Louis Jacolliot, French writer. adventure literature

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The 19th-century writer Louis Jacolliot, author of numerous adventure novels, received special recognition in Russia. At home, his works are little known, but in Russian society at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, huge masses of ordinary people read the books of this traveler. And today Jacolliot is read and even republished in Russia, and in France only literary experts remember him.

Life path

Louis Jacolliot was born in the small French town of Charolles on October 31, 1837. Almost nothing is known about his life. At first, Louis worked as a lawyer, then for many years he was a colonial judge. Jacollio's entire life consisted of travel. He lived not very long, but very interesting and eventful life. Jacolliot died on October 30, 1890 in France, he was only 52 years old.

Travel

Thanks to his work in the colonies, Louis Jacolliot traveled a lot. He spent several years in Oceania, onthe island of Tahiti. A long period of his life was associated with the Indian colonies. During his trips, Jacollio not only worked in courtrooms, but also studied the culture of exotic countries. He collected a large amount of ethnographic material, local folklore, aboriginal art objects. The countries of America and India at that time seemed to Europeans countries full of wonders. And Louis Jacollio tried to get to know these peculiar cultures better in order to tell his compatriots about them. During his travels, the judge kept travel diaries, which became his biggest acquisition on trips.

Creative path

After returning to France, Louis Jacollio began to write articles about the life, language, history and culture of the countries that he saw during his business trips. But these works had no scientific value, then Louis decided to start writing popular science works. He really wanted his compatriots to know and love the countries of America and Indochina. From his pen came out more than 50 novels, short stories and a large number of short stories. Jacolliot actively printed his works and for a moment even gained popularity with the French public. But the French reader was spoiled by the large number of literary works that appeared every year, and Louis Jacolliot's fame gradually faded to naught. After his death, it was hardly read or republished. But his real literary destiny awaited him in a no less exotic country - in Russia.

Jacollio and Russia

BIn Russia at the end of the 19th century books in French were the most popular reading. Unlike France, Russia treated Jacolliot's work very attentively and favorably. Here he found his grateful reader. His books were not only read in the original, but also translated into Russian. So, in 1910, an 18-volume collection of works by a French writer was published in St. Petersburg, such an event did not happen even in the author’s homeland. Jacollio was perceived in Russia as a representative of progressive science, his books were very fond of and often quoted in her Isis Unveiled by Elena Petrovna Blavatskaya.

In Soviet times, Jacolliot's books were considered anti-scientific and ideologically harmful and were banned. And only at the end of the 90s of the 20th century, Louis Zhakolio again returned to the Russian reader. Surprisingly, the 21st century reader also finds its charm in slightly naive adventure novels set in exotic countries.

Creative legacy

In the creative heritage of Zhakolio, two large groups of works stand out. The first is an adventure prose about historical and fictional events in exotic countries, about pirates, conquerors, discoverers (“Robbers of the Seas”, “Lost in the Ocean”, “Slave Hunters”, “Journey to the Land of Elephants”, “Pirate Chest”, "Fakirs-Charmers", "Journey to the Land of Bayadères"). The second - works that tell about different stories in strange countries with large popular science inserts, which often have nothing to do with the main storyline of the text ("Wild Animals", "Coast of the BlackTree", "Pests of the Sea", "Ivory Coast", "Ceylon and Senegal", "Sand City", "Monkeys, Parrots and Elephants").

But still, most of all, Jacollio tried to create ethnographic works, he wanted to tell his compatriots about what he saw on long journeys.

In the book "The Indian Bible, or the Life of Jesus Krishna" he presents the results of his comparative study of the texts of the Holy Scriptures and the biography of Krishna in Sanskrit and comes to the conclusion that the Bible largely repeats the events of an older Indian text. This allows Jacolliot to conclude that the ancient Christian texts are based on the mythology of Ancient India. Even the name of Krishna in Sanskrit sounds very similar to the pronunciation of the word "Jesus" and means "Pure essence", which also indicates a common characteristic of the two divine beings.

Studying the myths and legends of the aborigines of America and India, Jacollio for the first time finds mention of the land of Rumas, which drowned in the waters of the Indian Ocean. According to Louis, this is nothing more than a story about a land known in Europe as Atlantis. Also, this legend was confirmed in the legends about the land of Mu or Pacifida, which also went under water, but in the Pacific Ocean.

In his book "Sons of God" the myth of the famous Agartha is mentioned for the first time. Jacolliot made rather subtle observations about the numerous plot intersections in the mythologies of the inhabitants of different countries and continents, which confirms the hypothesis that all people oncelived on the same continent. His books in French were published in small editions, some of them were popular during the life of the author. But many works have remained unnoticed and unappreciated.

Lost in the Ocean novel

The ability to compose a daring plot and supplement it with interesting observations from travels was perfectly combined in Jacollio's adventure novels. Thus, the work "Lost in the Ocean" is a unique mixture of historical, adventure novels and a fascinating detective story. Set off the coast of New Caledonia, the plot revolves around the theft of the sacred scepter of the Chinese emperor.

Indian experience

The novel "In the Slums of India" tells about the famous "Sepoy Revolt" and the participation in these formidable events of the French aristocrat Frederic de Montmorin. The novel is full of intrigue, conspiracies and bright events, as well as descriptions of Indian landscapes and cultural monuments. The Russian edition of the novel "In the Slums of India" is decorated with elegant illustrations by the French graphic artist Henri Castelli, it has gone through 11 reprints in Russian.

Robbers of the Seas

Jacollio's "Robbers of the Sea" trilogy is the most famous work of the author. The action of the novel tells about the fate of the young pirate Beelzebub. The writer picturesquely tells about adventures in the North Sea and an expedition to the North Pole. The novel is dedicated to describing the life of a noble hero who was defeated by the worst enemy. Robbers of the Seas is different from many of Jacolliot's novelslack of a love line and a sad ending, which was uncharacteristic for a romantic French writer.

Australia Travel

Impressions of visiting Australia became the basis for Jacollio's adventure novel "The Fire Eaters". The romantic love story of the French diplomat Lorague and the Russian princess Vasilchikova takes place against the backdrop of dangerous adventures in the wilds of Australia. The novel contains many excellent descriptions of the flora and fauna of Australia, subtle observations of the life of the natives. The Russian edition came out with beautiful illustrations by the French artist A. Peri.