​Victor Marie Hugo is a great French writer. Victor Marie Hugo

February 26 215th birthday Victor Marie Hugo, French writer, poet, prose writer and playwright.

10 FACTS ABOUT VICTOR HUGO
1. Hugo’s first works were written by him at the age of 14.
2. V. Hugo’s play “Ernani” completely changed French drama, causing heated debate between representatives of old and new art.
3. The first collection of poetry, Odes and Miscellaneous Poems, was published in 1822, when Hugo was only 20 years old.
4. "Cathedral" Notre Dame of Paris" - first historical novel in French.
5. One of the effects of the appearance of the novel “Notre Dame Cathedral” was the huge crowds of tourists who flocked to the desolate Cathedral of the same name.
6. Name main character In the novel Les Misérables, Cosette became a symbol of the child martyrs of France, exploited by adults.
7. Hugo believed that Les Misérables could reshape the world.
8. The story “The Last Day of a Man Condemned to Death” had a great influence on Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
9. Funeral ceremony famous writer lasted ten days; About a million people took part in it.
10. A crater on Mercury is named after Victor Hugo.

WHAT TO READ
1. Hugo, V. Gavrosh / V. Hugo; rice. Yu. Trizny; lane from fr. N. Kasatkina. - Leningrad: Children's literature, 1991. - 111 pp.: color illustration.
2. Hugo, V. The Man Who Laughs / V. Hugo; artist A. A. Mitrofanov; retelling by S. Filippov. - Moscow: White City, 2007. - 46 p. : ill.
3. Hugo, V. M. Cosette / V. M. Hugo; translation from French: N. Kogan, D. Livshits; artist V. Dugin. - Moscow: World of the Seeker, 2012. - 64 p. - (Student's library).
4. Hugo, V. M. Poems. - Moscow: Fiction, 1981. - 376 p. - (Classics and Contemporaries)
5. Hugo, V. Notre Dame Cathedral / translation by N. Kogan. - Moscow: E, 2016. - 607 p. - (Pocket book)

ABOUT HIM
1. Antokolsky, P. G. Paths of poets: essays. - Moscow: Soviet writer, 1965. - 470 p.
2. Brahman, S. R. “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo. - Moscow: Fiction, 1968. - 104 p.
3. Dobin, E. S. The history of nine plots: Stories of a literary critic. - Leningrad: Children's literature, 1973. - 175 pp.: ill.
4. Kirnoze, Z. I. Pages French classics: Book for students Art. class Wed schools. - Moscow: Education, 1992. - 223 p.
5. Muravyova, N. I. Hugo: biography of an individual. Issue 14. - Moscow: Young Guard, 1961. - 384 p. - (Life wonderful people: series of biographies).
6. Rabelais. Moliere. Voltaire. Hugo. George Sand. Zola: biographical narratives. - Chelyabinsk: Ural L.T.D., 1998. - 16 p.: color ill. - (Life of remarkable people. Biographical library of F. Pavlenkov; vol. 29).
7. Treskunov, M. S. Victor Hugo. - Leningrad: Enlightenment, 1969. - 152 p. - (Vocabulary Library).
8. Treskunov, M. S. Victor Hugo’s novel “The Ninety-Third Year.” - Moscow: Fiction, 1981. - 175 p.

The name Victor Hugo is familiar to everyone since childhood. The author of the famous novels Notre-Dame de Paris, Les Misérables and The Man Who Laughs was not just a great representative of world literature, but also a symbol of France. It was Victor Hugo who provided a huge impact to such writers as Albert Camus, Charles Dickens and Fyodor Dostoevsky. But behind this fame of the writer there was a lot of interesting things hidden. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the most interesting facts about Victor Hugo and his novels.

The house where I was born before today not preserved. But it is known that there, on the Parisian street Notre Dame de Champs, glassblowers lived, where their workshops were located.

