Antoine Saint Exupery: biography. Literary heritage

Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger de Saint-Exupéry is a writer, poet and professional pilot.

Born in the French city of Lyon on the street. Peyrat, 8, in the family of the insurance inspector Count Jean-Marc Saint-Exupéry (1863-1904) and his wife Marie Bois de Fontcolombes. The family came from an old family of Perigord nobles. Antoine (his nickname at home was "Tonio") was the third of five children. When Antoine was 4 years old, his father died of an intracerebral hemorrhage.

In 1908, Exupery entered the School of the Christian Brothers of St. Bartholomew, then, together with his brother François, he studied at the Jesuit College of Sainte-Croix in Le Mans (until 1914), in 1914-1915 the brothers studied at the Jesuit College of Notre-Dame-de-Mongreux in Villefranche-sur-Saône, after which they continued their studies in Friborg (Switzerland) at the Marist college Villa Saint-Jean (until 1917), when Antoine successfully passed the baccalaureate exam. In 1917, Francois died of rheumatic carditis, his death shocked Antoine. In October 1917, Antoine, preparing to enter the Ecole Naval, took a preparatory course at the Ecole Bossu, Lycée Saint-Louis, then, in 1918, at the Lakanal Lyceum, but in June 1919 he failed the oral exam. entrance exam. In October 1919 he enrolled as a volunteer in the National high school fine arts to the Department of Architecture.

In 1921 he was drafted into the army. Having interrupted the deferment received upon entering the university, Antoine enrolled in the 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment in Strasbourg. At first he was assigned to a work team at repair shops, but soon he managed to pass the exam to become a civilian pilot. Exupery was transferred to Morocco, where he received his license as a military pilot. In 1922, Antoine completed courses for reserve officers in Aurora and received the rank of junior lieutenant. In October he was assigned to the 34th Aviation Regiment at Bourges near Paris. In 1923, his first plane crash occurred; Exupery received a traumatic brain injury. In March he was discharged. He moved to Paris, where he took up literature.

In 1926, Exupery became a pilot for the Aeropostal company, delivering mail to the northern coast of Africa. In the spring he began working on the Toulouse - Casablanca line, then Casablanca - Dakar. In October, he was appointed head of the Cap Jubi intermediate station (city of Villa Bens) on the very edge of the Sahara. Here he wrote his first work - the novel "Southern Postal".

In 1929, Saint-Exupéry returned to France and enrolled in higher aviation courses. navy in Brest. Soon, Gallimard's publishing house released his novel, and Exupery went to South America as technical director of Aeropostal Argentina. In 1930, Saint-Exupéry was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor for his contribution to the development of civil aviation. In June, he participated in the search for his friend, pilot Henri Guillaumet, who suffered an accident while flying over the Andes. In the same year, Saint-Exupéry wrote the novel Night Flight and met his future wife from El Salvador.

When Saint-Exupéry returned to France, he married Consuelo Sunsin (1901 - 1979), but the couple, as a rule, lived separately. In 1931 Aeropostal went bankrupt. Saint-Exupéry returned to the France-Africa postal line. In October, Night Flight was released, for which the writer was awarded literary prize"Femina".

Antoine continued to fly and suffered several accidents. Participated in the 1939 war against Germany. On July 31, 1944, Exupery went on a reconnaissance flight and did not return.

"Too much early death is tantamount to robbery: in order to carry out his life calling, you have to live long,” wrote (1900 - 1944) in one of his later articles. The author seemed to have a presentiment of his imminent death.

On July 31, 1944, he went on another combat mission and did not return. For a long time Exupery was on the list of missing persons. Only half a century after his disappearance were fragments of his plane and personal belongings found. How much more could he have given to humanity if he had not died on that ill-fated July day...

We have selected 20 wonderful quotes from his books:

The life and work of Exupery, the biography of this man and his personal life are what interests many readers of our time. There was a lot in his life interesting moments that are worth talking about. Facts from the life of Saint Exupery - a biography of one of the most mysterious authors of that time. The fate of the writer and pilot in one person is an interesting mixture, and we invite you to plunge into the past and live some moments of that time together with a talented person.

