Pierre Souvestre

Pierre Souvestre (; 1 June 1874 – 26 February 1914) was a French lawyer, journalist, writer and organizer of motor races. He is mostly remembered today for his co-creation with Marcel Allain of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fantômas.

Early life

He was born in Plomelin, a commune in Finistère, Brittany, the son of a prefect of Brittany who resigned from his post to settle in Paris. Souvestre studied law at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly.

Career

He became a lawyer, then a journalist, and a businessman. He owned a garage in Liverpool from 1898, then a second in Paris from 1905. A delegate of the Automobile Club de France , he organized motor races, contributed to the newspaper L'Auto , and wrote technical books, including the 1907 book, A.C.F. History of the Automobile, and the French-English Automobile Dictionary in 1910.

In 1909, already a published author, Souvestre co-wrote, with his friend and assistant Allain, their first novel, Le Rour. Investigating Magistrate Germain Fuselier, later to become a recurring character in the Fantômas series, appears in this first novel.

In February 1911, Allain and Souvestre began the Fantômas book series at the request of Joseph-Arthème Fayard , a publisher, who wanted to create a new monthly pulp magazine. Allain and Souvestre also jointly wrote the spy series Naz-en-l'air. After his death, Allain continued the Fantômas saga alone.

Private life

Souvestre took in Marcel Allain when Allain was driven from his home by his father. Souvestre died of a congestion of the lungs. Souvestre's former girlfriend, Henriette Kistler, married Marcel Allain on 27 September 1926. Kistler died in 1956.

Poetry

• Kidding (1894)

Conte

• Collage (1894)
• The Misfortunes of Madame Rambuad (1896)

Automobile publications

• Sporty silhouettes (1903)
• A.C.F. History of the Automobile (1907)
• The car, how to use it, its maintenance (1908)
• French-English Automobile Dictionary (1910)

Other work by Allain and Souvestre

• Le Rour (1908-1909)
• Le Four (1909)
• L'Empreinte (1910)
• La Royalda (1910)
• Naz-en-l’Air (1912-1913)
• Titi-le-Moblot (1913-1914)

The Fantômas books by Allain and Souvestre

1911

• 1. Fantômas (1911; transl. 1915; retransl. 1986)
• 2. Juve contre Fantômas (1911; transl. 1916; retransl. 1987)
• 3. Le Mort qui Tue (1911; transl. 1917)
• 4. L'Agent Secret (1911; transl. 1917)
• 5. Un Roi Prisonnier de Fantômas (1911; transl. 1919)
• 6. Le Policier Apache (1911; transl. 1924)
• 7. Le Pendu de Londres (1911; transl. 1920)
• 8. La Fille de Fantômas (1911; transl. 2006) ()
• 9. Le Fiacre de Nuit (1911)
• 10. La Main Coupée (1911; transl. 1924)

1912

• 11. L'Arrestation de Fantômas (1912)
• 12. Le Magistrat Cambrioleur (1912)
• 13. La Livrée du Crime (1912)
• 14. La Mort de Juve (1912)
• 15. L'Evadée de Saint-Lazare (1912)
• 16. La Disparition de Fandor (1912)
• 17. Le Mariage de Fantômas (1912)
• 18. L'Assassin de Lady Beltham (1912)
• 19. La Guêpe Rouge (1912)
• 20. Les Souliers du Mort (1912)
• 21. Le Train Perdu (1912)
• 22. Les Amours d'un Prince (1912)
• 23. Le Bouquet Tragique (1912)

1913

• 24. Le Jockey Masqué (1913)
• 25. Le Cercueil Vide (1913)
• 26. Le Faiseur de Reines (1913)
• 27. Le Cadavre Géant (1913)
• 28. Le Voleur d'Or (1913)
• 29. La Série Rouge (1913)
• 30. L'Hôtel du Crime (1913)
• 31. La Cravate de Chanvre (1913)
• 32. La Fin de Fantômas (1913)

The Naz-en-l'air books by Allain and Souvestre

1912

• Naz-en-l'air (1912)
• Le Secret de Naz-en-l'air (1912)
• L'Ongle cassé (1912)
• Les Tueuses d'hommes (1912)

1913

• Le Mystérieux Clubman (1913)
• Le Roi des flics (1913)
• Évadé de bagne (1913)
• Espions de l'air (1913)
• Crimes d'empereur (1913)
• Haine de bandit (1913)
• L'Échéance fatale (1913)

Theater works by Allain and Souvestre

• Gigolo, drama in five acts, Paris, Schaub-Barbré (1913), with Marcel Allain
• Naz-en-l'air, drama in five acts, Paris, Schaub-Barbré (1913), with Marcel Allain

References

External links