born Oct. 25, 1767, Lausanne, Switz.
died Dec. 8, 1830, Paris, France
French-Swiss novelist and political writer.
He had a tumultuous 12-year relationship with Germaine de Staë l , whose views influenced him to support the French Revolution and subsequently to oppose Napoleon, for which he was exiled (1803–14). He later served in the Chamber of Deputies (1819–30). Adolphe (1816) was a forerunner of the modern psychological novel. Among his other works are the long historical analysis of religious feeling De la Religion , 5 vol. (1824–31) and his revealing journals (first complete publication, 1952).