Incredible facts about Hugo. The pinnacle of a writing career. A writer's true love

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 successes, and at 29 he wrote one of his most famous books, “Notre Dame Cathedral.”

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 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 talked not only about Hugo's outstanding literary abilities, but also about his weakness for the female sex. About adventures famous writer created whole legends. 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 of a prosperous family life was marked by the writer’s meeting with 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. On the last pages notebook Hugo had eight love affairs, the last of which occurred just a few 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. That's why when famous writer left his mailing address for someone, 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.

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. First poetry collection Odes and Miscellaneous Poems was published in 1822, when Hugo was only 20 years old.
4. “Notre Dame Cathedral” is the first historical novel in French.
5. One of the effects of the appearance of the novel “Notre Dame Cathedral” was huge crowds tourists who flocked to the deserted 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 an impact big influence on Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
9. The funeral ceremony of the 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. Gavroche / 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 of French classics: A book for students of 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.

Victor Hugo is a French writer, poet, playwright, politician, illustrator and memoirist. He is one of the key figures of French romanticism.

Most famous novels in Hugo are Les Miserables, Notre-Dame de Paris and The Man Who Laughs.

We present to your attention short biography of Victor Hugo.

Biography of Hugo

Victor Marie Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in the city of Besançon in eastern France. He grew up in a wealthy family who lived in a three-story mansion.

His father, Leopold Sigisbert Hugo, was a general in the army. Mother, Sophie Trebuchet, was the daughter of a shipowner.

In addition to Victor, two more boys were born into the Hugo family.

Childhood and youth

In childhood future writer was very weak and sickly child. Due to the fact that the father was a military man, the family often had to change their place of residence.

During their travels, they managed to live in Corsica, Italy, Spain and various French cities. All these travels left vivid impressions in little Victor’s soul.

Soon, frequent scandals began to arise between Victor Hugo's parents, caused by political differences.

Sophie was an ardent supporter of the Bourbons, while Leopold remained loyal to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Over time, the wife began to cheat on her husband with General Lagori. The couple began to communicate less and less and eventually decided to separate altogether.

Victor stayed to live with his mother, and his two brothers Abel and Eugene lived with their father.

An interesting fact is that later Sophie repeatedly tried to improve relations with ex-husband, however, he did not forgive her for her previous insults.

Creative biography of Hugo

IN early years Victor Hugo liked biographies that were accurate, but he was most interested in biographies.

As a child he read a lot classical works, and was also interested in ancient and modern poetry.

Soon, while studying at the Lyceum of Louis the Great, he composed several poems. At the same time, he wrote plays, based on which various school productions were later made.

When Hugo was 14 years old, he began translating the works of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. However, later the young man decided to burn the translations because he believed that they were far from perfect.

In 1819, he wrote the poems “Vvedensky Maidens” and “On the Restoration of the Statue of Henry IV,” for which Hugo was awarded two prizes at the “Jeux Floraux” competition.

The judges were amazed at how “adult” the aspiring writer’s works were.

At the age of 17, Victor, together with his brother Abel, began publishing the magazine “Literary Conservative”. Two years later, he published the collection “Odes,” which brought him some popularity in society.

Many critics predicted a great future for the young and talented poet.

Works of Hugo

Hugo wrote his works in the style of romanticism. In them, he paid special attention to various political and social issues, which was fundamentally different from romanticism, which gave preference to human qualities.

In 1829, Victor Hugo published the novel “The Last Day of a Man Condemned to Death,” in which he advocated the abolition of the death penalty.

After this, another serious work was published in the biography of Hugo - “The Man Who Laughs.” In it he condemns different shapes violence emanating from representatives of the current government.

"Notre Dame Cathedral"

In 1831, Hugo presented his first historical novel, Notre-Dame de Paris. It showed the influence of the famous English writer Walter Scott.

In his novel, Victor Hugo touched on various political issues, and also advocated the restoration cultural monuments. That is why Paris Cathedral, which was planned to be demolished, became the main scene of events.

