He spent some years as schoolmaster, but his temperament was little fitted to the work. In 1858 he devoted himself to journalism. He contributed to the Figaro, L'Illustration, Le Gaulois, Le XIX' Siècle and other periodicals; but his chief bent was towards dramatic criticism, of which he had his first experience in L'Opinion nationale in 1859. In 1867 he began to contribute to Le Temps the "feuilleton" with which his name was associated till his death. His position as dictator of dramatic criticism was unique. He had the secret of taking the public into his confidence, and his pronouncements upon new plays were accepted as final.
He was a masterly judge of acting and of stage effect; his views as to the drama itself were somewhat narrow and indifferent to the march of events. He published several miscellaneous works, of which the most interesting are Le Siege de Paris, an account compiled from his diary (1871), Comédiens et comediennes (1878-1884), Souvenirs de jeunesse (1884) and Souvenirs d'âge mur (1892; Eng. trans., 1893). Quarante ans de theatre (1900) is a selection from his dramatic ''feuilletons' edited by A Brisson. He died in Paris.
This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.