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’ THE ESSENTIAL VICTOR HUGO V H was born in Besançon in , the youngest of three sons of an officer (eventually a general), who took his family with him from posting to posting, as far as Italy and Spain. Victor’s prolific literary career began with publication of poems ( ), a novel ( ), and a drama, Cromwell ( ), the preface of which remains a major manifesto of French Romanticism. The riot occasioned at the first performance of his drama Hernani ( ) established him as a leading figure among the Romantics, and NotreDame ( ) added to his prestige at home and abroad. Favoured by Louis-Philippe ( – ), he chose exile rather than live under Napoleon III. In exile in Brussels ( ), Jersey ( ), and Guernsey ( ) he published some of his finest works, notably the satirical poems Les Châtiments ( ), the lyrical poems Les Contemplations ( ), the first series of epic poems La Légende des siècles ( ), and the lengthy novel Les Misérables ( ). Only with Napoleon III’s defeat and replacement by the Third Republic did Hugo return, to be elected deputy, and later senator. His opposition to tyranny and continuing immense literary output established him as a national hero. When he died in he was honoured by interment in the Panthéon. E. H. B and A. M. B are freelance writers and translators. Their previous Hugo translations have appeared in Six French Poets of the Nineteenth Century (Oxford World’s Classics), Selected Poems of Victor Hugo (winner of the American Literary Translators’ Association Prize and the Modern Language Association Scaglione Prize for Literary Translation), The Major Epics of Victor Hugo, and Contemplations, Lyrics, and Dramatic Monologues by Victor Hugo. They are currently preparing a bilingual edition of the poems of Stéphane Mallarmé for Oxford World’s Classics. ’ For over years Oxford World’s Classics have brought readers closer to the world’s great literature. Now with over titles––from the , -year-old myths of Mesopotamia to the twentieth century’s greatest novels––the series makes available lesser-known as well as celebrated writing. The pocket-sized hardbacks of the early years contained introductions by Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Graham Greene, and other literary figures which enriched the experience of reading. Today the series is recognized for its fine scholarship and reliability in texts that span world literature, drama and poetry, religion, philosophy and politics. Each edition includes perceptive commentary and essential background information to meet the changing needs of readers. OXFORD WORLD ’ S CLASSICS The Essential Victor Hugo New translations with an Introduction and Notes by E. H. and A. M. BLACKMORE 1 3 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi São Paulo Shanghai Taipei Tokyo Toronto Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © E. H. and A. M. Blackmore 2004 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published as an Oxford World’s Classics paperback 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under