computer games and remain among the most beloved, just like hundreds of years ago.
History of French fairy tales
In France XVII century The dominant direction in art was classicism. Including in literature. The works of ancient authors were considered role models. During the time of the King of France Louis XIV The cult of antiquity flourished in art.
Mythological subjects and heroes of ancient stories dominated the work of painters and poets. They glorified the triumph of reason and duty over feelings and, of course, glorified the power of the monarch, supposedly uniting all the forces of the nation. Soon the interests of the bourgeoisie came into conflict with the interests of the monarch in power, and opposition sentiments intensified throughout France.
The mood of society was naturally reflected in art. Among French writers, a dispute ensued about the superiority of ancient and modern authors. A few opponents of classicism argued that writing wonderful works it is possible without imitating ancient authors. In addition, new authors are superior to ancient ones in that they have better knowledge and outlook.
Among the initiators of this historical dispute about the need for change was Charles Perrault, a royal official and member of the French Academy. In his work “A Comparison of Ancient and Modern Authors,” he urged authors to display modern life, draw images and plots from surrounding reality, and not from ancient literature.
about the author
Charles Perrault was known primarily as a poet and publicist, one of the founders of the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Painting. Even while writing fairy tales for children, he remained a moralist and used his works for education and personal development. But before listing the works, including the list of fairy tales by Charles Perrault, I would like to introduce readers to the writer’s life story.
Charles Perrault was born on January 12, 1628 in the family of a judge. His parents were concerned about their children's education and at the age of eight the boy was sent to college, like his brothers. They all studied well and were never punished with rods, which was completely unusual for that time. While still in college, Charles was engaged in literary research, but after disagreements with his teacher, he decided to leave his studies.
He studied biblical texts, the works of the Church Fathers and secular writers, the history of France and did translations. At the same time, Charles attended law classes and soon became a certified lawyer. Having purchased a license, Perrault holds the position of lawyer for some time. But he quickly gets tired of it. Charles decided to gain a foothold at court and, leaving the practice of law, he got a job as a clerk for his brother, who held the position of chief tax collector.
In 1663, Charles took the position of secretary at the Academy of Inscriptions and served under the leadership of Jean Colbert, the French Minister of Finance. Charles Perrault also worked as a controller in the Inspectorate of Royal Buildings. A jack of all trades, Perrault was directly involved in the creation of Versailles, and he also wrote the first guide to the labyrinth of the Versailles gardens.
A fairly prolific writer, Charles wrote both light poetry, such as the gallant "Dialogue of Love and Friendship", and "impressive" works on the subject of architecture. Many of his works have been forgotten, although they represent a fairly extensive list. But a small list of fairy tales by Charles Perrault has forever gone down in the history of literature and, in addition, brought its author worldwide fame.
Founder of the fairy tale genre
Perrault, in order to prove the correctness of his words, decided to show by his own example that morality can be extracted from plots reflecting folk life and modern life. He began processing folk tales, which at that time were not considered at all as a separate literary genre. As a result, in 1697 Charles Perrault published fairy tales. The alphabetical list of works included in the first collection of “Mother Goose Tales” looks like this:
- "Cinderella";
- "Puss in Boots";
- "Little Red Riding Hood";
- "Tom Thumb";
- "Rike with a tuft";
- "Blue Beard";
- "Sleeping Beauty";
- "Fairies".
The fairy tale “Rike with the Tuft” belongs to the pen of the author himself. The seven other works in the collection represent folk tales he heard from his son’s wet nurse. The writer ennobled famous folk stories with his usual humor and talent. I omitted some details and added new ones. And the tales cut by the great master became widely known beyond the literary circle.
The works were instructive in nature, which the author noted in the title of the collection - “Stories with Moral Instructions.” Charles Perrault showed his fellow writers that folk tale no worse than ancient works can be instructive.
IN secular society There was a fashion for fairy tales. Gradually, works by other authors began to appear - philosophical tales, old stories in modern presentation and fairy tales own composition. The following editions of the Mother Goose collection include three more tales by Charles Perrault. List in alphabetical order small:
- "Griselda";
- "Donkey skin";
- "Amusing desires."
Thanks to all this, an independent literary genre began to develop.
The list of Charles Perrault's fairy tales is small; as a lawyer, academician and dignitary, he was afraid that such a frivolous activity would cast a shadow on him. Therefore, he published the first collection, indicating the name of his eleven-year-old son P. D’Armancourt. Nevertheless, Paris learned very quickly that the author of the fairy tales was none other than Charles Perrault.
Author's works
In 1653, Charles Perrault published The Wall of Troy. In writing the parody poem, he relied on his many years of research. Perrault, like his brothers Claude and Pierre, defended the superiority of new writers over the ancients. On Boileau's treatise Poetic art“He wrote the works “The Age of Louis the Great” and “Parallels of Ancient and Modern.”
To prove his assertion that his contemporaries are no worse than ancient authors, he publishes the impressive volume " Famous people France of the 17th century,” where he collected biographies of famous historians, artists, poets, and scientists of the 17th century.
In the philosophical study “Apology for a Woman,” a father tells his son about the need to get married. Beautiful language the author talks about the virtue of a woman, about love, about serious and tender feelings, about mercy and compassion. In a word, he teaches his son to look for an ideal wife - a “pearl” in the sea of life. Other works by the author:
- Portrait d "Iris ("Portrait of Iris", 1659);
- Ode sur la paix ("Ode to the World", 1660);
- Ode aux nouveaux convertis (“Ode to the Converts,” 1685);
- La Création du Monde ("The Creation of the World", 1692).
In 1755, Charles wrote “Memoirs of My Life,” in which he spoke about the important milestones of his life: his service with Colbert, editing the first French dictionary, works dedicated to the king, translations, a three-volume book devoted to comparing ancient and modern authors. But he didn’t mention a word about the collection “Mother Goose,” but it was this list of fairy tales by Charles Perrault that became a masterpiece of world culture.
What are his tales about?
The author's works, written for children, are extremely popular in all countries. Despite their somewhat French grace, the fairy tales of Charles Perrault have taken their rightful place in literature. Funny, entertaining, with a touch folk poetry, they easily reveal the foundations of human morality. Children perceive these magical and wonderful stories much easier than moralizing conversations.
Charles Perrault showed perfectly by the example of his fairy tales that children are able to notice good and bad, kind and evil. Amused by the beauty and cuteness of the fairy tale, they learn the necessary lessons. Undoubtedly, fairy tales leave room for imagination, and children believe in the wonders of fairy tales. But, as soon as the time comes, they will learn to distinguish the imaginary from the real. And the lessons learned from the first books will remain with them forever.
The first collection in Russian
Perrault's "Magic Tales" have been translated into Russian famous writer I. S. Turgenev and published in St. Petersburg in 1867. Turgenev worked on the translation for almost 2 years and, judging by his articles, was dissatisfied with its quality. But despite this, its translation is already a hundred years old. extra years considered one of the best. The illustrations by Gustav Doré gave the first edition a special charm.
Let us once again list the tales of Charles Perrault. Full list they look like this:
- "Griselda" (1691);
- "Cinderella" (1697);
- "Puss in Boots" (1697);
- "Little Red Riding Hood" (1697);
- "Tom Thumb" (1697);
- "Donkey Skin" (1694);
- "Rike with a Tuft" (1697);
- "Bluebeard" (1697);
- "Funny Desires" (1693);
- "Sleeping Beauty" (1696);
- "Fairies" (1697).
The collection was a resounding success and was translated into many languages of the world. Many musical works, animated films and films have been created based on fairy tales. feature films and even masterpieces of classical ballet.