"Les Miserables"

In 1862, one of the most iconic novels in his biography, Les Misérables, was published, which is still considered a world classic.

More than one film has been made based on this book.

In this work, Hugo raised such serious social issues as poverty, hunger, immorality, and also criticized representatives of the power elite.

Subtle psychological observations and vivid images of characters in the background historical events- Here distinctive feature Hugo's writing style.

"The Man Who Laughs"

Then, in the mid-1860s, Hugo wrote another of the key novels in his biography, “The Man Who Laughs.”

Basic storyline The novel is the tragedy of a child who finds himself thrown outside the normal human life and became an absolute outcast due to a terrible deformity inflicted on him in early childhood.

Personal life

The first wife in the biography of Victor Hugo was Adele Fouché. In this marriage they had five children. Their family life It was difficult to call her happy. The wife treated her husband with disdain and often cheated on him.

It is interesting that Adele has not read a single work of her brilliant husband. Any touch from Victor irritated her, as a result of which Fouche often refused to fulfill his marital duty.

Soon the writer falls in love with Juliet, who was the favorite of Prince Anatoly Demidov.

The girl dressed in luxurious outfits and did not lack anything. Having met Hugo, she left her patron and began dating the famous writer.

An interesting fact is that Victor was extremely stingy. He gave Juliette small amounts of money, controlling all her expenses.

As a result, his beloved began to look like a peasant woman. The girl could not afford anything and wore very modest clothes.

Soon, the aged Juliet ceased to interest Hugo, so he increasingly began to resort to the services of girls of easy virtue.

The writer's biographers claim that in his house there was even separate room, in which he received prostitutes.

Death

Victor Hugo died of pneumonia on May 22, 1885 at the age of 83. An interesting fact is that the funeral ceremony took place over 10 days.

About a million people came to see off the great French writer on his final journey.

The ashes of Victor Hugo rest in the Pantheon in Paris.

Photo by Victor Hugo

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Victor Hugo Interesting Facts from the life of the French writer are presented in this article.

Victor Hugo interesting facts

He was the third child in the family of a general in Napoleonic army. Father and mother often moved in and out and, in the end, officially divorced on February 3, 1818. Victor was raised by his mother in the spirit of royalist and Voltairean views. The boy began to communicate with his father after the death of his mother in 1821. It is worth noting that his father aroused his admiration and love.

I loved to eat green bean puree.

Victor Hugo published a novel in 1831 called “Notre Dame de Paris,” which became famous throughout the world.

In the Rohan-Gemene Hotel in Paris, there is an apartment in which Victor Hugo lived for 16 years. Entrance to the room is free. The famous “Les Miserables” were created within these walls. Here Hugo met and made friends with such writers as Lamartine, Alfred de Vigna, Alexandre Dumas, Balzac, Prosper Merimee and Charles Augustin de Sainte-Beuve. The apartment was turned into a museum, which houses the writer’s manuscripts and drawings, as well as copies of the very first editions of the author’s works.

He had a special passion for feet.

On October 12, 1882 he married Adele. They were both 20 years old. The couple's first child died, but their second daughter, Leopoldina, survived. After her there were 2 more daughters and two sons. But the second daughter Didina, as Hugo affectionately called her, was his favorite.

The writer was known as a reformer in literature. He always tried to be at the center of new fashion trends, literature and public life. When Victor Hugo turned 70, he did not stop visiting various events for young people.

Victor Hugo was the most famous French writer, poet and playwright. He made an invaluable contribution to the formation of the era of French romanticism, and his creative activity he started when he was very young, at 14 years old. This article will contain most interesting information about amazing facts from the life of this writer.

The work “Les Miserables” was created over the course of 22 long years

When the author was writing a novel, he was visited quite often by a creepy creative crisis. Hugo tried to fight it by alienating everything worldly, locking himself in his room alone with his only comrades: pen and paper. There, in complete silence and with complete concentration, he created a great work.

