Difference between revisions of "Victor Hugo" - New World Encyclopedia
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==Early poetry and fiction== | ==Early poetry and fiction== | ||
| − | Like many young writers of his generation, Hugo was profoundly influenced by [[François-René de Chateaubriand]], the founder of [[Romanticism]] and France’s preeminent literary figure duing the early 1800s. In his youth, Hugo resolved to be “Chateaubriand or nothing, | + | Like many young writers of his generation, Hugo was profoundly influenced by [[François-René de Chateaubriand]], the founder of [[Romanticism]] and France’s preeminent literary figure duing the early 1800s. In his youth, Hugo resolved to be “Chateaubriand or nothing,and his life would come to parallel that of his predecessor’s in many ways. Like Chateaubriand, Hugo would further the cause of [[Romanticism]], become involved in politics as a champion of [[Republicanism]], and be forced into exile due to his political stances. |
The precocious passion and eloquence of Hugo's early work brought success and fame at an early age. His first collection of poetry (''[[Nouvelles Odes et Poesies Diverses]]'') was published in 1824, when Hugo was only twenty two years old, and earned him a royal pension from [[Louis XVIII]]. Though the poems were admired for their spontaneous fervor and fluency, it was the collection that followed two years later in 1826 (''[[Odes et Ballades]]'') that revealed Hugo to be a great poet, a natural master of lyric and creative song. | The precocious passion and eloquence of Hugo's early work brought success and fame at an early age. His first collection of poetry (''[[Nouvelles Odes et Poesies Diverses]]'') was published in 1824, when Hugo was only twenty two years old, and earned him a royal pension from [[Louis XVIII]]. Though the poems were admired for their spontaneous fervor and fluency, it was the collection that followed two years later in 1826 (''[[Odes et Ballades]]'') that revealed Hugo to be a great poet, a natural master of lyric and creative song. | ||
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Hugo did not achieve such quick success with his works for the stage. In 1827, he published the never-staged verse drama [http://www.hugo-online.org/050100.htm ''Cromwell''], which became more famous for the author's preface than its own worth (the play's unweildy length was considered "unfit for acting"). In his introduction to the work, Hugo urged his fellow artists to free themselves from the restrictions imposed by the French [[classicism|classical style]] of theatre, and thus sparked a fierce debate between French [[Classicism]] and [[Romanticism]] that would rage for many years. [http://www.hugo-online.org/050100.htm ''Cromwell''] was followed in 1828 by the disastrous [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo008.html ''Amy Robsart''], an experimental play from his youth based on the [[Walter Scott]] novel ''[[Kenilworth (novel)|Kenilworth]]'', which was produced under the name of his brother-in-law Paul Foucher and managed to survive only one performance before a less-than-appreciative audience. | Hugo did not achieve such quick success with his works for the stage. In 1827, he published the never-staged verse drama [http://www.hugo-online.org/050100.htm ''Cromwell''], which became more famous for the author's preface than its own worth (the play's unweildy length was considered "unfit for acting"). In his introduction to the work, Hugo urged his fellow artists to free themselves from the restrictions imposed by the French [[classicism|classical style]] of theatre, and thus sparked a fierce debate between French [[Classicism]] and [[Romanticism]] that would rage for many years. [http://www.hugo-online.org/050100.htm ''Cromwell''] was followed in 1828 by the disastrous [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo008.html ''Amy Robsart''], an experimental play from his youth based on the [[Walter Scott]] novel ''[[Kenilworth (novel)|Kenilworth]]'', which was produced under the name of his brother-in-law Paul Foucher and managed to survive only one performance before a less-than-appreciative audience. | ||
