Sainte-Beuve jugé par la critique fin-de-siècle

Even if Sainte-Beuve belonged to the Romantic generation of the early nineteenth century, he effected a remarkable return in fin-de-siècle literary criticism. Nearly all the great critics of the end of the nineteenth century measured themselves against him and cast their judgement, either generous or severe, on his critical work. Some, like Gourmont, Lemaitre, Bourget, and Faguet, defended his biographical method. Others, like Zola and Brunetière, refuted the validity of Beuvian biographical explanation in literary criticism.