Octave Mirbeau

French writer, art critic and journalist (1848–1917)

Source-basedFalling

Lived 1848–1917, aged 69France

France WritersWriter / Author

Fame10.3
Momentum0.1
Wikipedia6.7K

Wikipedia
143 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1848–1917
Aged 69

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Octave Mirbeau pulled off the rare trick of being both a mainstream bestseller and a darling of the avant-garde in late 19th-century Europe. His novels plunged into violence and psychological extremity while his art criticism shaped taste across the continent.

Biography

About

Octave Henri Marie Mirbeau was a French novelist, art critic, travel writer, pamphleteer, journalist and playwright, who achieved celebrity in Europe and great success among the public, whilst still appealing to the literary and artistic avant-garde with highly transgressive novels that explored violence, abuse and psychological detachment. His work has been translated into 30 languages.

Profile