Victor Hugo in his youth

When the novel “Notre Dame Cathedral” was released to the world in 1831, the author’s preface read: “One of my main goals is to inspire the nation with a love for our architecture.”

There is a funny anecdote about what happened to Victor Hugo in Prussia:

- What do you do? - the gendarme asked him, filling out the form.

— I ask, how do you earn money to live?

- So let’s write it down: “Hugo.” Feather merchant."

Hugo wrote the novel Les Miserables over many years, and during these years he often experienced a creative crisis. The writer decided to fight this radically: he locked himself in a room where he had only pen and paper for company, and completely undressed, so that even his clothes would not distract him from writing the novel. he even ordered his servants to return his clothes only when he managed to write at least something. He began writing the novel Les Miserables in the early 1840s, but work on it was completed only in 1862.

Illustration for the novel “Les Miserables”

Quite possibly the author of the shortest correspondence in postal history. When it was published in 1862 new novel“Les Miserables”, the writer was on vacation, but he was still eager to know the reader’s reaction to his work. Therefore, Hugo sent his publisher an urgent telegram consisting of one character: “?”. That, in turn, was also laconic, sending only: “!”

One of the first editions of the novel “Les Miserables”

Les Misérables became the most popular novel among American soldiers during the Civil War in USA. Published in 1862, the book began to appear in the United States in translation into English language even before the end of the year and showed a real sensation, especially among the military.

However, recognized today as a masterpiece, the novel was often criticized in the American press. For example, The New Englander wrote: The entire career of Jean Valjean consists of a series of incredible coincidences of strange incongruities, and stands in constant antagonism with the principles of truth and honor, which should determine the course of everyone's life honest man" Even the New York Times, which called the novel “remarkable” and “brilliant,” could not resist calling Hugo a “prosaic madman”—it turned out to be a somewhat mixed review.

Still from the film “Les Miserables” (2012)

U Victor Hugo There was a special predilection for feet. He was a real fetishist in this matter. And, as it turns out, many other writers had a similar attraction to feet: Dostoevsky, Goethe, George du Maurier and F. Scott Fitzgerald were also foot fetishists.

Claimed that he made love to his wife as many as 9 times in their first wedding night. Edward Behr, a Hugo researcher, claimed that according to Hugo's diary, which Behr got with difficulty, Hugo actually managed to do this to his fiancée Adele. Even if we assume that the writer embellished his exploits a little, it was a terrible ordeal for his young wife. Behr claims that her feelings for her husband after that were never the same again. But, despite the complete lack of interest in her husband, Adele bore him five children.

Adele Hugo

He was a real reformer of his time. The writer never grew old and always tried to be at the center of the newest trends in literature, fashion and public life. Even when the writer was already over 70, he constantly visited various events, intended more for young people.

He spent the last years of his life in Paris. And even before the writer’s death, the street on which the writer’s mansion was located was named after him. Therefore, when Hugo answered letters or simply left his return address to someone, he always wrote: “Monsieur Victor Hugo on his Avenue in Paris.”

House of Victor Hugo

died on May 22, 1885 from pneumonia, when he was 84 years old. But it is interesting that the writer developed this disease because of the parade in his honor. Hugo was weak, and doctors recommended that he remain in bed. But the writer was not one of those who could skip an entire action in his honor. Therefore, he opened the window wide to greet his fans from there. The next day he came down with a cold, which later developed into pneumonia.

became the only writer whose funeral procession stopped under the Arc de Triomphe. As a rule, only generals and marshals received this honor. And the first person with whose gunpowder the funeral cortege passed under the arch was Napoleon. Funeral ceremony Victor Hugo took place over ten days and was attended by more than a million people. After the funeral, the writer's ashes were placed in the Pantheon.

