The Ungrateful Beggar (The Authorʼs Journal, 1892-1895), published in 1898, is the first in the Ungrateful Beggar series (or “The Journal”) by Léon Bloy, a prominent figure in Catholic literature.

Edited for publication by the author, it provides a day-by-day account of his interactions with friends, artists, his wife, children, publishers, and landlords, alongside significant events such as his employment with (and subsequent dismissal from) the Gil Blas, his contributions to the Mercure de France, and the heartbreaking loss of his two boys. Throughout these reflections, he shares his innermost thoughts, fears, torments, and joys, all while navigating a life marked by abject poverty and a steadfast Catholic faith, where he believes that “all that happens in life is adorable.”

Artists interacted with in this period include Henry de Groux, Émile Zola, François Coppée, Remy de Gourmont, Laurent Tailhade, Auguste Rodin, Paul Bourget, Charles Buet, Georges dʼEsparbès. Works that the author wrote and published during this period include: Salvation Through the Jews, Sueur de Sang [Sweating Blood], Histoires désobligeantes [Disagreeable Tales], Léon Bloy devant les cochons [Léon Bloy Before the Swine], and Ici on assassine les grands hommes [Great Men Are Slain Here].

View on Amazon