Antoine Exupery: biography

Antoine was born on June 26, 1900 in the beautiful town of France - Lyon. His father was not a very nobleman high level, Count. Full name The boy was given Antoine de Saint Exupéry. His biography is filled different events, and the first of them was the loss of his father at the age of 4 years. His further upbringing was taken over by his mother. She first saw to it that he graduated from a Jesuit school, and then sent him to study at a private Swiss boarding school. In 1917, Antoine became a student of architecture at the School of Arts in Paris. Thus, the mother fulfilled her parental duty and gave her son a decent education.

New stage

In 1921, Antoine was drafted into the army, and his fate changed dramatically. At first he worked in workshops at the airfield, but soon passed the exam and received a pilot's license, so far only a civilian one. A little later, he retrained as a military pilot and improved his skills in Istra. After completing an officer course in Avora, Antoine received the rank of junior lieutenant. He made many flights as an officer of the 34th regiment, but in 1923 his plane crashed and Exupery received a severe head injury. Returning from the army, he moved to the capital of France and became interested in writing. Not very successful at first. But Antoine de Exupéry, whose biography is still connected with literature, did not despair.

Antoine's activities

Since his work as a writer was not successful, he had to change his occupation and engage in trade. First he got a job at car company and sold cars, and then exchanged cars for books, worked in a bookstore. But he could not engage in this type of activity for long. In 1926, he was lucky enough to find a place in the Aeropostal company. Flying an airplane, Antoine delivered mail to the African continent. Then he continued to work on the mail plane, but changed directions - from Toulouse to Dakar. Having received a promotion, Antoine became the station manager in Villa Bans. It was in this place that he wrote his first story - “Southern Postal”. After this, Exupery received another promotion and moved to South America, where he became director of a branch of the Aeropostal company. While working there, he was part of a team that was searching for a missing man, Antoine's friend, Guillaume. An important point is that Exupery was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor for his significant contribution to aviation. De Saint Exupery's whole life, the biography of this man and even his death - everything is connected in one way or another with aviation, so this award was very important for the writer.

Writer's character

Everyone who knew this man said that he was a unique personality. Antoine always had a smile on his face, and he loved all people in an amazing way. His small nose gave him a perky look. The writer’s generous character was distinguished by the fact that he selflessly helped everyone who needed it. However, he never expected anything in return. Count Antoine de Saint Exupéry, whose biography interests us, was, first of all, a man with capital letters. He never lied because he couldn't. He was sure that hatred was not the way out of the situation. Only love can overcome hatred. Therefore, he was loving and very kind. With all this, Antoine was extremely extreme. He could forget to turn off the tap and flood the neighbors below, he could land on the wrong runway while flying a plane, or forget to slam the apartment door. However, this in no way detracted from its merits.

Romance in the life of a writer

For the first time, the writer's heart trembled when he met his first love, Louise Vilmorne, who was from a very rich family. He sought her affection in every possible way, but she did not reciprocate and ignored his ardent advances. When Antoine was hospitalized after a plane crash, she completely forgot about his existence. Exupery took this tragedy seriously and suffered for a long time, experiencing torment unrequited love. Even when the writer became famous and recognized in the world, this did not in any way affect Louise’s attitude towards Saint Exupery. Antoine's biography was no longer connected with this woman. But the other ladies really liked him. Many people found him attractive, and almost everyone found him charming. The smile that always graced his face made him very good-natured and attractive.

Muse of genius

Having once suffered suffering because of unrequited love, Antoine was in no hurry to plunge into this pool again. He wanted to find a woman with whom he could start a family. And I found it. Such a woman turned out to be Consuela Carilo. There are many options for exactly how the future newlyweds met, but the best version is the one in which they were introduced by a mutual friend, Benjamin Cramier. Consuela was a widow, her previous husband, also a writer, died, and she fled from sadness into the arms of Antoine. They married in France in the spring of 1931. The wedding was very magnificent and attracted many guests. As for Consuela, reviews of this woman’s character are not always positive. She had an explosive character, was quite unbalanced and hysterical. But Antoine was madly in love with his wife. She had an extraordinary mind, read a lot and was an interesting conversationalist. She always behaved slightly arrogantly, although no one could call her a beauty. Exupery, whose biography interests the reader in every detail, considered his wife the most beautiful, and she gave him strength both in writing and in his work in aviation.