Triumphal Arch

He lived 16 years of his life in the Parisian hotel Roan-Gemen. Now entry to his room is free. Hugo worked on his famous novel Les Miserables in this hotel. It was here that he met the writers Lamartine, Alfred de Vigny, Alexandre Dumas, Balzac, Prosper Merimee and Charles Augustin de Sainte-Beuve. Visitors can see here the writer's manuscripts and drawings, as well as copies of Hugo's first editions. By the way, Milady Winter in Alexandre Dumas’s novel “The Three Musketeers” stayed in these apartments.

Room at the Roan Guemene Hotel

One of the Paris metro stations is named after Victor Hugo. By the way, it is located on the square that bears the same name. A crater on Mercury was also named in his honor.

In one of his poems he aptly called himself a “ringing echo.” And this was indeed the case. His novels have a purpose: moral, historical, social, or all three. The works of Victor Hugo changed the history of France, if not the whole world.

Victor Marie Hugo is considered a famous French writer and a talented literary figure. Read below short biography Victor Hugo.

Childhood, family and personal life

Victor Hugo was born in 1802 in Besançon, France. Father Joseph Leopold Siguisbert Hugo was a general in Napoleonic's army. Victor's parents separated and lived separately, so little son He constantly lived in one or another house. This is probably why he was often sick as a child.

From the young age Victor was in love with a girl, Adele Fouquet, and in 1822 she agreed to become his wife, when the writer was not yet 20 years old. The young couple lost their first child in infancy - he lived only a few months. However, later they had four more - two sons and two daughters. Victor and Adele were happily married, their relationship was very good, so some even said that they “ holy family».

Theater in the biography of Victor Hugo

The 20s and 30s of the nineteenth century are characterized by a special surge in plays, while novels and odes recede into the background. Hugo also succumbs to this influence, and spends more and more time in the theater at rehearsals.

Unfortunately, this leads to the fact that the relationship between spouses becomes worse and worse, mutual understanding and closeness of communication are lost.

Despite the fact that at that time Hugo creates unique masterpiece, the play “Hernani”, and receives huge money for it, family bonds finally collapse.

In 1831, the biography of Victor Hugo was marked by the fact that he completed the creation of Notre Dame Cathedral, and at the same time Victor and Adele decided to separate.

But Victor is not left alone - just at that moment he met Juliette Drouet, a slender, charming courtesan from Paris. This gave the writer new wave inspiration for his creations, and he began to study literature with particular force. Coming soon new collection Hugo "Songs of Twilight". It is noteworthy that Juliette Drouet had a completely different attitude towards the work of Victor Hugo, in contrast to his ex-wife. She appreciated and deeply respected him as a writer.

Victor Hugo plunges into social activities, and in 1845 even became a peer of France.

In 1843 he died tragically eldest daughter and her husband, and at the same time, Hugo’s relationship with Juliette is almost on the verge of breaking. As it turns out, Victor spends time with many other girls, and even later Juliette learns from his mistress about their relationship, as evidenced by Victor Hugo’s love note.

Further successes in the creative biography of Victor Hugo

Victor decides to leave France, and while abroad his pamphlet “Napoleon the Small” is published. This piece receives incredible success, which inspires Hugo to new achievements. The collection of “Contemplations” improved the writer’s position financially so much that for this fee alone, Victor built himself a house.

Women in the biography of Victor Hugo have always been in one of the first places. And even at the end of his life, Victor Hugo remains very loving, because despite the death of his first wife, Adele, and all his children from that marriage, he actively meets and spends time with different women. And even at the age of 80, a few months before his death, he had love affairs.

If you have already read the biography of Victor Hugo, you can rate the writer at the top of the page.

In addition, in addition to the biography of Victor Hugo, we invite you to visit the Biography section to read about the life and work of other popular writers.

A famous poet, a brilliant writer and a great lover - this is how he went down in history Victor Hugo. AiF.ru remembers what the life of one of the most widely read French authors in the world was like.

