Charles Perrault: biography of the great storyteller

In a wide range of storytellers who paved the way for a fairy tale as a genre of world literature, Charles Perrault, the French poet and writer deserved the most honorable place. Few people know now that Charles Perrault, whose biography is closely connected with the political life of France of the 17th century, was considered a venerable poet of his era, was the head of scientific projects of the French Academy and the first steward of the then Minister of Finance Jean Colbert. But the world fame and recognition of readers, especially the youngest ones, was brought to him not by these thick serious books, but by amazing beautiful fairy tales: about Cinderella, Boy-with-finger, Cat in boots, Blue Beard and Little Red Riding Hood. What was the life and creative path that Charles Perrault did? The biography of this remarkable writer is presented below.

From lawyers to writers

In 1628, the youngest son Charles Perrault was born in a large family of Parisian intellectuals. The biography of this boy, who at the age of eight entered college, according to the historian Philippe Ares, deserves to be called a biography of a typical high achiever. Charles for all the years of training was not a bit of teaching rods - the case at the time was exceptional. After leaving the college, Perrault goes to three-year law courses, after graduating, he receives a specialty of a lawyer. At the age of twenty-three, he returns to his hometown, where he begins his private law practice. Charles's literary experiences fell at a time when among the representatives of high society there is a fashion for folklore, in particular children's fairy tales. Reading and listening to fairy tales were then given importance, comparable only with the modern fad of detectives. It goes without saying that a whole mass of writers emerged who sought to satisfy such requests. Among them was Perrault.

Father's worries

The virtues of the writer as a caring father are mentioned in rare reviews of his life, including this brief biography. Charles Perrault, being a court nobleman, strove to arrange the future of his children. And, wanting to introduce his eighteen-year-old son to the niece of King Louis XV, he prepared for her an unusual gift - a book with fairy tales. To present a notebook in which Charles's first fabulous stories will be written, Pierre Darmancourt, the son of the writer, was to be written. So she saw the light signed by the name of her real author. In addition, Charles Perrault, whose biography was adorned with significant merits before the country and society, feared that the occupation of "fabulous" entertainment would not cast a shadow on his authority as a serious literary figure.

Tales of Mother Goose

When did the readers learn that the author of the tales of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood was Charles Perrault himself? Biography for children, telling about the work of the storyteller, and any, necessarily contains a reference to the book published at the end of his life with "Tales of the Mother Goose". It was also signed by the name of his son - Pierre. The unprecedented popularity of this collection of fairy tales (the original was reprinted three times) served as the reason for the society to learn the truth about the true author, who became, in fact, the first writer who opened the road to a children's fairy tale as an independent genre of literary art.