Paul Féval, fils
Encyclopedia
Paul Auguste Jean Nicolas Féval (called Paul Féval fils) (25 January 1860 – 15 March 1933) was a French adventure
novelist, like his father Paul Féval, père
. He was the third of eight children and the eldest son of Paul Féval, who was 42 years old and at the height of his success when Paul Féval fils was born.
Paul Féval fils became famous for writing sequels and prequels to his father's popular swashbuckler
novel Le Bossu
[The Hunchback] (1857), starting in 1893 with Le Fils de Lagardère [The Son of Largardère]. In 1914, he wrote Le Fils de d'Artagnan [The Son of d'Artagnan]. After that he published a more ambitious saga, pitting d'Artagnan
himself against Cyrano de Bergerac
.
Paul Féval fils' The Years Between series (French title d'Artagnan contre Cyrano) published in 1925 was written with M. Lassez and consists of four books: The Mysterious Cavalier, Martyr to the Queen, The Secret of the Bastille, and The Heir to Buckingham. These books supposedly fill in the missing twenty year gap of d'Artagnan's life that Alexandre Dumas, père
omitted between his stories of The Three Musketeers
and Twenty Years After
. Feval's stories take place in 1641, one year after Edmond Rostand
's play Cyrano de Bergerac
takes place.
In it, young Cyrano befriends a "Mystery Knight", who is revealed as the illegitimate son of the Duke of Buckingham
and Anne of Austria
, the Queen of France. On the other side politically is d'Artagnan who is helping Cardinal Richelieu and his successor, the wily Mazarin, to kidnap young George to use as leverage on the Queen to enlist Spain
on the side of France. But d'Artagnan is still loyal to the Queen's family and uses his mission to help her son reclaim his inheritance. At first enemies, d'Artagnan acquires a grudging respect for young Cyrano, who is a little jealous of his elder. They then become true friends and allies. Aramis
guest-stars.
Alone, in 1928, Féval fils wrote a further series of three stories called d'Artagnan and Cyrano Reconciled (French title d'Artagnan et Cyrano réconciliés) which are set directly after Twenty Years After. The stories in this series are: State Secret, The Escape of the Man in the Iron Mask, and The Wedding of Cyrano. These stories take place between 1649 (the year that Twenty Years After ends) and 1655, the year that Cyrano dies. In English, these three stories have been published into two books (one and a half stories in each book), and they are called Comrades at Arms and Salute to Cyrano.
In this sequel, d'Artagnan and Cyrano are good friends united by their respect for the Queen and their enmity towards the now-Cardinal Mazarin, who kidnaps George and uses his cunning to become force the Queen to become his lover. With the help of Aramis, the two heroes team up to rescue George from his prison at the Mont Saint-Michel
, and also rescue the Man in the Iron Mask
(Louis XIV's twin brother, as per Dumas). When civil war threatens, the two heroes are forced to side with the Queen, young Louis XIV and, to their dismay, Mazarin, against the rebels who want to use the Man in the Iron Mask. The latter is eventually recaptured and sent to the Chateau d'If
.
In the third part, Roxane is now willing to marry Cyrano, while d'Artagnan has proposed to her sister, Françoise. The wedding occurs at the Saintes Maries de la Mer. Barbary Coast
pirates raid the town and capture d'Artagnan and the two women. Cyrano rushes to the rescue; unfortunately, he is fatally wounded and dies at the end of the novel before he could marry a willing Roxane.
Paul Féval fils also wrote two science fiction
novels. During 1922 and 1923, he collaborated with writer H.J. Magog on a great, rambling serial entitled Les Mystères de Demain [The Mysteries Of Tomorrow] (1922–23), an obvious homage to Eugène Sue
’s Les Mystères de Paris
. In it, the good scientist Oronius fights the evil schemes of an evil German mad scientist
, Hantzen, and his female accomplice, a Hindu
mystic
, Yogha. Les Mystères de Demain takes a kitchen sink approach to the genre, using every clichés: hidden lair on top of the Everest, "carnoplastic" surgery, soul transfers, mountain dwarves, salamanders at the Earth’s core, germ warfare, the return of Atlantis
, etc.
In 1929, Féval fils wrote Felifax, the story of the eponymous Tarzan
-like, man-made hybrid
tiger-man and his adventures in India and England.
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
novelist, like his father Paul Féval, père
Paul Féval, père
Paul Henri Corentin Féval, père was a French novelist and dramatist.He was the author of popular swashbuckler novels such as Le Loup Blanc and the perennial best-seller Le Bossu...
. He was the third of eight children and the eldest son of Paul Féval, who was 42 years old and at the height of his success when Paul Féval fils was born.
Paul Féval fils became famous for writing sequels and prequels to his father's popular swashbuckler
Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler or swasher is a term that emerged in the 16th century and has been used for rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen ever since. A possible explanation for this term is that it derives from a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was applied with much...
novel Le Bossu
Le Bossu (novel)
Le Bossu is a French historical adventure novel by Paul Féval, first published in serial parts in Paris in 1858.Loosely based around real events, the story is set in France in two distinct periods, 1699 and 1717, and incorporates real historical characters such as Philippe II, Duke of...
