Romains, Jules

(1885-1972) (Louis Farigoule)

   writer

   Jules Romains (the pseudonym of Louis Farigoule), a leader of the unanimist movement, was born in Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, Haute-Loire, and educated in Paris at the École normale supérieure. He taught philosophy (1909-19) before devoting his life to writing, eventually publishing almost 100 titles. His ideas (first expressed in La vie unanime, 1908, a collection of poems) were based on the unanimist philosophy that humans must be regarded as social creatures, not as individuals. His works are distinguished by a broad vision, in which he describes with satire and irony, as well as charity and detail, different social structures. Like the works of victor hugo and honoré de balzac, he depicted completely the society of his time (Les Copains, 1913; Knock ou le Triomphe de la médicine, 1923; Monsieur Le Trouhadec saisi par la débauche, 1923; Le Mariage de Monsieur Le Trouhadec, 1925; Donagoo Tonka, 1929; Psyché, 1922-29). Romains was elected to the Académie Française in 1946.