1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Vallès, Jules

VALLÈS, JULES (1832–1883), French journalist and author, was born at Puys, France, on the 10th of June 1832. Coming to Paris, he joined the staff of the Figaro, and became a constant contributor to the other leading journals. In 1866 he republished much of his newspaper work in Refractaires, the volume forming a romance of the seamy side of Paris life. He was in Paris during the siege of 1870, and after the capitulation was a member of the Commune and founded Le Cri du Peuple. He took a conspicuous part in the fighting in the Paris streets, but finally made his escape to London, whence he contributed anonymously to the French press. In 1878 he began in the Siècle the serial publication of his principal work, Jacques Vingtras, a long autobiographical romance. He died in Paris on the 14th of February 1885.