Countess Dash

Mme la comtesse Dash

Gabrielle Anne Cisterne de Courtiras, vicomtesse de Saint-Mars (2 August 1804 – 11 September 1872), nom de plume Countess Dash, was a prolific French writer.

Biography

She was a daughter of M. de Courtiras, and early married the Marquis de Saint-Mars. After the loss of her fortune, she took to writing. On her remarking that she wished to write under an assumed name, that of her favorite dog, “Dash,” was suggested, which she adopted.

In many years she produced five to six novels. Her themes are mainly from the beau monde and deal with the travails of love.

Works

• Le jeu de la reine, her first work (1839)
• Les amours de Bussy-Rabutin (1850)
• La pomme d'Eve (1853)
• La belle aux yeux d'or (1860)
• Les galanteries de la cour de Louis XV (1861)
• La sorcière du roi (1861)
• Le nain du diable (1862)
• Les derniers amours de Mme. Dubarry (1864)
• La bague empoisonnée (1866)
• Comment tombent les femmes (1867)
• Les aventures d'une jeune mariée (1870)

A collection of her works was published in 1864, in 34 volumes.

Notes

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Riple, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Dash, Countess". The American Cyclopædia.
•  Gilman, D. C.; Thurston, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Dash, La Comtesse". New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
• The Online Books Page