George Sand: Writer, Icon, and Misunderstood Genius

George Sand, born Aurore Dupin in 1804, was a dominant literary force in 19th-century Europe, producing more than 70 novels and extensive correspondence. Despite her prolific output and critical acclaim, often surpassing contemporaries like Victor Hugo, her modern reputation largely focuses on her romantic life and unconventional attire rather than her substantial literary contributions.

Fiona Sampson's biography, "Becoming George," published for the 150th anniversary of Sand's death, endeavors to reframe this perception. Sampson contends that Sand's notoriety has been exploited to obscure her artistic achievements and literary significance. The biography urges a reconsideration of Sand as a writer and a creator of her own identity, moving past the sensationalized aspects of her life.

Sand's early life revealed a strong imagination, evident from childhood tales and her invented deity, Corambé. Educated at a convent and later raised in Nohant, she developed a taste for Rousseau's simple prose, a style she would emulate. Her marriage to Casimir Dudevant, a difficult union, catalyzed her move to Paris and adoption of a more liberated lifestyle.

In Paris, Sand adopted men's clothing, a practical choice for freedom of movement and economic reasons. She began writing for "Le Figaro," initially publishing under the pseudonym "J. Sand" and later "G. Sand." Her first solo novel, "Indiana" (1832), garnered praise, with critics often unaware of her gender. Subsequent works like "Valentine" solidified her talent, though "Lélia," which controversially framed marriage as a sexual trade, provoked outrage and led to her works being placed on the Catholic Church's banned list.

During the 1848 revolution, Sand engaged in socialist activism, producing pamphlets and populist novels. Later, her memoir, "Histoire de Ma Vie" (1854-55), is highlighted as a magnum opus, preceding Proust's "In Search of Lost Time." Her close friendship with Gustave Flaubert, documented in their letters until her death in 1876, further cemented her status as a significant cultural figure.

Sampson proposes viewing Sand's extensive body of work as a "Female Comedy," comparable to Balzac's "Human Comedy." While the biography's prose can occasionally be heavy-handed, it effectively argues for Sand's reinvention of self and story. However, the biography dedicates more space to Sand's personal affairs than a deep analysis of her writing's merits, potentially mirroring the modern tendency to overlook her work due to its perceived sentimentality within the Romantic era.

Despite facing criticism from figures like Charles Baudelaire and Friedrich Nietzsche, who denigrated her prolific output, Sand's own words reveal a profound self-awareness: "Someone who knew me deeply would read me as I am: taken with beauty, hungry for truth, very sensitive of heart... completely oblivious to evil sayings and nasty people."