Henri Massis

Henri Massis , born with Paris the March 21st 1886 and died in Paris the April 16th 1970, is a Essayiste French, critical arts person and historian of the literature.

Biographical elements

After studies of Philosophy, it publishes in 19 years its first work of literary criticism, How Emile Zola composed his novels . Nationalist Anti-supporter of Dreyfus, and Revanchist, Massis is very early attracted by Charles Maurras and the French Action. Enthusiastic polemist, it stigmatizes the diffusion with the German culture with the Sorbonne and the decline of the traditional culture (investigation with Alfred of Delays under the pseudonym of Agathon); he shows himself also critical towards the young generation of the pre-war period which makes cheap, in his eyes, of Christian morals and the traditions.

During the Years 1920, Massis renews this type of criticism in connection with the writers of its time like André Gide or Romain Roland. The first it reproaches, in particular, its “satanic” manners and its attacks against the family institution ( terrestrial Nourritures ); he denounces leaning it Socialiste of the second and sees in him a traitor who makes a pact with “the enemy”. As for its fellow-members of the French Action, the germanophobie of Massis makes him condemn - logically - the mode hitlérien ( Chefs , 1939). In the same work, it publishes the transcription of a maintenance which it had with Benito Mussolini and it decides in favor of the fascistic doctrines . It also expresses its support with Salazar, to which the ideas are close to those of Maurras.

Massis was lengthily devoted to the Journalisme. It made its beginning with the Opinion before being an editor association with the universal Revue of 1920 to 1936, then directing of this same newspaper of 1936 to 1944. It founds the universal Revue with the historian maurrassien Jacques Bainville. After the Second world war, it is devoted in particular to biographical studies, being interested inter alia in Renan, Barrès, Proust and Salazar. May 19th, 1960, he is elected member of the French Academy.

Massis was a committed witness of the social and political upheavals of France of the 20th century. As a man of right, Catholic and antimodernist, it took part in many debates of its time by dissociating Pangermanisme, Protestantisme and passion for the Communisme. Far from the literary modernism, it knew to keep the memory of writers who remained in the shade of Proust and the Surréalisme, such as Ernest Psichari and Jacques Rivière. Its testimonys on Bars and Maurras also remain of invaluable documents for the comprehension of the genesis of the right-wing ideas after the Affaire Dreyfus.

Works

How Emile Zola composed his novels , 1905.
the Well of Pyrrhon , 1907.
the Thought of Maurice Barrès , 1909.
Agathon (and Alfred of Delays) the Spirit of the news Sorbonne , 1911.
Agathon (and Alfred of Delays) Young People of today , 1913.
Romain Roland against France , 1915.
Luther prophet of the germanism , 1915.
Life of Ernest Psichari , 1916.
Impressions of war , 1916.
the Sacrifice (1914-1916) , 1917.
the Treason of Constantin , 1920.
Jerusalem Thursday-Saint of 1918 , 1921.
Judgments I: Renan, France, Bars , 1923.
Judgments II: Andre Gide, Romain Roland, Georges Duhamel, Julien Benda, vaults literary , 1924.
De Lorette in Jerusalem , 1924.
the Realism of Pascal , 1924.
Jacques River , 1925.
In margin of " Jugements" , 1927.
Reflections on the art of the novel , 1927.
Defense of the Occident , 1927.
Outposts , 1928.
Evocations. Memories (1905-1911) , 1931.
Ten years after , 1932.
DEBATEs , 3 vol., 1934.
Juniors by Alcazar , 1936.
Our friend Psichari , 1936.
the Drama of Marcel Proust , 1937.
Honor to serve , 1937.
Chiefs. The Dictators and we , 1939.
War the thirty year old (1909-1939) , 1940.
the Ideas remain , 1941.
the Prayer of Lyautey , 1942.
Découverte of Russia , 1944.
Of Andre Gide in Marcel Proust , 1948.
Germany of yesterday and the day after tomorrow , 1949.
Portrait of Mr. Renan , 1949
Maurras and our time , 2 flight, 1951.
the Occident and its destiny , 1956.
Visage ideas , 1958.
With counter-current , 1958.
Europe in question, 1958.
Of the man with God , 1959.
Salazar face to face , 1961.
Maurras and our time , ED. final and increased, 1961.
Bars and us , followed from a new correspondence (1906-1923), 1962.
With the length of a life , 1967.

See too

For a party of the intelligence (proclamation written by Henri Massis in 1919)

External bonds

Biographical note of the French Academy
L. Dubeon, “Henri Massis or the generation of the absolute”, in the Flash , June 12th, 1923

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