Creation

Hugo was influenced by the figure of the popular French writer Francois Chateaubriand. Already at the age of 14, the ambitious young man declared: “I will be Chateaubriand or nothing,” but he turned out to be one of the few who managed to surpass his idol. When a famous critic Andre Gide asked who is the best French poet, he replied: “Alas, Victor Hugo.”

Victor Hugo in his youth. Source: Public Domain

Despite the fact that some of Hugo's works caused misunderstanding or heated debate among critics, the young talented author was always highly valued. Already at the age of 15 he achieved his first literary success, and at 29 he wrote one of his most famous books— “Notre Dame Cathedral.”

The first historical novel in French immediately received recognition from the general public. It is noteworthy that the book brought world fame not only to its young author, but also to the main character - the Gothic cathedral.

In the first half of the 19th century, Notre Dame Cathedral was planned to be demolished because it was considered too old-fashioned. Hugo, who loved visiting the Gothic cathedral, became seriously concerned about its fate and decided to immortalize the architectural monument in his new work. As the author had hoped, after the book was published, there was no question of demolishing the cathedral—tourists began to flock to the capital of France to see the landmark with their own eyes.

Hugo's literary career always went uphill - new masterpieces regularly appeared from his pen, and already in 1841 he was elected to the French Academy. It seemed that everything was easy for the talented author, but that was not the case. For example, Hugo worked on his famous novel Les Misérables for almost 20 years. Sometimes, so that nothing would distract him from writing a book, he locked himself in the room, taking off all his clothes (the writer ordered the servants to return them only after he had written at least a few pages).

It is generally accepted that Hugo revived French: in his works he spoke to the people in the language of the people, using colloquial vernacular and rich metaphors. Today he is called “the sun of French poetry,” and he himself did not suffer from modesty: “There is only one classic in our century, the only one, you understand? It's me. I know French better than anyone... I am accused of being proud; yes, it’s true, my pride is my strength,” said Hugo.

Adele Fouche. Source: Public Domain

Love

All of France spoke not only about Hugo’s outstanding literary abilities, but also about his weakness for female. Entire legends were formed about the adventures of the famous writer. However, the Frenchman was not always known as an unscrupulous womanizer: in his youth, he was convinced that spouses should maintain chastity before marriage in order to “later taste the joys of love with a full cup.”

Your first mutual love — Adele Foucher- the writer sought for several years, and he dedicated the first collection of poems to her: “To my beloved Adele, the angel in whom is all my glory and all my happiness” (it is no coincidence that Hugo put “happiness” in second place, fame and recognition for the “sun of French poetry" were above all).

In their marriage, Hugo and Adele had five children, but over the years the famous husband began to look at young girls more often. And the end is prosperous family life marked the meeting between the writer and the actress Juliette Drouet, who at the age of 26 was known as a sophisticated courtesan. Judging by Hugo's memoirs, his sudden love for the flighty actress turned him from a shy young man into a confident, self-sufficient man. From then on, the famous writer dedicated new works not to the mother of his children, but to Juliette - “my angel who grows wings.”

The flighty girl also turned out to be crazy about Hugo, for his sake she left the stage and abandoned numerous fans. He turned into a real tyrant: he forbade his mistress to leave the house, and he continued to change women like gloves.

The novel between the writer and the ex-actress lasted five decades - until Juliette’s death. Hugo took the loss of his beloved very hard, and shortly before her death he presented a photograph of himself with the inscription: “50 years of love. This is the best of marriages." But despite his deep feelings for Juliette, until the end of his days the famous Frenchman remained an incorrigible ladies' man. The final pages of Hugo's notebook recorded eight love affairs, the last of which occurred just weeks before his death.

Glory

All his life Hugo tried to be the center of attention. Even when the writer was approaching 80 years old, he continued to attend numerous events intended for young people.

Hugo spent the last years of his life in Paris. It's funny, but even before the writer's death, the street on which he lived was renamed in his honor. Therefore, when the famous writer left his mailing address for someone, he always wrote: “Monsieur Victor Hugo on his avenue in Paris.” But this “sun of French poetry” was not enough: they say he wanted Paris to be renamed Hugo after his death.

