1840-1897

The son of a silk merchant from Nîmes. He attended school in Lyon where he spent much of his time reading and writing poetry. In 1857 he followed his brother (Ernest) to Paris. While his brother wrote as a journalist Alphonse continued to write poetry. His first book Les Amoureuses was published in 1858 when he was 18. He began to write for Le Figaro and a second book La Double Conversion was published in 1859.

He achieved his first success with Lettres de mon Moulin in 1866. The following year he married Julia Allard.

In 1883, despite the ill health he suffered for much of his life, he felt compelled to fight a duel over an offending article.

He published his autobiography in two volumes as Souvenirs d'un Homme de Lettres and Trente ans de Paris in 1888.

Other works include:

Le Petit Chose 1868, Tartarin de Tarascon 1872, Les Contes du Lundi 1873, Jack 1876, Le Nabab 1877, Les Rois en Exil 1879, Sapho 1884.

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