Claude Gueux ; La Chute

by Victor Hugo

224 pages, Pocket Book

Published March 25, 2004

About the author

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.

Reviews

[VictoriaV]

« Cette tête de l’homme du peuple, cultivez-la, enrichissez-la, arrosez-la, fécondez-la, éclairez-la, moralisez-la, utilisez-la; vous n’aurez pas besoin de la couper. »

Ce texte soumet l'idée que l’éducation peut être un moyen puissant d’éradiquer toutes formes de délinquance, et pourtant il soulève une question universelle : l’humain ne porte-t-il pas par nature une part de mal ?

Même si l’on peut être en désaccord avec certaines idées, la plaidoirie d'Hugo est prodigieuse.

[Marco]

I think this book is interesting if you want to know the origins of what would, later, become "Les Miserables". Aside from that, although it touches on interesting topics that are still relevant to this day, the moral "solution" he offers as an answer is quite dated: Hugo seems to be under the impression that faith will cure poor poeple of their suffering, and make them become good poeple at the same time. If you're an atheist, if hard not roll your eyes at the naivety of such hazardous statement.