Correspondent

In parallel with his personal life, he developed professional life writer in the field of aviation. After the Aeropostal company went bankrupt, Antoine worked as an aircraft tester, where his friend Didier got him a job. The work was very dangerous, and once Antoine almost died while testing another plane. A new type of activity was working as a correspondent. Having signed an agreement with the Paris Soir newspaper, Exupery traveled to different countries and wrote essays. One of the significant trips was a trip to the USSR. Having felt the whole atmosphere of the Stalinist regime, he tried to express his impressions in his essay, which was published by the newspaper. Later, from the newspaper "Entransigen" Antoine went to a region of Spain where at that time there was a civil war. Many essays from those places were the result of Exupery's work. The biography of this man is full of danger and extreme sports, and this always pushed him to further crazy actions. For example, he bought a plane and wanted to set a record by flying the Paris-Saigon line. But the plane crashed right in the middle of the desert. Antoine miraculously survived. He and the plane's mechanic were rescued by Bedouins when they were almost dying of thirst.

Great writer

Almost all of Exupery's books appeared thanks to his work in aviation and his experience as a pilot. His novels are imbued with the perception of the world through the eyes of an airplane pilot. Antoine received literary awards that appreciated him as a writer:

• Femina Literary Prize.
• Grand Prix du Roman (France).
• National (USA).

Exupery's works were always multifaceted, in each of them was hidden deep meaning. Some novels concerned only the pilot, others expressed purely personal relationships. He loved to philosophize in his works, and this made readers think about the main idea that Exupery wanted to put into it. A biography, short or detailed, in any case will reveal Antoine first of all as a writer, and then as a pilot. But this is debatable. After all, without Antoine the pilot there would be no successful Antoine the writer. Therefore, who is in charge, the pilot or the writer, the question is similar to what came first: the egg or the chicken.

Literary heritage

The reader of our time has the opportunity to familiarize himself with different works Exupery. These are both articles and essays. But the main indicator of his talent as a writer are such novels as:

• "South Postal".
• "Night flight".
• "Land of People".
• "Wind, sand and stars."
• "Military pilot".
• "A little prince".

Death of a writer

There has been a lot of talk and talk about the death of the writer. After all, like Antoine himself, his death was not simple and unambiguous. When did the second one begin? World War, he did not stay at home a day, and the next day after the declaration of war he was already in the military unit. Friends tried to dissuade him, but he was relentless. Enlisted in the reconnaissance detachment. Made many combat and reconnaissance missions. One day, July 31, 1944, he flew on reconnaissance and never returned. For a very long time he was considered missing. Only in 1998, near Marseille, a bracelet was found in the sea on which the name “Consuella” could be seen. Even later, in 2000, the wreckage of the plane on which Antoine flew was discovered. And even later, in 2008, a pilot of a German squadron admitted that it was he who shot down Exupery’s plane. Biography of this talented person so bright that even death had to become a kind of mystery and end with dignity life path great man. Lyon Airport is named after Antoine de Saint Exupéry, and this was also done for a reason.

Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger de Saint-Exupéry (French: Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger de Saint-Exupéry) was born on June 29, 1900 in Lyon (France) into an aristocratic family. He was the third child of Count Jean de Saint-Exupéry.

His father died when Antoine was four years old, and his mother raised the boy. He spent his childhood on the Saint-Maurice estate near Lyon, which belonged to his grandmother.

In 1909-1914 Antoine and his younger brother Francois studied at the Jesuit College of Le Mans, then at a private educational institution in Switzerland.

Having received a bachelor's degree in college, Antoine studied for several years at the Academy of Arts in the architectural department, then entered the aviation troops as a private. In 1923 he was given a pilot's license.

