Prolific French Writer Henri Troyat; Known for Epic Sagas, Biographies

Henri Troyat, 95, who fled Russia's revolution as a child and later became one of France's most prolific, popular and respected authors, died March 2 in Paris. No cause of death was reported.

Mr. Troyat wrote more than 100 works, including novels, biographies and plays. Many of his biographies focused on major Russian figures, including Tolstoy, Catherine the Great and Pushkin. Troyat's fictional tales often were involved, epic sagas that drew comparisons to the novels of the 19th century.

In 1959, he was inducted into the Academie Francaise, making him the longest-standing member of the group of 40 so-called "immortals" who safeguard the French language.

He was born Lev Tarassov in Moscow in 1911. His family lost everything fleeing Russia during the Revolution. The family wandered for years, with stops including Istanbul and Venice, before settling in Paris in 1920.

Mr. Troyat never returned to his native land, even after the fall of the Soviet Union, saying he wanted to keep alive the imaginary Russia he created out of childhood memories and dreams.

"The snow is cleaner in my dreams," he said.

Polls often ranked Mr. Troyat as the favorite writer of the French. He also won France's highest Legion of Honor ranking, the Grand Cross.

Mr. Troyat said he cared little for glory. "Success means nothing," he said, according to the newspaper Le Figaro. "I know what I'm talking about -- at the very beginning of my life, I saw my parents lose everything in a reversal of fortune, and I kept that lesson in mind."

Mr. Troyat studied law as a young man, but he won early renown as a writer with the publication of his first novel, "Faux Jour" ("False Light"), when he was completing his mandatory French military service.

His fifth novel, "L'Araigne" ("The Spider"), published when he was 27, won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt. Many of Mr. Troyat's books were set in Russia, while others were portraits of French families. He also wrote biographies of French writers, including Emile Zola and Honoré de Balzac.

His final novel, "La Traque" ("The Hunt"), was published last year.

Survivors include two children.