Lesage, Alain René

Alain-René Lesage was a French playwright and novelist born in Bretagne. He read law in Paris and practiced briefly before he decided to try his luck in the field of literature. Little is known about his life. He lost his parents when he was still quite young, and his uncle, who was also his guardian, claimed Lesage's inheritance. He married in 1694, at the age of twenty-six, and had to support a constantly growing family by his pen. In fact, Lesage is still widely known as France's first professional author. He was able to finance his creative genius by turning out commercially viable work on the side and negotiating favourable deals with his publishers. His at the time unique talent did not make him rich, but the much respected author seems to have died in the agreeable knowledge that he had managed to earn a decent living during a long and productive life. His oeuvre is an important milestone in the history of literature.