In 1926, he was accepted into the service of the General Company of Aviation Enterprises, owned by the famous designer Latekoer. In the same year, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s first story, “The Pilot,” appeared in print.

Saint-Exupery flew on the postal lines Toulouse - Casablanca, Casablanca - Dakar, then became the head of the airfield at Fort Cap Jubie in Morocco (part of this territory belonged to the French) - on the border of the Sahara.

In 1929, he returned to France for six months and signed an agreement with book publisher Gaston Guillimard to publish seven novels; in the same year, the novel “Southern Postal” was published. In September 1929, Saint-Exupéry was appointed director of the Buenos Aires branch of the French airline Aeropostal Argentina.

In 1930 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France, and at the end of 1931 he became a laureate of the prestigious literary prize "Femina" for the novel "Night Flight" (1931).

In 1933-1934, he was a test pilot, made a number of long-distance flights, suffered accidents, and was seriously wounded several times.

In 1934 he filed the first application for an invention new system landing aircraft (in total he had 10 inventions at the level of scientific and technical achievements of his time).

In December 1935, during a long flight from Paris to Saigon, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's plane crashed in the Libyan desert; he miraculously survived.

From the mid-1930s, he worked as a journalist: in April 1935, as a special correspondent for the Paris-Soir newspaper, he visited Moscow and described this visit in several essays; in 1936, as a front-line correspondent, he wrote a series of military reports from Spain, where the civil war was going on.

In 1939, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was promoted to officer of the French Legion of Honor. In February, his book “Planet of People” (in Russian translation - “Land of People”; American title - “Wind, Sand and Stars”), which is a collection of autobiographical essays, was published. The book was awarded the French Academy Prize and National Award year in the USA.

When World War II began, Captain Saint-Exupéry was conscripted into the army, but was found fit only for ground service. Using all his connections, Saint-Exupery achieved an appointment to an aviation reconnaissance group.

In May 1940, on a Block 174 aircraft, he made a reconnaissance flight over Arras, for which he was awarded the Military Cross for Military Merit.

After the occupation of France by Nazi troops in 1940, he emigrated to the United States.

In February 1942, his book "Military Pilot" was published in the USA and had big success, after which Saint-Exupéry at the end of spring received an order from the publishing house Reynal-Hitchhok to write a fairy tale for children. He signed a contract and began work on the philosophical and lyrical fairy tale “The Little Prince” with the author’s illustrations. In April 1943, "The Little Prince" was published in the USA, and in the same year the story "Letter to a Hostage" was published. Then Saint-Exupéry worked on the story "The Citadel" (not finished, published in 1948).

In 1943, Saint-Exupery left America for Algeria, where he underwent treatment, from where he returned to his air group based in Morocco in the summer. After great difficulty in obtaining permission to fly, thanks to the support of influential figures in the French resistance, Saint-Exupéry was allowed to fly five reconnaissance flights to take aerial photographs of enemy communications and troops in the area of ​​his native Provence.

On the morning of July 31, 1944, Saint-Exupery set off on a reconnaissance flight from Borgo airfield on the island of Corsica in a Lightning P-38 aircraft equipped with a camera and unarmed. His task on that flight was to collect intelligence in preparation for the landing operation in the south of France, occupied by the Nazi invaders. The plane did not return to base and its pilot was declared missing.

The search for the remains of the plane was carried out for many years, only in 1998, Marseille fisherman Jean-Claude Bianco accidentally discovered a silver bracelet near Marseille with the name of the writer and his wife Consuelo.

In May 2000, professional diver Luc Vanrel told authorities that he had discovered the remains of the plane on which Saint-Exupéry made his last flight at a depth of 70 meters. From November 2003 to January 2004, a special expedition recovered the remains of the plane from the bottom; on one of the parts they were able to find the marking “2374 L”, which corresponded to Saint-Exupéry’s plane.

