Victor Hugo was the most important of the French Romantic School of writers. He is most popular today as the author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Miserables (1862).
Early Life of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo (1802-1885), French novelist, dramatist and poet, was born on February 26 in Besancon, France, the third son of a soldier in the army of the great French leader Napoleon. He was raised and educated by his mother. At the age of 14, he showed talent as a poet.
Hugo's Influence and Early Works
Inspired by the example of the statesman and author François René Chateaubriand, he published poetry, plays and novels. His works showed a strong sense of social responsibility. The production of his play Hernani, a highly romantic and unconventional poetic drama, caused ripples between supporters and opponents of the new socially challenging drama at that time. Due to the controversy, Hugo established himself as leader of the French literary romanticism. His novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published when he was 29, sealed his fame.
Family Tragedy
Tragedy struck Victor Hugo at an early age. His brother, Eugene, went insane on his wedding day. For the rest of his life, Hugo felt responsible for his brother's condition. Later, another misfortune struck when his favourite daughter died in an accident. As a result, he stopped writing for 10 years.
Later Life
Hugo became involved in politics as a supporter of the Republican form of government. Following Napoleon III's overthrow of the Second French Republic in 1851, Hugo went into exile on the Channel Islands. It was during this exile that he wrote his greatest works, including The Legend of the Centuries, published when he was 57, and Les Miserables, published three years later.
An epic story about social injustice, Les Miserables is set against the background of the French Revolution. It has become one of the most popular modern musicals of all time.
Hugo's Final Years
After Napoleon III fell from power in 1870, Hugo returned to France. He died in Paris on May 22, 1885, aged 83. More than two million people attended his state funeral.
Books by Victor Hugo
- Odes and Ballads, 1826
- Les Orientales, 1829
- Hernani, 1831
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1831
- The Legend of the Centuries, 1859
- Les Miserables, 1862
- By Order of the King, 1869
- The Terrible Year, 1872
- Ninety-Three, 1874
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers (2002)
Dictionary of Literature, Brockhampton Press (1995)
Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse (1994)
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