Coster, Charles de

Coster, Charles de

▪ Belgian author
in full  Charles-Théodore-Henri de Coster 
born Aug. 20, 1827, Munich, Bavaria [Germany]
died May 7, 1879, Brussels, Belg.

      Belgian novelist, writing in French, who stimulated Belgian national consciousness and prepared the ground for an original native literature.

      De Coster lived most of his life in poverty and obscurity and took 10 years to write his masterpiece, La Légende et les aventures héroïques, joyeuses, et glorieuses d'Ulenspiegel et de Lamme Goedzak au pays de Flandres et ailleurs (1867; The Glorious Adventures of Tyl Ulenspiegl). Freely adapting the traditional tales of the folk heroes Till Eulenspiegel (Ulenspiegel) and Lamme, he set his story in the 16th century, at the height of the Inquisition; the hero's father is burned at the stake as a heretic, and Ulenspiegel swears an oath to avenge his death. De Coster imbues his characters with heroic qualities within a typically Belgian realism. First developed in Légendes flamandes (1858; Flemish Legends), his literary style is highly coloured and archaistic in the manner of Rabelais (Rabelais, François), Montaigne (Montaigne, Michel de), and 16th-century chroniclers. With its theme of resistance against oppression, the book has been called “the Bible of Flanders” and “the breviary of freedom”; yet neither the gruesome death and torture scenes nor a certain tendency to philosophize prevent its being, as the author describes it, “a merry, jovial book, a work of art and of literature.” The contrast between La Légende and other Belgian novels of the period is sharp and striking. It took 20 years, however, for the novel to be appreciated.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Coster, Charles de —    See De Coster, Charles …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • Charles De Coster — Activités Écrivain, journaliste Naissance 27 août 1827 Munich Décès 7  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Charles de Coster — Activité(s) Écrivain, journaliste Naissance 27 août 1827 Munich Décès 7 mai 1879 Ixelles Langue d écriture Français …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Charles Coster — Charles R. Coster (c. 1837 – December 23, 1888)[1] was an American soldier and public official, who is best known for commanding a brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg. Contents 1 Early life and service 2 Gettysburg …   Wikipedia

  • Charles de Coster — Charles de Coster. Charles Theodore Henri De Coster (Múnich, 20 de agosto de 1827 Ixelles, 7 de mayo de 1879) fue un novelista belga cuyos esfuerzos establecieron la base de una literatura belga original. Nació en Múnich; su padre, Augustin De… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Charles DeCoster — Charles De Coster. Charles Théodore Henri De Coster (* 20. August 1827 in München; † 7. Mai 1879 in Ixelles) war ein belgischer Schriftsteller. Sein Ulenspiegel, das Epos des Freiheitskampfes der Flamen gegen die spanische Unterdrückung,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles De Coster — Charles De Coster. Charles Théodore Henri De Coster (* 20. August 1827 in München; † 7. Mai 1879 in Ixelles) war ein belgischer Schriftsteller. Sein Ulenspiegel, das Epos des Freiheitskampfes der Flamen gegen die spanische Unterdrückung,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles Théodore Henri De Coster — Charles De Coster. Charles Théodore Henri De Coster (* 20. August 1827 in München; † 7. Mai 1879 in Ixelles) war ein belgischer Schriftsteller. Sein Ulenspiegel, das Epos des Freiheitskampfes der Flamen gegen die spanische Unterdrückung,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles de Coster — Charles De Coster. Charles Théodore Henri De Coster (* 20. August 1827 in München; † 7. Mai 1879 in Ixelles) war ein belgischer Schriftsteller. Sein Ulenspiegel, das Epos des Freiheitskampfes der Flamen gegen die spanische Unterdrückung,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles De Coster — Born Charles Theodore Henri De Coster 20 August 1827(1827 08 20) Munich …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”