The Book of Monelle

The son of a diplomat, Marcel Schwob was born outside of Paris and received his primary education from private tutors, after which he attended high school in Nantes and then at the Lycée Louis le Grand in Paris. Earning his bachelor’s degree from the Sorbonne in 1888, Schwob worked as a journalist and became involved in Parisian literary circles. He began publishing short stories during this period, incorporating symbolism and a degree of fantasy into his work at a time when realism prevailed in French literature. Schwob’s stories reflect the influence of classical Greek and Roman literature, Anglophone literature, and his own family’s legends concerning their Jewish heritage. Throughout his life, Schwob maintained friendships and acquaintances with prominent literary figures, including Edmond de Goncourt, Catulle Mendès, Marcel Proust, and Oscar Wilde. He was the uncle of the surrealist photographer Claude Cahun.