The French writer and public figure Maurice Druon is known all over the world. He is the author of the acclaimed series of historical novels "The Cursed Kings", as well as the trilogy "The End of Men". Maurice Druon, in addition to literary work, he was the Minister of Culture of France and was the secretary of the French Academy.
Maurice Druon had a very busy life. In his younger years he was a follower of Charles de Gaulle, in later years he was a friend of Vladimir Putin. Maurice Druon was personally acquainted with Antoine de Saint-Exupery. He was a novelist, screenwriter, war correspondent, minister of culture and permanent secretary of the French Academy, where he unsuccessfully fought against women's rights to join the French exclusive literary club. Despite his conservative views, Maurice Druon was not far from modernity and welcomed the lyrics of the French rapper MC Solaar.
Maurice Druon was friends with Vladimir Putin. In 2003, the Russian president paid a state visit to France when he decided to get acquainted with the "literary pride of this country" in person.
Maurice Druon's early years
Maurice Druon, née Maurice Kessel, was born in Paris on April 23, 1918. His father, Lazar Kessel, an actor and immigrant from Russia, committed suicide when the boy was only two years old. After the death of his father, the writer's mother married Rene Druon de Reignac, a notary from Normandy who adopted the boy when he was seven years old.
Maurice attended school in Paris and later served in the French cavalry. During the 1940 military armistice between Germany and France, Druon fled to Britain via Spain, where he lived in London for a single year.
Literary works of a French writer
Maurice Druon is the famous author of six volumes of Cursed Kings, dedicated to the political and romantic intrigues of the French and English courts before the events of the Hundred Years War. Like the 19th century historical novelist Alexandre Dumas the Elder, Druon was an author and editor with a “workshop” of writers who helped write the lengthy series from 1955 to 1960. But, unlike Dumas, Druon generously rewarded his assistants.
Maurice Druon is a prolific author of memoirs, letters, plays, essays, political treatises and more than two dozen novels and literary works, including:
- children's fairy tale "Tistu - a boy with green fingers";
- the novel "Fiery Cloud";
- trilogy "The End of People";
- mythological stories "Memoirs of Zeus";
- "Paris from Caesar to Saint Louis."
The last literary work of the writer was the memoir "This is my war, my France, my pain", which was published in 2009.
Some of the novels written by Maurice Druon have been filmed.
Personal life of Maurice Druon
The famous writer and public figure was married to Madeleine Mérignac from September 1968 until the death of Maurice Druon in 2009. There were no children in the marriage.
A year before his death, the Russian president visited the sick writer in his Paris apartment.
