[2] His father was a former cavalry officer and squadron commander in the Grande Armée of Napoleon I, and his grandfather Jean-Antoine Huot de Goncourt had been a deputy in the National Assembly of 1789.

Their most notable novel was Germinie Lacerteux (1865), inspired by the exploits of the brothers' housekeeper Rose, who stole from them to fund a double life of orgies and sexual encounters.

[9] Between 1856 and 1875, the brothers published essays on 18th century art in a collected series called L'Art du XVIIIe siècle, which revived appreciation for the Rococo.

[10] He completed unfinished works from his collaboration with his brother, including a monograph on Paul Gavarni (1873) and a book called L'Amour au XVIIIe Siècle (1875).

[14] Edmond became increasingly jealous of more successful writers like Guy de Maupassant and Émile Zola, which is reflected in scathing entries in the Journal.

In 1893 he wrote of Maupassant that his "success with loose society women is an indication of their vulgarity, for never have I seen a man of the world with such a red face, such common features, or such a peasant build.