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Victor Hugo, Most Famous French Author!

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Who Is Victor Hugo?

Who doesn't know or at least hasn't heard one or twice of "Les Miserables"? I am sure most of you have. What some people might not know on this side of the ocean, though, is that this beautiful story of Les Miserables, was born in the mind of who is considered the most famous French writer and poet of his time and country (France), Victor Hugo.

I was introduced to Victor Hugo's writings very early in life by my mother who just loved everything he had written. Ever since, he has been my favorite author as well.

His talent an inspiration was so GREAT that he was known for writing pages after pages for hours without even looking up, throwing the pages behind his shoulder. That is how chef-d'oeuves like "Les Miserables" and others were born.

Victor Hugo was a novelist, poet, dramatist and columnist and one of the most famous and loved French writer. Among his best-known works are The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1831) and Les Miserables(1862). Victor Hugo had his own style of story telling mixed with historical details and vivid melodramatic imagination.

Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Victor-Marie Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon,France. He was the last son of three. His brothers where Abel Joseph Hugo and Eugene Hugo.

Victor's father Joseph-Léopold-Sigisbert Hugo was an army general in Napoleon's army and his mother Sophie Trébuchet was a house wife. Due to the fact that Victor Hugo's father was an army officer, Hugo's childhood was a journey of travels around Europe,and he spent some time in Italy and Spain besides France. Hugo remembered his traveling life as child and used this experience later in his writings.

Victor Hugo started to write dramatic poetry in his early teens when he was attending the Collège Louis-le Grand in Paris. His first poetry collection was titled "Odes et Poesies Divereses" which brought him a pension as a novelist.

Victor Hugo married Adèle Foucher the daughter of an officer in 1822.

Victor Hugo started to meet with real fame after he wrote the play "Hernani" in 1830.

Over fifty novels and plays were published during his lifetime, followed by twenty more posthumous publications.

Hugo's literary works had a profound influence on such writers as Albert Camus, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Charles Dickens among many others.

"Les Misérables" (1862) became one of the most well known novels of the 19th century and remains influential in contemporary culture. Some 40 movies where made from the story "Les Miserables" not including the Broawdway show.

Victor Hugo was among the most important cultural figures of his time. He was also acknowledged for his political work in shaping democracy and the Third Republic.

Victor Hugo died on May 22, 1885, in Paris. His burial ceremony was that of a statesman, and his funeral procession was attended by an estimated one million people. He was laid to rest in the Pantheon on Paris, France.

A Biography Of Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo Bibliography

Victor Hugo, A Giant Of French Literature

Victor Hugo wrote a tremendous amount of stories from poetry, plays, essays to romantic fictions. Here are some of his best known chef-d'oeuvres.

* LE CHÂTEAU DU DIABLE, 1812 (The Castle Of The Devil)
* A QUELQUE CHOSE MALHEUR EST BON, 1817 (To Something Bad Is Something Good)
* CROMWELL, 1828 (Play)
* MARION DE LORME, 1829 (Play)
* LE DERNIER JOUR D'UN CONDAMNÉ 1829 (the Last Day Of A Condemned Man)
* HERNANI, 1830 (Play)
* LES FEUILLES D'AUTOMME, 1831 (Autumn Leaves)
* NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS, 1831 (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
* LE ROI S'AMUSE, 1832 (His Kingly Pleasures)
* LUCRÈCE BORGIA(Play)
* MARIE TUDOR, 1833 (Play)
* LES CHANTS DU CRÉPUSCULE, 1835 (Daybreak Songs)
* LES VOIX INTÉRIEURES, 1837 (Inner-Voices)
* LES CHÂTIMENTS, 1853 (Punishments)
* LES CONTEMPLATIONS, 1856 (Contemplations)
* LA LÉGENDE DES SIÉCLES I-II, 1859-1883 (Legend of Centuries)
* LES MISÉRABLES, 1862 (The Very Poors)
* WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, 1864
* LES CHANSONS DES RUES ET DES BOIS, 1865 (Songs of the Streets and Woods)(Poems)
* LES TRAVAILLEURS DE LA MER, 1866 The Toilors of The Sea)
* L'HOMME QUI RIT, 1869 (The Man Who Laughs)
* L'ANNÉE TERRIBLE, 1872 (The Horrific Years)
* L'ART D'ÊTRE GRAND-PÉRE, 1877 The Art Of Being A Grand-Father)
* HISTOIRE D'UN CRIME, 1877-78 (Story Of A Crime)
* LE THÉÂTRE EN LIBERTÉ, 1886 (Published) (Theater In Liverty)
* LES ANNÉES FUNESTES, 1898 (Published) (The Fateful Years)

Victor Hugo's Children

Victor Hugo had 5 children. He was known to love his children and later his grand-children.

The eldest of Hugo's children Leopold, named after Hugo's father was born in 1823 and died as a baby 3 month after his birth.

The eldest daughter Leopoldine also named after her grand-father was born in 1824 and died at age 19 with her husband who she has recently married. They both drowned in La Seine in Paris.

Hugo grieved as he wrote his poem "Tomorrow at day break". Hugo was so affected by the death of his daughter that he didn't produce any important work for a whole decade.

Charles was born in 1826. he began his career as a journalist as well as a writer like is father. He died suddenly at age 45 from a stroke on his way to a meeting in Bordeaux, France. He died in 1871

Francois-Victor was born in 1828. He was in charge of his father's newspaper "L'Evenement" He was also in charge of the department of foreign politics and was emprisoned for two months for an article on capital punishment.

Francois-Victor has translated some of William Shakespeare's plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliette.

He died in Paris in 1873 at age 45 same as his brother Charles.

and Adele named after her mother was born in 1830. Adele showed some signs of mental instabilities and finished her days in a nursing home. She was the ONLY one of Victor Hugo's children who survived her father.

Important!

Victor Hugo...

The man behind the poet.

Hugo was not only a tremendous poet, playwright, and novelist, but he was also one of most revered statesmen of his country. He was passionate with strong beliefs and firmly represented the political causes of his time.

Victor Hugo And Drawings Of His Childrens By Madame Hugo

Victor Hugo believed that a poet had to be the "sounding echo of his time". For this reason his writings included themes as various as, family, love, human generosity and even politics.

Victor Hugo's Poem For His Children

Ô souvernirs

Ô souvernirs! printemps! aurore!
Doux rayon triste et rechauffant
Losrqu'elle était petite encore,
Que sa soeur était toute enfant...

Connaissez-vous sur la colline
Qui joint Montligon a Saint-Leu
Une terrasse qui s'incline
Entre un bois sombre et le ciel bleu?
C'est la que nous vivons.

Pénètre mon coeur, dans ce passé charmant!
Je l'entendais sous ma fenêtre
Jouer le matin doucement.
Elle courait dans la rosée,
Sans bruit, de peur de m'éveiller;
Moi, je n'ouvrais pas ma croisée,
De peur de la faire envoler.

Ses frères riaient...
Aube pure!
Tout chantait sous ces frais berceaux,
Ma famille avec la nature,
Mes enfants avec les oiseaux!

Ninety-Three is a historical novel built upon &quo more...0 points

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What Have You Read From Victor Hugo's Work?

Margo_Arrowsmith says:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Last Day of the Condemned Man

Margo_Arrowsmith says:

I read Notre Dame while sitting in the shadow of the Cathedral. Last Days of a Condemned Man should be read by all.

I have used a method of poetry writing given to us by Hugo, for therapy and other things. Ode to Squiddoo Thanks to Victor Hugo .

***** to you!