| − | [[ | + | The first play of Hugo's to be accepted for production under his own name was [http://www.hugo-online.org/050200.htm ''Marion de Lorme'']. Though initially banned by the censors for its unflattering portrayal of the French monarchy, it was eventually allowed to premiere uncensored in 1829, but without success. However, the play that Hugo produced the following year — [http://www.hugo-online.org/050300.htm ''Hernani''] — would prove to be one of the most successful and groundbreaking events of 19th century French theatre, the opening night of which became known as the "[[Battle of Hernani]]". Today the work is largely forgotten, except as the basis for the [[Verdi]] opera of the same name. However, at the time, performances of the work sparked near-riots between opposing camps of French letters and society: Classicists vs Romantics, Liberals vs Conformists, and Republicans vs Royalists. The play was largely condemned by the press, but played to full houses night after night, and all but crowned Hugo as the preeminent leader of French [[Romanticism]]. It also signalled that Hugo's concept of [[Romanticism]] was growing increasingly politicized: Just as [[Liberalism]], Hugo thought, would free the politics of his country from the tyranny of monarchy and dictatorship, [[Romanticism]] would liberate the arts from the constraints of [[Classicism]]. |
| − | + | In 1832 Hugo followed the success of [http://www.hugo-online.org/050300.htm ''Hernani''] with [http://www.hugo-online.org/050400.htm ''Le roi s'amuse''] ([http://www.hugo-online.org/050400.htm ''The King Takes His Amusement'']). The play was promptly banned by the censors after only one performance, due to its overt mockery of the French nobility, but then went on to be very popular in printed form. Incensed by the ban, Hugo wrote his next play, [http://www.hugo-online.org/050500.htm ''Lucréce Borgia''] (see: Lucrezia Borgia), in only fourteen days. It subsequently appeared on the stage in 1833, to great success. [http://www.napoleonguide.com/georges.htm Mademoiselle George] (former mistress of [[Napoleon]]) was cast in the main role, and an actress named [http://www.hugo-online.org/020606.htm Juliette Drouet] played a subordinate part. However, Drouet would go on to play a major role in Hugo’s personal life, becoming his life-long mistress and muse. While Hugo had many romantic escapades throughout his life, Drouet was recognized even by his wife to have a unique relationship with the writer, and was treated almost as family. In Hugo’s next play ([http://www.hugo-online.org/050600.htm ''Marie Tudor''], 1833), Drouet played Lady Jane Grey to George’s [[Queen Mary I of England|Queen Mary]]. However, she was not considered adequate to the role, and was replaced by another actress after opening night. It would be her last role on the French stage; thereafter she devoted her life to Hugo. Supported by a small pension, she became his unpaid secretary and travelling companion for the next fifty years. | |
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| − | In 1832 Hugo followed the success of [http://www.hugo-online.org/050300.htm ''Hernani''] with [http://www.hugo-online.org/050400.htm ''Le roi s'amuse''] ([http://www.hugo-online.org/050400.htm ''The King Takes His Amusement'']). The play was promptly banned by the censors after only one performance, due to its overt mockery of the French nobility, but then went on to be very popular in printed form. Incensed by the ban, Hugo wrote his next play, [http://www.hugo-online.org/050500.htm ''Lucréce Borgia''] (see: | ||
Hugo’s [http://www.hugo-online.org/050700.htm ''Angelo''] premiered in 1835, to great success. Soon after, the Duke of New Orleans (brother of King [[Louis-Philippe]], and an admirer of Hugo’s work) founded a new theatre to support new plays. Théâtre de la Renaissance opened in November 1838 with the premiere of [http://www.hugo-online.org/050800.htm ''Ruy Blas'']. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, at the time it met with only average success. Hugo did not produce another play until 1843. [http://www.hugo-online.org/050900.htm ''The Burgraves''] played for only 33 nights, losing audiences to a competing drama, and it would be his last work written for the theatre. Though he would later write the short verse drama [http://www.hugo-online.org/051000.htm ''Torquemada''] in 1869, it was not published until a few years before his death in 1882, and was never intended for the stage. However, Hugo's interest in the theatre continued, and in 1864 he published a well-received essay on [[William Shakespeare]], whose style he tried to emulate in his own dramas. | Hugo’s [http://www.hugo-online.org/050700.htm ''Angelo''] premiered in 1835, to great success. Soon after, the Duke of New Orleans (brother of King [[Louis-Philippe]], and an admirer of Hugo’s work) founded a new theatre to support new plays. Théâtre de la Renaissance opened in November 1838 with the premiere of [http://www.hugo-online.org/050800.htm ''Ruy Blas'']. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, at the time it met with only average success. Hugo did not produce another play until 1843. [http://www.hugo-online.org/050900.htm ''The Burgraves''] played for only 33 nights, losing audiences to a competing drama, and it would be his last work written for the theatre. Though he would later write the short verse drama [http://www.hugo-online.org/051000.htm ''Torquemada''] in 1869, it was not published until a few years before his death in 1882, and was never intended for the stage. However, Hugo's interest in the theatre continued, and in 1864 he published a well-received essay on [[William Shakespeare]], whose style he tried to emulate in his own dramas. | ||