[The Hunchback] (1857), starting in 1893 with Le Fils de Lagardère [The Son of Largardère]. In 1914, he wrote Le Fils de d'Artagnan [The Son of d'Artagnan]. After that he published a more ambitious saga, pitting d'Artagnan
D'Artagnan
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
himself against Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac
Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist and duelist. He is now best remembered for the works of fiction which have been woven, often very loosely, around his life story, most notably the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand...
.
Paul Féval fils' The Years Between series (French title d'Artagnan contre Cyrano) published in 1925 was written with M. Lassez and consists of four books: The Mysterious Cavalier, Martyr to the Queen, The Secret of the Bastille, and The Heir to Buckingham. These books supposedly fill in the missing twenty year gap of d'Artagnan's life that Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
omitted between his stories of The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
and Twenty Years After
Twenty Years After
Twenty Years After is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père, first serialized from January to August, 1845. A book of the D'Artagnan Romances, it is a sequel to The Three Musketeers and precedes The Vicomte de Bragelonne .The novel follows events in France during La Fronde, during the childhood reign...
. Feval's stories take place in 1641, one year after Edmond Rostand
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century...
's play Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac (play)
Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play bears very scant resemblance to his life....
takes place.
In it, young Cyrano befriends a "Mystery Knight", who is revealed as the illegitimate son of the Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
and Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, the Queen of France. On the other side politically is d'Artagnan who is helping Cardinal Richelieu and his successor, the wily Mazarin, to kidnap young George to use as leverage on the Queen to enlist Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on the side of France. But d'Artagnan is still loyal to the Queen's family and uses his mission to help her son reclaim his inheritance. At first enemies, d'Artagnan acquires a grudging respect for young Cyrano, who is a little jealous of his elder. They then become true friends and allies. Aramis
Aramis
C. René d'Aramis de Vannes is a fictional character in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père...
guest-stars.
Alone, in 1928, Féval fils wrote a further series of three stories called d'Artagnan and Cyrano Reconciled (French title d'Artagnan et Cyrano réconciliés) which are set directly after Twenty Years After. The stories in this series are: State Secret, The Escape of the Man in the Iron Mask, and The Wedding of Cyrano. These stories take place between 1649 (the year that Twenty Years After ends) and 1655, the year that Cyrano dies. In English, these three stories have been published into two books (one and a half stories in each book), and they are called Comrades at Arms and Salute to Cyrano.
In this sequel, d'Artagnan and Cyrano are good friends united by their respect for the Queen and their enmity towards the now-Cardinal Mazarin, who kidnaps George and uses his cunning to become force the Queen to become his lover. With the help of Aramis, the two heroes team up to rescue George from his prison at the Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches...
, and also rescue the Man in the Iron Mask
Man in the Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask is a name given to a prisoner arrested as Eustache Dauger in 1669 or 1670, and held in a number of jails, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol . He was held in the custody of the same jailer, Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, for a period of 34 years...
(Louis XIV's twin brother, as per Dumas). When civil war threatens, the two heroes are forced to side with the Queen, young Louis XIV and, to their dismay, Mazarin, against the rebels who want to use the Man in the Iron Mask. The latter is eventually recaptured and sent to the Chateau d'If
Château d'If
The Château d'If is a fortress located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul Archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea about a mile offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France...
.
In the third part, Roxane is now willing to marry Cyrano, while d'Artagnan has proposed to her sister, Françoise. The wedding occurs at the Saintes Maries de la Mer. Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
pirates raid the town and capture d'Artagnan and the two women. Cyrano rushes to the rescue; unfortunately, he is fatally wounded and dies at the end of the novel before he could marry a willing Roxane.
Paul Féval fils also wrote two science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels. During 1922 and 1923, he collaborated with writer H.J. Magog on a great, rambling serial entitled Les Mystères de Demain [The Mysteries Of Tomorrow] (1922–23), an obvious homage to Eugène Sue
Eugène Sue
Joseph Marie Eugène Sue was a French novelist.He was born in Paris, the son of a distinguished surgeon in Napoleon's army, and is said to have had the Empress Joséphine for godmother. Sue himself acted as surgeon both in the Spanish campaign undertaken by France in 1823 and at the Battle of Navarino...
’s Les Mystères de Paris
Les Mystères de Paris
The Mysteries of Paris is a novel by Eugène Sue which was published serially in Journal des débats from June 19, 1842 until October 15, 1843. Les Mystères de Paris singlehandedly increased the circulation of Journal des débats...
. In it, the good scientist Oronius fights the evil schemes of an evil German mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
, Hantzen, and his female accomplice, a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, Yogha. Les Mystères de Demain takes a kitchen sink approach to the genre, using every clichés: hidden lair on top of the Everest, "carnoplastic" surgery, soul transfers, mountain dwarves, salamanders at the Earth’s core, germ warfare, the return of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, etc.
In 1929, Féval fils wrote Felifax, the story of the eponymous Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
-like, man-made hybrid
Werecat
A werecat is a therianthropic creature of folklore, horror, and occultism, described as being a shape-shifter similar to a Werewolf....
tiger-man and his adventures in India and England.