In March 2008, former Luftwaffe pilot Horst Rippert, 88, said he was the one who shot down the plane. Rippert's statements are confirmed by some information from other sources, but at the same time, no records were found in the logs of the German Air Force about the plane shot down that day in the area where Saint-Exupéry disappeared; the found wreckage of his plane did not have obvious traces of shelling.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery was married to the widow of the Argentine journalist Consuelo Songqing (1901-1979). After the writer's disappearance, she lived in New York, then moved to France, where she was known as a sculptor and painter. She devoted a lot of time to perpetuating the memory of Saint-Exupéry.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry - outstanding French writer first half of the twentieth century. Coming from an aristocratic family, he managed to break with the bohemian lifestyle of the rich, became a professional pilot and always followed his philosophical beliefs.

Saint-Ex said: “A person must come true... Action saves from death... fear, from all weaknesses and illnesses.” And it came true. He came true as a pilot - a professional in his field, as a writer who gave the world immortal works art, as a person – a bearer of high moral qualities.

During his life, Exupery flew halfway around the world: he carries mail to Port-Etienne, Dakar, Algeria, works in branches of French airlines in South America and the exotic Sahara, and visits Spain and the USSR as a political correspondent. Long flights encourage thinking. Saint-Ex puts everything he has imagined and experienced on paper. This is how his subtle philosophical prose was created - the novels “Southern Post Office”, “Night Flight”, “Planet of People”, “Citadel”, the stories “Pilot” and “Military Pilot”, numerous essays, articles, discussions and, of course, not -childishly deep and sad fairy tale “The Little Prince”.

Childhood (1900–1917)

“I’m not really sure I lived after childhood.”

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry was born on June 22, 1900 in Lyon into an aristocratic family. His mother, Marie De Fontcolomb, was a representative of an old Provencal family, his father, Count Jean De Saint-Exupéry, was from an even more ancient Limousin family, whose members were knights of the Holy Grail.

Antoine did not know his father's affection - his father died when young Exupery was only four years old. A mother with five young children (Marie-Madeleine, Simone, Antoine, François and Gabrielle) remains with sonorous name, but without means of subsistence. The family is immediately taken under the protection of wealthy grandmothers, the owners of the castles of La Mole and Saint-Maurice de Remans. In the picturesque surroundings of the second, Tonio (Antoine's home nickname) spends his happy childhood.

He fondly remembers the fabulous “upper room” where the children lived. Everyone there had their own corner, furnished in accordance with the tastes of the little owner. From a very young age, Tonio had two passions - inventing and writing. So, in college Antoine demonstrates good results in French literature (its school essay about the life of the Cylinder and the poem).

Young Exupery was prone to reflection; he could think while looking somewhere in the sky for a long time. For this feature, he was given the comic nickname “Lunatic”, but they called him that behind his back - Tonio was not a timid boy and could stand up for himself with his fists. This explains that Exupery always had the lowest score in terms of behavior.

At the age of 12, Antoine makes his first flight. At the helm is the renowned pilot Gabriel Wrablewski. Young Exupery in the cockpit. This event is mistakenly considered decisive in the choice further career, allegedly from the first flight Antoine “fell ill with the sky.” In fact, at the age of 12, young Exupery’s ideas about the future were more than vague. He was indifferent to the flight - he wrote a poem and happily forgot about it.

When Tonio turns 17, his younger brother Francois, with whom they were inseparable, dies. The tragic event was a severe shock for the teenager. For the first time he is faced with the harshness of life, from which he has been carefully protected all these years. This is how a bright childhood ends. Tonio turns into Antoine.

Choosing a career. First steps in literature (1919–1929)

“You just have to grow up, and a merciful God leaves you to your fate.”

After graduating from college, Antoine Exupery is faced with his first serious choice. He is painfully trying to chart his path in life. Enters the Naval Academy, but fails the exams. He attends the Academy of Arts (architectural department), but, fed up with the aimless bohemian life, he quits studying. Finally, in 1921, Antoine enlists in the Strasbourg aviation regiment. He again acts at random, not suspecting that this adventure will become his favorite thing in life.

