Victor Hugo
(1802–1885)

The social commentary of writer Victor Hugo earned him hero status in France during his lifetime. His career in writing began as a teen when he won a poetry contest. He then expended all his energy on writing, starting a literary magazine and publishing his first book of poetry by the time he was twenty years old.

His prolific writing established him as a leading Romantic writer and his fame grew with the publication of one of his most popular novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831). After the revolution of 1848, Hugo turned his attention to his government position in which he sought to improve the conditions of workers and create education reforms. Unfortunately, when Napoleon III seized power, Hugo was forced to flee France and remain in exile. During this time he wrote Lés Miserables, a poignant piece of social commentary. After the fall of Napoleon III, Hugo returned to France with the great success of this novel. Through many personal tragedies, such as the loss of his daughter and two sons and his own serious illness, he continued to write until his death.

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