At the same time, he undressed and gave all his clothes to the servants for safekeeping so that they would not distract him from the creative process. "Les Misérables" was created in torment, but became truly a masterpiece that created a real sensation in times Civil War and was incredibly liked by American soldiers. However, the work was initially subjected to severe criticism.

Musical and film "Les Miserables"

The author’s efforts were not in vain. A musical based on the recognized great work “Les Miserables” was staged. Its premiere took place in 1985, in October. The musical turned out to be incredibly long by the standards of the time, but this did not stop it from winning not just one, but several Tony Awards.

The work has been translated into 21(!) languages. And already in 2012, our contemporaries made a film based on the musical. The important thing is that each actor sang himself. The film received many awards, as did the individual actors who played in it. In film main role played by Hugh Jackman.

Talent for painting

Also in early childhood Hugo began to create beautiful works of art. He drew magnificently beautiful sketches in pencil or ink, which can be seen on display in the museum, dedicated to the writer. Perhaps if Victor had devoted his life to painting, he would have become the greatest and famous artist At that time, such a fate was predicted for him by those who saw his drawings.

Hotel Roan-Gemene

You can get acquainted with the life of the writer, examine his sketches and early manuscripts at the hotel in France, where Hugo lived for sixteen years of his long life. It was in this hotel room that the most famous and greatest work"Les Miserables" where this moment There is a museum dedicated to Victor Hugo.

Hugo's strange fetish

Amazingly, the writer had a passion for feet. Victor Hugo was a foot fetishist. This means that what attracted him most to women was their feet. This strange passion was shared with him by many poets, writers and artists, for example Fitzgerald, Goethe and even the Russian writer Dostoevsky.

Writer's marriage

The incredibly beautiful Adele Fouché became the chosen one of the great author. She was a childhood friend of Victor Hugo. The wedding took place in 1822, in October. According to the writer himself, their wedding night was incredibly stormy, which frightened and shocked the poor girl. Adele’s feelings for her husband changed dramatically after this, she lost interest in him, but later still bore the man five children.

The offspring of Victor Hugo

Despite the lack of mutual love in the writer's family, his wife gave birth to five children: Leopold (unfortunately, the boy died in infancy), Leopoldina, Karl, Francois-Victor and Adele. The children suffered an unfortunate fate. Leopoldina died at the age of 19, and her younger sister went crazy from terrible grief.

A writer's true love

Due to the joyless marriage and the fact that his wife was not faithful to him, the author had many mistresses, but true feelings Only Juliette Drouet could awaken his soul. Their romance continued until the woman's death, incredibly for a long time. She did not become Hugo’s wife; he did not want to divorce Adele at all.

Hugo, even in his old age, kept up with fashion

The writer followed everyone until his old age fashion trends in clothing and literature. He visited various events, whose contingent consisted of very young people. He can even be called a reformer.

Death from pneumonia

Victor Hugo lived a long and, one might say, happy life. He had talent, fame, money, a beloved woman and children. Brilliant writer died at the age 84 years old from pneumonia. The disease developed because Hugo, having a cold, opened the windows to watch the parade in his honor and greet fans. He simply could not miss such an opportunity, and he paid for it. The cold developed into pneumonia and on May 22, 1885, Victor Hugo died.

Funeral of Victor Hugo

Incredible significant fact is that the funeral procession passed under Arc de Triomphe. Previously, only the most important commanders were awarded such an honor. The ceremony itself took about ten days, and a huge number of people were able to take part in it.

A square in the very center of France was named after Victor Hugo, as was the metro directly below it. Previously, there was a monument to the writer on the square, but, to our deepest regret, it was destroyed by the fascist administration and melted down for various agricultural and other needs. Surprisingly, a crater located on the distant planet Mercury also bears the name Hugo.

Hugo's works really changed the history of literature in France; this author is one of the symbols of this country, and his name is known, remembered and revered all over the world.