A translation of Hugo's ultimate confession of faith. The volume dates from the period of the great romanticist's exile in the English island of Guernsey, to which he fled when Napoleon III usurped the throne of France. It is composed of a group of rhapsodies on such themes as "Genius," "Life and Death," "Reveries on God," in which the most versatile of nineteenth century men-of-letters sets down his final convictions on art, on religion, and on life. "A graceful and scholarly translation." - The Independent
After Napoleon III seized power in 1851, French writer Victor Marie Hugo went into exile and in 1870 returned to France; his novels include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862).
This poet, playwright, novelist, dramatist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, and perhaps the most influential, important exponent of the Romantic movement in France, campaigned for human rights. People in France regard him as one of greatest poets of that country and know him better abroad.