Writer. His grandfather was a French nobleman and his father was a general in Napoleon's army. After his father death in 1806 the family lived in poverty. Alexandre went in 1823 to Paris to find work. Due to his elegant handwriting he secured a position with the Duke d'Orleans - later King Louis Philippe. He also found his place in theater and as a publisher of some obscure magazines. Dumas produced drama. His first drama was "La chasse et L'amour." It gained a huge success and he went on to compose additional plays, of which "The Tower of Nesle" is considered the greatest masterpiece of French melodrama. It was written in collaboration with Frederic Gaullardet. Before 1843 he wrote fifteen plays. Historical novels brought Dumas enormous fortune. He produced some 250 books. Dumas is best known for the historical novels "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo," both written within the space of two years, 1844-45. The story of the King's Musketeers was continued in "Twenty Years After" (1845) and "The Vicomte Bragelonne" (1848-50). In 1850 appeared "The Black Tulip." In 1851 Dumas escaped his creditors to Brussels. He spent two years there in exile and then returned to Paris and founded a daily paper called "Le Mousquetaire". In 1858 he traveled to Russia and in 1860 he went to Italy, where he supported Garibaldi and Italy's struggle for independence. He was called "the king of Paris": he earned fortunes and spent them right away on friends, art, and mistresses. He was professed to have had dozens of illegitimate children, but he acknowledged only three. Dumas died of a stroke at Puys, near Dieppe. In 2002, his body was moved from Cimetière de Villers-Cotterêts in Aisne to its new location in the Pantheon in Paris.
Writer. His grandfather was a French nobleman and his father was a general in Napoleon's army. After his father death in 1806 the family lived in poverty. Alexandre went in 1823 to Paris to find work. Due to his elegant handwriting he secured a position with the Duke d'Orleans - later King Louis Philippe. He also found his place in theater and as a publisher of some obscure magazines. Dumas produced drama. His first drama was "La chasse et L'amour." It gained a huge success and he went on to compose additional plays, of which "The Tower of Nesle" is considered the greatest masterpiece of French melodrama. It was written in collaboration with Frederic Gaullardet. Before 1843 he wrote fifteen plays. Historical novels brought Dumas enormous fortune. He produced some 250 books. Dumas is best known for the historical novels "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo," both written within the space of two years, 1844-45. The story of the King's Musketeers was continued in "Twenty Years After" (1845) and "The Vicomte Bragelonne" (1848-50). In 1850 appeared "The Black Tulip." In 1851 Dumas escaped his creditors to Brussels. He spent two years there in exile and then returned to Paris and founded a daily paper called "Le Mousquetaire". In 1858 he traveled to Russia and in 1860 he went to Italy, where he supported Garibaldi and Italy's struggle for independence. He was called "the king of Paris": he earned fortunes and spent them right away on friends, art, and mistresses. He was professed to have had dozens of illegitimate children, but he acknowledged only three. Dumas died of a stroke at Puys, near Dieppe. In 2002, his body was moved from Cimetière de Villers-Cotterêts in Aisne to its new location in the Pantheon in Paris.
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Bio by: Jelena
