Victor Hugo

Who Was Victor Hugo?

Victor Hugo was a French novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, artist, and public figure. He is one of France’s most renowned and influential writers.

Victor Hugo

Early Life

Born in 1802 in Besançon, France, Hugo was the son of an officer in Napoleon’s army. He spent his childhood in Paris, with frequent travels to Naples and Spain due to his father’s military service. Hugo attended a religious school in Madrid, but after his parents separated, he and his brother were enrolled in the Cordier boarding school. There, influenced by his mother and a teacher who edited his work, he began writing poetry.

Literary Career

In 1823, Hugo published his first novel, Han d’Islande (Han of Iceland). His second novel, Bug-Jargal, was released in 1826. Between 1829 and 1840, he published five volumes of poetry, including Les Orientales (1829), Les Feuilles d’automne (Autumn Leaves, 1831), Les Chants du crépuscule (Songs of Twilight, 1835), Les Voix intérieures (Inner Voices, 1837), and Les Rayons et les Ombres (Beams and Shadows, 1840). These works solidified his reputation as one of the greatest poets of his time.

Victor Hugo passed away on May 22, 1885, in Paris.

Works by Victor Hugo

Novels

  • Han d’Islande (Han of Iceland, 1823)

  • Bug-Jargal (1826)

  • Le Dernier Jour d’un Condamné (The Last Day of a Condemned Man, 1829)

  • Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, 1831)

  • Claude Gueux (1834)

  • Les Misérables (1862)

  • Les Travailleurs de la Mer (Toilers of the Sea, 1866)

  • L’Homme qui Rit (The Man Who Laughs, 1869)

  • Quatrevingt-treize (Ninety-Three, 1874)

Plays

  • Cromwell (1827)

  • Marion Delorme (1829)

  • Hernani (1830)

  • Le Roi s’amuse (The King Amuses Himself, 1832)

  • Lucrèce Borgia (Lucrezia Borgia, 1833)

  • Marie Tudor (1833)

  • Angelo, tyran de Padoue (Angelo, Tyrant of Padua, 1834)

  • Ruy Blas (1838)

  • Les Burgraves (1843)

  • Torquemada (1882)

  • Théâtre en liberté (Theater and Liberty, 1886)

  • Amy Robsart (1889, published posthumously, about the death of Amy Robsart)

Poetry

  • Odes (1822)

  • Nouvelles Odes (New Odes, 1824)

  • Odes et Ballades (Odes and Ballads, 1826, 1828)

  • Les Orientales (Oriental Motifs, 1829)

  • Les Feuilles d’automne (Autumn Leaves, 1831)

  • Les Chants du crépuscule (Songs of Twilight, 1835)

  • Les Voix intérieures (Inner Voices, 1837)

  • Les Rayons et les Ombres (Beams and Shadows, 1840)

  • Les Châtiments (The Punishments, 1853)

  • Les Contemplations (The Contemplations, 1856)

  • La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages, 3 parts – 1859, 1877, 1883; published as one volume in 1885)

  • Les Chansons des rues et des bois (Songs of the Streets and Woods, 1865)

  • L’Année terrible (The Terrible Year, 1872)

  • L’Art d’être grand-père (The Art of Being a Grandfather, 1877)

  • Religions et Religion (Religion and Faith, 1880)

  • Les Quatre Vents de l’esprit (The Four Winds of the Spirit, 1881)

  • La Fin de Satan (The End of Satan, 1886)

  • La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages, full collection, 1885)

  • La Lyre harmonique (The Harmonious Lyre, 1888, 1893)

  • Dieu (God, 1891)

  • Les Années funestes (The Fatal Years, 1898)

  • Dernière gerbe (Last Sheaf, 1902, 1941)

  • L’Océan (The Ocean, 1942)

Other Works

  • Napoléon le Petit (Little Napoleon, 1851) – A political critique of Napoleon III’s coup

  • Histoire d’un crime (The History of a Crime, 1877–1878) – A political essay

The Enduring Legacy of Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo’s works have inspired countless adaptations, from feature films and TV series to musical compositions such as operas, musicals, and ballets. His writings have also been the basis for animated films and numerous modern interpretations that explore his timeless themes and ideas.