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==Mature fiction== | ==Mature fiction== | ||
| − | + | Victor Hugo's first mature work of fiction appeared in 1829, and reflected the the acute social conscience that would infuse his later work. ''Le Dernier jour d'un condamné'' (''Last Days of a Condemned Man'') would have a profound influence on later writers such as [[Albert Camus]], [[Charles Dickens]], and [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]. ''Claude Gueux'', a documentary short story about a real-life murderer who had been executed France, appeared in 1834, and was later considered by Hugo himself to be a precursor to his great work on social injustice, ''Les Miserables''. But Hugo’s first full-length novel would be the enormously successful ''[[Notre-Dame de Paris]]'' (''The Hunchback of Notre Dame''), which was published in 1831 and quickly translated into other languages across Europe. One of the effects of the novel was to shame the City of [[Paris]] to undertake a restoration of the much-neglected [[Cathedral of Notre Dame]], which was now attracting thousands of tourists who had read the popular novel. The book also inspired a renewed appreciation for pre-renaissance buildings, which thereafter began to be actively preserved. | |
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| − | Victor Hugo's first mature work of fiction appeared in 1829, and reflected the the acute social conscience that would infuse his later work. '' | ||
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| − | Hugo began planning a major novel about social misery and injustice as early as the 1830s, but it would take a full 17 years for his greatest work, '' | + | Hugo began planning a major novel about social misery and injustice as early as the 1830s, but it would take a full 17 years for his greatest work, ''Les Miserables'', to be realized and finally published in 1862. The author was acutely aware of the quality of the novel and publication of the work went to the highest bidder. The Belgian publishing house Lacroix and Verboeckhoven undertook a marketing campaign unusual for the time, issuing press releases about the work a full six months before the launch. It also initially published only the first part of the novel ("Fantine"), which was launched simultaneously in major cities. Installments of the book sold out within hours, and had enormous impact on French society. Response ranged from wild enthusiasm to intense condemnation, but the issues highlighted in ''Les Miserables'' were soon on the agenda of the French National Assembly. Today the novel is considered a literary masterpiece, adapted for cinema, television and musical stage to an extent equaled by few other works of literature. |
| − | Hugo turned away from social/political issues in his next novel, '' | + | Hugo turned away from social/political issues in his next novel, ''Les Travailleurs de la Mer'' (''Toilers of the Sea''), published in 1866. Nonetheless, the book was well received, perhaps due to the previous success of ''Les Miserables''. Dedicated to the channel island of Guernsey where he spent 15 years of exile, Hugo’s depiction of Man’s battle with the sea and the horrible creatures lurking beneath its depths spawned an unusual fad in Paris: Squids. From squid dishes and exhibitions, to squid hats and parties, Parisiennes became fascinated by these unusual sea creatures, which at the time were still considered by many to be mythical. |
| − | Hugo returned to political and social issues in his next novel, '' | + | Hugo returned to political and social issues in his next novel, ''L'Homme Qui Rit'' (''The Man Who Laughs''), which was published in 1869 and painted a critical picture of the aristocracy. However, the novel was not as successful as his previous efforts, and Hugo himself began to comment on the growing distance between himself and literary contemporaries such as [[Gustave Flaubert]] and [[Emile Zola]], whose naturalist novels were now exceeding the popularity of his own work. His last novel, ''Quatrevingt-treize'' (''Ninety-Three''), published in 1874, dealt with a subject that Hugo had previously avoided: the [[Reign of Terror]] that followed the [[French Revolution]]. Though Hugo’s popularity was on the decline at the time of its publication, many now consider ''Ninety-Three'' to be a powerful work on par with Hugo’s more well known novels. |
