Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (24 November 1808 – 29 September 1890) was a French critic, journalist, and novelist.<ref>"Notice de personne 'Karr, Alphonse'". Bibliothèque nationale de France (in French).</ref><ref name="tombes-sepultures">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Life

Karr was born in Paris to German pianist and composer Henri Karr (1784–1842), and after being educated at the Collège Bourbon, became a teacher there. Some of his novels, including his first, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1832), were autobiographical romances. A second novel, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, followed next year, and was succeeded by many other popular works. His Vendredi soir (1835) and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1836) continued the vein of autobiographical romance with which he had made his first success. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1838) is one of his best stories, and his {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1845) was deservedly popular. Others were {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1848), and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1853), which had some influence in stimulating educational reform.<ref name="EB1911">{{#if: |

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In 1855 he went to live in Nice, where he indulged his predilections for floriculture, and gave his name to more than one new variety, notably the dahlia (New International Encyclopedia). Indeed, he practically founded the trade in cut flowers on the French Riviera. He was also devoted to fishing, and in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1853) and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1860) he made use of his experiences. His reminiscences, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, were published in 1879–1880. He died at Saint-Raphaël, Var.<ref name="EB1911"/>

Family

Karr's brother Eugène was a talented engineer, and his niece Carme Karr was a writer, journalist and suffragist in La Roche-Mabile.Template:Citation needed

In April 1832, Karr had a shortlived relationship with actress Juliette Drouet. He allegedly borrowed all of her money and never paid it back.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Karr was married to Louise Estelle Clémentine (née Renard de Mentule, born 9 December 1815).<ref name="Gazette-135-49">{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, vol. 135, ed. J. Claye, p. 49.</ref> They first met in late 1833, and married on 10 February 1834. Their first and only child, Thérèse, was born on 2 September 1834.<ref>Stèle pour Alphonse Karr, Louis Virlogeux, Éditions de Cahiers Bourbonnais, 1975. Template:Page needed</ref><ref name="pseudos">Antoine Edmond Poinsot, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, éd. Slatkine, 1887. Template:Page needed</ref><ref name="lefeuve">Template:Cite book</ref> By 1845, the couple had been separated for eight and a half years.<ref>Arts, collected vol. 11, Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, 1988. Template:Page needed</ref><ref name="Gazette-135-49" />

Writings

Novels

File:Alphonse Karr by Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon, c1876.jpg

Woodburytype of Karr Template:Circa 1876. Photo by Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon.

• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1832)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1833)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1835)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1836)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1838)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1845)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1848)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1853)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1853)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1855)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1860)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1866)
• {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1879–80)

Journalism

File:Alphonse Karr Les Guêpes 1843.jpg

lang}} magazine

In 1839, Karr became editor of Le Figaro, to which he had been a constant contributor; and he also started a monthly journal, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (The Wasps), of a keenly satirical tone,<ref name="EB1911"/> a publication which brought him the reputation of someone of "imperishable words" and biting wit.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Page needed</ref> The first volumes of the journal, or magazine, were published from 1839-43. Karr attempted to revive the publication of Les Guêpes from 1852–55, an undertaking doomed to failure given the conditions of state censorship (under the regime of Napoleon III).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1848, he founded Le Journal.

Memorable quotations

Karr is remembered for many of his statements,<ref>Alphonse Karr a dit... Le Figaro.</ref> including the well-known aphorism plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> usually translated as "the more things change, the more they stay the same".<ref>Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Merriam-Webster.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On the proposal to abolish capital punishment, he wrote: "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" (i.e., "let the gentlemen who do the murders take the first step").<ref name="EB1911"/>

Legacy

File:"Grand chemin de la postérité" (16).jpg

lang}} (1842)

File:Avenue Alphonse Karr - Saint-Maur-des-Fossés - 2.JPG

Street sign in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés

Karr is one of the French artists and writers caricatured by Benjamin Roubaud in his drawing {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. Karr's head is drawn on the body of a wasp (alluding to {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and annotated "KARicature" (sic).

The short story "Les Willis" was the basis of Giacomo Puccini's opera {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1884).

The bamboo species Bambusa multiplex Alphonse Karr was named in his honour.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Numerous roads have been named after him including:

• Rue Alphonse Karr in Paris
• Rue Alphonse Karr in Nice
• Avenue Alphonse Karr in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
• Place Alphonse Karr in Barentin
• Allée Alphonse Karr in Châlons-en-Champagne

The Collège Alphonse Karr is in the resort town of Saint-Raphaël on the Côte d'Azur.

External links

• Template:Wikisource author-inline
• Template:Gutenberg author
• Template:Internet Archive author
• Alphonse Karr, LETTRE X on YouTube. Text with audio (in French)