Brunetière, Ferdinand

Brunetière, Ferdinand (1849-1906), French literary critic, born in Toulon. He was the editor of the Revue des Deux Mondes, a member of the French Academy, and professor of French at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. Brunetière is best known for his theory of the evolution of literary genres, which he compared to evolution in nature, and for his attacks on naturalism in literature. He was particularly opposed to literary trends in France represented by such naturalist writers as Émile Zola. His works include Études critiques (1880-1925), Le Roman naturaliste (1883), and L'Évolution des genres dans l'histoire de la littérature (1890).