Charles Sorel, sieur de Souvigny

Charles Sorel, sieur de Souvigny (c. 1602 – 7 March 1674) was a French novelist and general writer. Very little is known of his life except that in 1635 he was historiographer of France. He wrote on science, history and religion, but is only remembered for his novels. He tried to destroy the vogue for the pastoral romance by writing a novel of adventure, the Histoire comique de Francion (first edition in seven volumes, 1623; second edition in twelve volumes, 1633). The episodical adventures of Francion found many readers, who nevertheless kept their admiration for Honoré d'Urfé's L'Astrée, which it was intended to ridicule. Sorel decided to make his intention unmistakable, and in Le Berger extravagant (3 vols, 1627) he wrote a burlesque, in which a Parisian shop-boy, his head turned by sentiment, chooses an unprepossessing mistress and starts life as a shepherd with a dozen sheep on the banks of the Seine. Sorel did not succeed in founding the novel of character, and what he accomplished was more in the direction of farce, but he struck a shrewd blow at heroic romances. Among his other works are Polyandre (1648) and La Connaissance des bons livres (1671). He died in Paris on 7 March 1674. Bibliography based on Émile Roy: Histoire amoureuse de Cléagénor et de Doristée. Contenant leurs diverses fortunes avec plusieurs autres estranges avantures arrivées de nostre temps, disposées en quatre livres, Paris, Toussainct Du Bray, 1621. Le palais d’Angélie, Paris, Toussainct du Bray, 1622. Nouvelles françaises où se trouvent divers effets de l'amour et de la fortune, Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1623. L'Histoire comique de Francion, Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1623. Le roman est augmenté en 1626, puis, de nouveau en 1633. Dans cette dernière édition, il est intitulé La vraie histoire comique de Francion et paraît sous le nom de Nicolas de Moulinet, sieur du Parc. L'Orphise de Chrysante, Paris, Toussainct Du Bray, 1626. Le Berger extravagant, Paris, Toussainct Du Bray, (3 volumes) 1627-1628.