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Preface to
Cromwell (1827) Victor Hugo
wrote a preface to his long historical drama 'Cromwell'. In it,
he made a plea for freedom from the classical restrictions. The
plea quickly became the manifesto of the Romantic school. In his
historical preface, Hugo wrote that romanticism is the liberalism
of literature. Marion de
Lorme (1829) Censors banned
this second drama, based on the life of a 17th century French courtesan,
for being too liberal. Hugo answered the ban on February 25, 1830
with his poetic drama Hernani. It had a tumultuous premiere that
ensured the success of Romanticism. The play turned him into a Captain
of the new movement. An offstage battleground for the Romantics
and Classics, it was performed a hundred times, but never without
scuffles and arguments among the audience.
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Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This novel, a tale set in 15th century Paris, brought him election to the Académie Française. The book displays the matter in the truest Hugoesque style - the struggle and helplessness of man before nature. This historical creation was an instant success. It tells a moving story of a gypsy girl, Esmeralda, and the deformed bell ringer, Quasimodo, who loves her. Esmeralda arouses passion in Claude Frollo, an evil priest, who discovers that she favors Captain Phoebus. Frollo stabs the captain and Esmeralda is accused of the crime. Quasimodo attempts to shelter Esmeralda in the cathedral. Frollo finds her and when Esmeralda rejects him, he leaves her to the executioners. In his despair, Quasimodo catches the priest, throws him from the cathedral tower, and disappears. Later, two skeletons are found in Esmeralda's tomb - that of a hunchback embracing that of a woman. |
Les Misérables
(1862)
The novel is
a re-creation of the swarming underworld of the 19th century Paris.
The protagonist, Jean Valjean, is sentenced to a 19 years' prison
for stealing a loaf of bread. After his release, he plans to rob
Myriel, a saint-like bishop, but cancels the plan. However, he forfeits
his parole by committing a minor crime and is wanted by the police
inspector Javert. Eventually, Valjean, under the name of M Madeleine,
flourishes as a successful businessman, benefactor and mayor of
a northern town. To save an innocent man, Jean Valjean ends up in
a prison. He escapes and adopts Cosette, an illegitimate child of
a poor woman, Fantine. Cosette grows up and falls in love with Marius,
who is wounded during a revolution. Valjean rescues Marius. Cosette
and Marius marry and Valjean reveals his past to them. The truth
that Valjean is an ex-convict bites Marius. He detests Valjean but
eventually his eyes open and there is a happy reconciliation, but
in the meantime, Valjean has lost he will to live and his death
follows. The novel is
a social treatise in which Victor Hugo draws our attention to the
poorest of society. Hugo also touches on historical context with
the battle of Waterloo. The story has
been filmed several times and made into a musical by a Parisian
composer in 1980. The English version appeared in 1985 and the Broadway
version followed two years later. |