==Political life and exile== | ==Political life and exile== | ||
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[[Image:Victor_Hugo-Octopus(2).jpg|thumb|left|'''"Octopus With the Initials V.H."''' (1866)]] | [[Image:Victor_Hugo-Octopus(2).jpg|thumb|left|'''"Octopus With the Initials V.H."''' (1866)]] | ||
| − | Hugo worked only on paper, and on a small scale; usually in dark brown or black [[pen and ink|pen-and-ink]] wash, sometimes with touches of white, and rarely with color. The surviving drawings are surprisingly accomplished and | + | Hugo worked only on paper, and on a small scale; usually in dark brown or black [[pen and ink|pen-and-ink]] wash, sometimes with touches of white, and rarely with color. The surviving drawings are surprisingly accomplished and in their style and execution, foreshadowing the experimental techniques of [[Surrealism]] and [[Abstract Expressionism]]. |
He would not hesitate to use his children's stencils, ink blots, puddles and stains, lace impressions, "pliage" or folding (i.e. Rorschach blots), "grattage" or rubbing, often using the charcoal from match sticks or his fingers instead of pen or brush. Sometimes he would even toss in coffee or soot to get the effects he wanted. It is reported that Hugo often drew with his left hand or without looking at the page, or during [[Spiritualist]] [[seances]], in order to access his [[unconscious mind]], a concept only later popularized by [[Sigmund Freud]]. | He would not hesitate to use his children's stencils, ink blots, puddles and stains, lace impressions, "pliage" or folding (i.e. Rorschach blots), "grattage" or rubbing, often using the charcoal from match sticks or his fingers instead of pen or brush. Sometimes he would even toss in coffee or soot to get the effects he wanted. It is reported that Hugo often drew with his left hand or without looking at the page, or during [[Spiritualist]] [[seances]], in order to access his [[unconscious mind]], a concept only later popularized by [[Sigmund Freud]]. | ||
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===Online references=== | ===Online references=== | ||
| − | *Afran, Charles (1997). [http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Theatre/Hugo/hugo.shtml “Victor Hugo: French | + | *Afran, Charles (1997). [http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Theatre/Hugo/hugo.shtml “Victor Hugo: French ]. Website: Discover France. (Originally published in ''Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia'', 1997, v.9.0.1.) Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Bates, Alan (1906). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo001.html “Victor | + | *Bates, Alan (1906). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo001.html “Victor ]. Website: Theatre History. (Originally published in ''The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization'', vol. 9. ed. Alfred Bates. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906. pp. 11-13.) Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Bates, Alfred (1906). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo006.html | + | *Bates, Alfred (1906). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo006.html ]. Website: Threatre History. (Originally published in ''The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization'', vol. 9. ed. Alfred Bates. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906. pp. 20-23.) Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Bates, Alfred (1906). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo005.html “Hugo’s | + | *Bates, Alfred (1906). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo005.html “Hugo’s ]. Website: Theatre History. (Originally published in ''The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization'', vol. 9. ed. Alfred Bates. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906. pp. 18-19.) Retrieved November 2005. |
*Bittleston, Misha (uncited date). [http://www.mishabittleston.com/artists/victor_hugo/ "Drawings of Victor Hugo"]. Website: Misha Bittleston. Retrieved November 2005. | *Bittleston, Misha (uncited date). [http://www.mishabittleston.com/artists/victor_hugo/ "Drawings of Victor Hugo"]. Website: Misha Bittleston. Retrieved November 2005. | ||
