Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
Victor Hugo was one of the greatest figures in French literature. A poet, novelist, playwright and statesman, he profoundly shaped the 19th century through the scope of his work and his commitment to freedom, justice and social progress. As the leading figure of the Romantic movement, he transformed poetry, drama and the novel while becoming one of the most widely read and translated French authors in the world.
Essential Biography :
• 1802: born in Besançon
• 1827: publication of the preface to Cromwell, a founding text of Romanticism
• 1831: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame de Paris)
• 1841: elected to the Académie française
• 1851: exiled following the coup d'état of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte
• 1862: Les Misérables
• 1870: returns to France
• 1885: dies in Paris and receives a national funeral at the Panthéon
Victor Hugo is renowned for :
• a vast literary achievement
• a central role in the Romantic movement
• powerful yet accessible writing
• lifelong political engagement
• a lasting influence on French literature and culture
Key Themes and Ideas :
• Romanticism
• social justice
• poverty
• freedom
• political commitment
• the death penalty
• French history
• the human condition
Major Works
• Les Misérables
• The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
• Les Contemplations
• The Legend of the Ages
• Ruy Blas • Hernani
• Ninety-Three
• The Man Who Laughs
Legacy and Influence, Victor Hugo remains:
• one of the greatest French-language authors
• an iconic figure of Romanticism
• a defender of civil liberties
• a writer studied throughout the world
• a major figure in French cultural history
His famous quote: “Those who live are those who fight.”
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