Vanity destroyed the writer. He died at the age of 83, but if it had not been for pneumonia, which he received through stupidity, he could have lived even longer.

Funeral of Victor Hugo. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The Frenchman developed the disease after the parade that was held in his honor. That day, doctors recommended that Hugo remain on bed rest, but he, of course, did not want to miss the large-scale event in his honor and greeted fans from the open window. The next day, the famous author came down with a cold, which developed into pneumonia.

“I leave fifty thousand francs to the poor. I want to be taken to the cemetery in a poor man's hearse. I refuse funeral services from any churches. I ask all souls to pray for me. I believe in God. Victor Hugo,” wrote the famous Frenchman in his will. However, the coffin with his ashes was escorted to last way about a million people, and the funeral ceremony took place over 10 days - none of his contemporaries received the same honor.

Date of birth: February 26, 1802
Date of Death: May 22, 1885
Place of birth: French Republic

Hugo Victor- one of the most famous French prose writers. Also Victor Hugo was known as a playwright and poet.

Victor was born in France, into the family of a noble military man and the wealthy daughter of a shipowner. There were also French peasants in the boy's family. The family was large, the boy spent his childhood moving from Marseille to Corsica, from Italy to Madrid, as required by the military necessity of his father-general.

Of course, trips around different countries left a deep mark on the impressionable nature of the boy.

Victor studied for the most part in Madrid, together with the children of the Spanish aristocracy. Spanish schoolchildren were not particularly fond of the Frenchman Victor, perhaps his dislike for upper strata society.

A blow for the boy was his mother’s decision to leave her husband for another general. After the breakup, Victor ended up in Paris. After the fall of Napoleon, his generals were left out of work and their families could no longer spend as much on education as before. The young man begins to read on his own, and the school gives him little in terms of education.

Then Victor began to write himself. This activity saved him from hunger after the death of his mother - he was able to feed himself by writing.

Having once written a poem praising the king, Victor received a salary from him. Inspired by his earnings, he was able to get married. Continuing to write, Victor professed the principles of worship of the king, as well as the traditional canons of writing works.

But soon notes of romanticism were added to his works, and then he completely became a preacher of a new style. This provided the writer with a lot of fans, fame and financial well-being. Victor also allowed himself to have a mistress, to whom he dedicated many of his poems and prose. The wife was denied such freedom and she met with her lover secretly.

The writer poured out all his impressions on paper; he wrote many works that were warmly received by critics and ordinary readers. Luck also accompanied social status– Victor became a peer, changing his political preferences in favor of the dynasty from Orleans. In general, Victor was famous for his political flexibility and instinct for guessing a politician who was destined for a great future.

The same applied to royalty.

The logical result was that Victor was forced to leave France for nearby territories, where he was ostracized by Napoleon III and spent about two decades there.

After the advent of the republic, the writer returned to his homeland. By this time, the novel Les Miserables had been completed, which added even more fame to his return.

At home, he continued to write widely and died of pneumonia, surrounded by fame and fortune in 1885.

His funeral was attended by several hundred thousand people and lasted more than a week.

Achievements of Victor Hugo:

Created 13 plays, 9 novels and many poems and short literary works
Was a member of the French Academy

Dates from the biography of Victor Hugo:

1802 born
1807 move to Italy
1811 move to Madrid
1813 return to Paris
1814 training at the Lyceum
1822 marriage with A. Fouche
1823 birth of first child Leopold
1828 production of "Amy Robsart"
1841 became an academician
1845 became a peer
1870 returned to his homeland from exile
died 1883

Interesting Facts Victor Hugo:

He was faithful to his mistress for about thirty years
Began writing works at the age of 14
The writer's funeral lasted about ten days
Legally married he had five children