| − | *Burnham, I.G. (1896). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo008.html “Amy | + | *Burnham, I.G. (1896). [http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/hugo008.html “Amy ]. Website: Theatre History. (Originally published in ''Victor Hugo: Dramas''. Philadelphia: The Rittenhouse Press, 1896. pp. 203-6, 401-2.) Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2001-05). [http://aol.bartleby.com/65/hu/Hugo-Vic.html “Hugo, Victor Marie, | + | *Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2001-05). [http://aol.bartleby.com/65/hu/Hugo-Vic.html “Hugo, Victor Marie, ]. Website: Bartleby, Great Books Online. Retrieved November 2005. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Fram-Cohen, Michelle (2002). [http://www.objectivistcenter.org/navigator/articles/nav+mframcohen_romanticism-dead-long-live-romanticism.asp “Romanticism is Dead! Long Live Romanticism! | + | *Fram-Cohen, Michelle (2002). [http://www.objectivistcenter.org/navigator/articles/nav+mframcohen_romanticism-dead-long-live-romanticism.asp “Romanticism is Dead! Long Live Romanticism!]. ''The New Individualist, An Objectivist Review of Politics and Culture''. Website: The Objectivist Center. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Haine, W. Scott (1997). [http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/~Chastain/dh/hugo.htm “Victor | + | *Haine, W. Scott (1997). [http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/~Chastain/dh/hugo.htm “Victor ]. Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions. Website: Ohio University. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Illi, Peter (2001-2004). [http://www.hugo-online.org/050000.htm “Victor Hugo: | + | *Illi, Peter (2001-2004). [http://www.hugo-online.org/050000.htm “Victor Hugo: ]. Website: The Victor Hugo Website. Retrieved November 2005. |
*Karlins, N.F. (1998). [http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/karlins/karlins5-5-98.asp "Octopus With the Initials V.H."] Website: ArtNet. Retrieved November 2005. | *Karlins, N.F. (1998). [http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/karlins/karlins5-5-98.asp "Octopus With the Initials V.H."] Website: ArtNet. Retrieved November 2005. | ||
| − | *Liukkonen, Petri (2000). [http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/vhugo.htm “Victor Hugo (1802-1885) | + | *Liukkonen, Petri (2000). [http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/vhugo.htm “Victor Hugo (1802-1885)]. Books and Writers. Website: Pegasos: A Literature Related Resource Site. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Meyer, Ronald Bruce (date not cited). [http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0226almanac.htm “Victor | + | *Meyer, Ronald Bruce (date not cited). [http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0226almanac.htm “Victor ]. Website: Ronald Bruce Meyer. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Robb, Graham (1997). [http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/r/robb-hugo.html “A Sabre in the | + | *Robb, Graham (1997). [http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/r/robb-hugo.html “A Sabre in the ]. Website: New York Times (Books). (Exerpt from Graham, Robb (1997). ''Victor Hugo: A Biography''. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.) Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Roche, Isabel (2005). [http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?cid=30497 “Victor Hugo: | + | *Roche, Isabel (2005). [http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?cid=30497 “Victor Hugo: ]. Meet the Writers. Website: Barnes & Noble. (From the Barnes & Noble Classics edition of ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', 2005.) Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Uncited Author. [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/EUhugo.htm “Victor | + | *Uncited Author. [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/EUhugo.htm “Victor ]. Website: Spartacus Educational. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Uncited Author. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2004/09/20/victor_hugo_timeline_feature.shtml “Timeline of Victor | + | *Uncited Author. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2004/09/20/victor_hugo_timeline_feature.shtml “Timeline of Victor ]. Website: BBC. Retrieved November 2005. |
| − | *Uncited Author. (2000-2005). [http://www.online-literature.com/victor_hugo/ “Victor | + | *Uncited Author. (2000-2005). [http://www.online-literature.com/victor_hugo/ “Victor ]. Website: The Literature Network. Retrieved November 2005. |
*Uncited Author. [http://www.victorhugo.education.fr/ressources/caricature.htm "Hugo Caricature"]. Website: Présence de la Littérature a l’école. Retrieved November 2005. | *Uncited Author. [http://www.victorhugo.education.fr/ressources/caricature.htm "Hugo Caricature"]. Website: Présence de la Littérature a l’école. Retrieved November 2005. | ||
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[[Category:Romantic poets|Hugo, Victor]] | [[Category:Romantic poets|Hugo, Victor]] | ||
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[[cs:Victor Hugo]] | [[cs:Victor Hugo]] | ||
[[cy:Victor Hugo]] | [[cy:Victor Hugo]] | ||
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