James Baquet

    French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was just 20 years older than the scientist Louis Pasteur. He is considered one of the greatest writers in the French language.

    When Hugo was a boy, his father governed provinces in Italy and Spain, under Napoleon. The boy learned much through travel. In mid-life, he spent 15 years living in exile, returning a national hero. As he entered his 80th year, Paris celebrated by holding a six-hour parade past his house, and the street he lived on was renamed in his honor.

    Though best known as a poet in his native tongue, two of his novels are best known to readers of English.

    In recent years, one of these has been made into a musical play and later a movie. This is, of course, “Les Miserables.” The play and the film focus on the main plot of the novel, the pursuit of former prisoner Jean Valjean by the dogged police inspector Javert.

    The novel is far more complex than this simple story, made up of some 1,900 pages in French. In addition to Jean Valjean, there are the poor factory worker Fantine and her equally unfortunate daughter Cosette; Cosette’s radical student boyfriend Marius Pontmercy and his fellow revolutionaries; Cosette’s abusive foster family the Thenardiers, whose daughter Eponine is in love with Marius; and the kindly old Bishop of Digne, who contributes to Valjean’s redemption.

    This is a complex, mature novel, published when Hugo was around 60. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (French title “Notre-Dame de Paris”) was the work of a much younger man, less than 30 years old. Its narrative is more straightforward, and its plot more romantic.

    The hunchback Quasimodo lives in Notre Dame Cathedral under the protection of a priest named Frollo. Like many men, Quasimodo and Frollo love the Gypsy girl Esmerelda, as does a captain named Phoebus.

    Frollo later attempts to kill Phoebus, and Esmerelda is charged with the crime. Quasimodo saves her, but eventually she is captured and hanged. Frollo laughs at her misfortune, and, seeing this, Quasimodo pushes Frollo to his death.

    Quasimodo then stays by Esmerelda’s grave until he dies of starvation, and their mingled bones are turned to dust.

    Victor Hugo himself is buried in the Pantheon, a place of honor; and his face has been used on French currency.

    Vocabulary

    Which word above means:

    1. direct, not complicated;

    2. severe hunger;

    3. mixed together;

    4. politically extreme;

    5. treating someone harshly;

    6. problem, bad luck;

    7. person with a bent spine