French president mourns passing of iconic novelist

PARIS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday mourned iconic French author and journalist Jean d'Ormesson, who died today at the age of 92.

Macron paid tribute to the "prince of letters" who "was looking for happiness and gave us a lot."

"Jean d'Ormesson embodied the French spirit, an incomparable blend of elegance and grace, depth without heaviness, inexhaustible curiosity and taste of life," said Macron in a statement.

"He has proclaimed his laziness and nonchalance but leaves behind one of the most abundant and diverse works of our contemporary literature, " he added.

The president had also sent "sincere condolences" to the late author's family and friends.

Born into a noble family in 1925, the author had published his first novel "Love is a pleasure" in 1956. He was awarded several literary prizes, including the top prize of French Academy in 1971 with the publication of "The Glory of the Empire."

Two years later, d'Ormesson was elected a member of the pre-eminent French Academy, a literary council. In October 2009, he became the Dean of the Academy. Enditem