1927 Behind him, 27-year-old Antoine Saint-Exupéry has successfully passed exams, the title of civilian pilot, dozens of flights, a serious crash, and acquaintance with the exotic Casablanca and Dakar.

Exupery always felt literary inclinations in himself, but did not take up the pen due to lack of experience. “Before you write,” said Saint-Ex, “you need to live.” Seven years of flight experience gives him the moral right to present to the world his first literary work - the novel “Southern Postal”, or “Post-South”.

In 1929, the independent publishing house of Gaston Gallimard (“Gallimard”) published Southern Postal. To the surprise of the author himself, critics greeted his work very warmly, noting the new range of problems raised by the aspiring writer, the dynamic style, the capacity of the narrative, and the musical rhythm of the author's style.

Having received the position of technical director, certified pilot Exupery goes overseas to South America.

Consuelo. Other publications. Exupery correspondent (1930–1939)

“Loving does not mean looking at each other. Loving means looking in one direction.”

The result of the American period in Exupery’s life was the novel “Night Flight” and the acquaintance of his future wife Consuelo Sunsin Sandoval. The expressive Argentinean woman later became the prototype of Rose from The Little Prince. Life with her was very difficult, sometimes unbearable, but even without Consuelo, Exupery could not imagine his existence. “I’ve never seen,” Saint-Ex sneered, “such a small creature making so much noise.”

Returning to France, Exupery submits Night Flight to print. This time Antoine is pleased with the work done. The second novel is not a test of the pen of a novice immature writer, but a carefully thought-out piece of art. Now they are talking about the writer Exupery. Fame came to him.

Award and film adaptation of the book

For his novel Night Flight, Exupery was awarded the prestigious Femina literary prize. In 1933, the United States released a film adaptation of the book of the same name. The project was directed by Clarence Brown.

Saint-Ex continues to fly: he delivers mail from Marseille to Algeria, serves private domestic flights, earns money for his first plane, the Simoun, and almost crashes on it, crashing in the Libyan desert.

All this time, Exupery did not stop writing, showing himself as a talented publicist. In 1935, on instructions from the Paris-Soir newspaper, a French correspondent visited the USSR. The result of the trip was a series of interesting articles about the mysterious power that was behind the Iron Curtain. Europe has traditionally written about the Land of the Soviets in a negative way, but Exupery diligently avoids such categoricalness and tries to figure out how this one lives unusual world. IN next year the writer will again try himself in the field of a political correspondent, going to the engulfed civil war Spain.

In 1938–39, Saint-Ex flies to America, where he works on his third novel, “Planet of People,” which became one of the writer’s most biographical works. All the heroes of the novel are real people, and central character- Exupery himself.

"The Little Prince" (1940–1943)

“Only the heart is vigilant. You can’t see the most important thing with your eyes.”

The world is at war. The Nazis occupy Paris, and more and more countries find themselves drawn into a bloody war. At this time, on the ruins of humanity, a kind, painfully poignant story-allegory “The Little Prince” is created. It was published in 1943 in the USA, so first the main characters of the work addressed readers in English and only then in the original language (French). The classic Russian translation is by Nora Gal. The Soviet reader became acquainted with The Little Prince in 1959 on the pages of the Moscow magazine.

Today this is one of the most readable works in the world (the book has been translated into 180 languages), the interest in which continues unabated. Many quotes from the story became aphorisms, and the visual image of the Prince, created by the author himself, became mythologized and turned into the most recognizable character in world culture.

The Last Year (1944)

“And when you are consoled, you will be glad that you once knew me...”

Friends and acquaintances strongly discouraged Exupery from participating in the war. At this moment, no one doubts his literary talent. Everyone is sure that Saint-Ex will bring much more benefit to the country by remaining in the rear. It is likely that the writer-Exupery would take such a position, but the pilot-Exupery, the citizen-Exupery, the man-Exupery cannot sit idly by. With great difficulty he wins a place in the French Air Force. Exceptionally, Exupery is allowed to fly five times. But he begs for new assignments by hook or by crook.