Victor Hugo – 19th-century French writer; The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Les Misérables; a leader of Romanticism. Poet, novelist, politician, orator, and artist, he opposed the death penalty and spent years in exile. His works shaped European literature, theatre, and music, and his legacy remains immense.
📚 Began as a poet; his early collections became a manifesto of French Romanticism. 🏛️ Served as a senator and championed republican ideals. 🌍 Spent 19 years in exile on Jersey and Guernsey after denouncing Napoleon III. 📖 Took over 15 years to complete Les Misérables, which became an instant bestseller. 🎨 Produced thousands of drawings and watercolours, though he called himself an amateur. 🎭 Plays like Hernani caused riots but marked Romanticism’s triumph over Classicism. 🖋️ Blended poetry, history, and political passion in his prose. ⚖️ Fiercely opposed the death penalty – his speeches resonated across Europe. 📜 His 1885 funeral drew over 2 million mourners in Paris. 🎶 Les Misérables became one of the world’s most successful musicals. 📔 In exile he kept diaries filled with mystical visions. 🧐 Curious: often wrote standing, sometimes unclothed, to avoid “escaping work.” 😄 Funny: kept a black cat he fondly called “my muse.”