Why was Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve criticized for using biography to explain literature?

Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve was criticized for his method of using biography to explain literature because it led to allegations that he was providing merely biographical explanations of literary phenomena rather than focusing on the works themselves.1

In his essays, Sainte-Beuve sought to fully understand authors by living alongside them and allowing them to explain themselves to readers. To achieve this, he compiled extensive data regarding an author’s character, family background, physical appearance, education, religion, friendships, and love affairs. While this approach is now considered a standard method of historical criticism, it drew fire from contemporaries who felt it reduced literary analysis to biographical detail.1

Furthermore, Sainte-Beuve’s uncompromising independence and his willingness to introduce specific reservations into his critiques earned him a reputation among some peers as an unreliable or perfidious critic. Over time, he has also faced reproach for omissions and perceived injustices toward notable contemporaries such as Gustave Flaubert, Stendhal, and Honoré de Balzac.1