Anatole France

Anatole France (April 16, 1844 - October 12, 1924) was the pen name of French author Jacques Anatole François Thibault. He was born in Paris, France, and died in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France. He was buried in the Ancient Cemetery of Neuilly, Hauts-de-Seine.

In the 1920s his writings were put on the Index of Forbidden Books of the Roman Catholic Church, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1921. His books include:

• Penguin Island, L'Île des Pingouins, a satire in the form of a history book, one chapter of which was on the Dreyfus affair published in 1908.
• The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard, Le Crime de Sylvester Bonnard
• Thai"s
• The Human Tragedy, L'Humaine Tragedie
• The Queen Pedauque, La Rotisserie de la Reine Pedauque
• The Red Lily, Le Lys Rouge
• The Revolt of the Angels, La Revolte des Anges
• Crainquebille; Putois; Riquet; et Plusieurs Autres Recits Profitables
• Les Sept Femmes de la Barbe-Bleue et Autres Contes Merveilleux
• Monsieur Bergeret a Paris
• Sur la Pierre Blanche

Famous sayings

• "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
• "I prefer the errors of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom."
• "If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."