Bourget, Paul Charles Joseph

French novelist and critic, Bourget played an important part in the growth of the psychological novel. His work is notable for its exploration of the inner recesses of human mind and heart. Bourget started his literary career as a poet and later turned to prose. He produced several brilliant essays, of which Etudes de Portraits (1888), and Pages de Doctrine et de Critique (1912) are the most acclaimed. Bourget's celebrated novels include Cruelle Enigme (1885), Un Crime d'amour (1886), and Andre Cornelis (1887). His later works like Le Disciple (1889), L'Etape (1902), and Un divorce (1904) are marked by a didactic tone.

French novelist and critic, Bourget played an important part in the growth of the psychological novel. His work is notable for its exploration of the inner recesses of human mind and heart.