BRUNETIERE, bran'tyar', F•MNAND 54 ) The greatest systematic critic of con temporary French literature. lie was born in Toulon; he stodied there and in Paris, and first came into prominence in 1875 by critical work in the Revue des Deux Mond•& a journal of which he afterwards became the editor (1895). In l$5(i he was made professor of literature at the Ecole Normale in Paris, in 1887 of the le gion of and in 189:3 lecturer at the Sorbonne, and member of the Academy. in 1897 he lectured in the United States and afterwards attracted wide attention through his increasing veal for Boman Catholicism as opposed to the tenets of the 'intellectuals' of Vranee. His philo sophical point of view has shifted from a mate rialistic to an idealistic pessimism. His literary criticism shows an immense and learning, apparent objectivity, and an impressive logical synthesis, manifested in a style always keen and cutting. often superciliously contemptuous; for though outwardly impersonal, his criticism is in fact strongly prejudiced. Bence lie is more popu lar with the public than with his fellow !midi eists, who had him more intent to "classify, weigh and compare, than to enjoy or help others to en joy" (Lemaitrei. His greatest service to the study of literature has been to place the classical and romantic periods in true perspective with the Eighteenth Century and the present clay.
Throughout, lie sees, with 'Caine, a natural evo lution in literary tradition, although he accords greater play to individuality. Even the `Natu ralists,' Zola, the Goncourts, and other of his pet abominations, are grudgingly admitted to have been of service in "drawing our writers from the cloudy summits of old-time romanticism to the level plains of reality." Brunetiere's great est work is his marvelously condensed Manuel de l'histoire de in litterature francaise (1897), which has been defectively translated (New York, 1899). Other important works are: Evolution des genres dans l'histoire de In lit terature, Vol. I. (1g90), a history of criticism; Les epoques du theatre francais (lS92) L'ero lution de In lyrique en France au XI.Ve. siecle (1S94) ; and Lc roman naturaliste (1883). Fifteen volumes of essays are collected under various titles as Nouvelles questions de critique (1890) ; Histoirc et litterature (1SS4-86) ; Etudes critiques l'histoirc dc In litter-attire f rancaise ( ISSO-98) ; Diseours aeadem iques (1901). In recent years his work has appeared less frequently and is usually political, ethical, or social even in its treatment of literary sub jects.