Introduction


Victor Hugo

Don’t criticize Napoleon! That was the lesson learned by writer Victor Hugo when he declared Napoleon III a traitor of France. Hugo was exiled in 1851 and granted amnesty in 1859, but he declined and chose instead to continue living in exile until 1870 when Napoleon III was replaced by the Third Republic. Hugo was somewhat of a chameleon and often changed his political views and religion over the years. He was a prolific writer of plays, poetry, essays, and novels. He is most famous for his novels Les Miserables and Notre-Dame de Paris, or The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hugo was also a strong political figure in France and was elected to the National Assembly and the Senate upon his return to his homeland.

Essential Facts

  1. Hugo was very close with his mother and even waited until her death to marry his longtime sweetheart, Adele Foucher. Hugo’s mother disapproved of the match.
  2. Hugo’s play Hernani (1830) started a riot between conservative and liberal factions in the audience.
  3. The shortest correspondence in history is credited to Hugo and his editor upon the release of Les Miserables. Hugo was on vacation during the time the book was published and was curious as to its success. He telegrammed his editor “?” and was rewarded with the reply “!”
  4. Although he never directly attacked the Catholic church, he was critical of its dogma.
  5. More than two million people marched in Victor Hugo’s funeral procession through Paris.
 

Recommended Resources

  1. Les Miserables Study Guide (eNotes)
  2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Masterplots
  3. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Study Guide (eNotes)
  4. Victor Hugo - Critical Survey of Long Fiction
  5. Victor Hugo - Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century

All Resources

Display as: Categories, List
  1. Critical Survey of Drama
  2. Critical Survey of Poetry
  3. Cyclopedia of World Authors
  4. Hunchback of Notre Dame Lesson Plans
  5. Les Misérables - Literary Characters
  6. Les Misérables - Literary Places
  7. Les Miserables (1935)
  8. Les Miserables (1957)
  9. Les Miserables (1978)
  10. Les Miserables (1995)
  11. Les Miserables (1997)
  12. Les Miserables Lesson Plans
  13. Les Miserables Movie Learning Guide
  14. Les Miserables Study Guide (eNotes)
  15. Ruyblas (1948)
  16. The Hunchback (1997)
  17. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
  18. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
  19. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1957)
  20. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982)
  21. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
  22. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Book Review
  23. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Literary Characters
  24. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Literary Places
  25. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Masterplots
  26. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Movie Learning Guide
  27. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Study Guide (eNotes)
  28. The Oxford Companion to English Literature Article on Victor Hugo
  29. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare Article on Victor Hugo
  30. The Oxford Dictionary of Art Article on Victor Hugo
  31. The Toilers of the Sea - Literary Characters
  32. The Toilers of the Sea - Literary Places
  33. Victor Hugo
  34. Victor Hugo
  35. Victor Hugo - Critical Survey of Long Fiction
  36. Victor Hugo - Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century
  37. Victor Hugo - Poetry Criticism
  38. Victor Hugo Censorship