Antoine Blondin

Antoine Blondin (; 11 April 1922 – 7 June 1991) was a French writer.

He belonged to the literary group called the Hussards. He was also a sports columnist in L'Équipe. Blondin also wrote under the name Tenorio.

Biography Blondin was the son of a poet, Germaine Blondin, whose name he took, and of a printer's proof-reader. He earned a degree in philosophy the Sorbonne after studying at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris and the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen. He became very close to Roland Laudenbach during World War II. He was sent to Germany in 1942 for compulsory war work during the German occupation of World War II. The experience inspired his first novel, L'Europe buissonnière, which appeared in 1949. It won the Prix des Deux Magots, named after a literary café in Paris, and brought him the friendship of authors such as Marcel Aymé and Roger Nimier and the philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre. In 1953, the young critic Bernard Frank dubbed the novelists Roger Nimier, Jacques Laurent, and Blondin as "les Hussards," a title which stuck.

His next novels, Les Enfants du bon Dieu and L'Humeur vagabonde confirmed a distinctive style which critics placed between Stendhal and Jules Renard. Turns of phrase such as "After the second world war, the trains started moving again. I profited from that by leaving my wife and children" and "I have stayed very thin, and so has my body of work,"

Blondin was a bon vivant known for heavy drinking in the Parisian district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, playing at bull-fighting with passing cars and racking up numerous arrests for drunkenness. He chronicled this aspect of his life in the autofictional novel, Monsieur Jadis ou L'École du Soir. He was frequently pursued for unpaid taxes. Pierre Chany said:

He really did owe a lot and, frankly, his situation was becoming serious; we even wondered if he wasn't going to prison. Faced with that, his friends called Maître Bertrand to the rescue. Bertrand managed to organise a summit meeting with the general inspector of taxes - the highest man in his profession, the equivalent of a minister. Full of good will, this man said:

"Alors, M. Blondin, I understand that you want to come to terms..."

"Let's come to terms!" Antoine said coldly.

"How much would you be able to put into your account?"

"A tear, monsieur..." Naturally, the man threw him out. It was poor Françoise who had to make another interview to sort it out.

A literary prize, for the best sports article, is awarded in his name.