Selected Essays of Victor Hugo

Author: Victor Hugo
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Victor Hugo (1802—1885) was not only a distinguished poet, novelist, dramatist, and theorist but also a prose writer with remarkable literary talent. In prose alone, he wrote over three million words, including political essays, travelogues, diaries, speeches, eulogies, memoirs, commemorative articles, and miscellaneous writings, all diverse and rich in variety, leaving one awestruck. Although this collection is not extensive, it can be said to encompass the essence of Hugo's prose, demonstrate that he truly deserves the title of a great prose master of his generation.
In terms of content, Hugo's prose is profound and vast, covering a wide range of topics. It is well-known that Hugo was an indomitable fighter. He was a sworn enemy of the reactionary Napoleon III. After Napoleon III's coup in 1851, Hugo was forced into exile and first wandered to Belgium before settling on a small island in the English Channel, where he lived for nineteen years in exile. During this time, Hugo remained steadfast and refused to bow to Napoleon III. He documented his experiences of fleeing and what he witnessed during Napoleon III's coup as a spear and dagger aimed at Napoleon III. The satirical prose collection The Little Napoleon was thus born. From The Humiliation of the Master and the Misery of the Situation and The Portrait of Napoleon III, one can see Hugo's intense hatred for this tyrant, his merciless comparison of him to historical despots, and his branding of him on the pillar of historical shame. The ignominious downfall of Napoleon III perfectly validated Hugo's judgment. In 1870, Napoleon III was defeated in the Battle of Sedan and became a prisoner of the German army, playing the role of a national traitor. Hugo reviewed Napoleon III's shameful history and wrote the political treatise The Origin of a Crime, settling accounts with Napoleon III's vile deeds. As the voice of justice and a victim of persecution, Hugo's condemnation was righteous and fully expressed his high ideals of democracy and patriotism. These two essays can be read alongside his satirical poetry collection The Punishments.
Hugo's patriotism was particularly evident during the Franco-Prussian War. During this period, his prose expressed his deep affection for his ally, Germany, while also reflecting his calls for peace without losing sight of the need to take up arms and fight against the aggressor. Hugo once used the proceeds from reciting his poetry to purchase cannons, allowing the people of Paris to defend themselves. His actions demonstrated his high patriotic spirit and fervent fighting passion.
Hugo was a humanist, and his works permeated with humanistic ideals, including his prose. He pursued human freedom and dignity, yearned for the continuous progress of humanity, and endorsed anything that aligned with these values while condemning or criticizing anything that contradicted them. He highly regarded Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire, revealing his longing for ideals of democracy, freedom, and universal love. He expressed immense indignation over the death of an innocent boy during Napoleon III's coup. He sympathized with the Polish people, who were invaded by Russia, offering them moral support. At the same time, he showed deep compassion for prostitutes who were humiliated and harmed, condemning those who took advantage of them. He repeatedly opposed the death penalty, believing that even convicts deserved sympathy. He sympathized with Louis XVI, who was executed, and portrayed King Louis-Philippe, who fled after abdicating, with a tone of pity. In short, Hugo was a loyal friend to the oppressed and persecuted, and an implacable enemy of oppressors and reactionaries.
Beyond his noble political sentiments and abundant patriotic passion, Hugo possessed a fierce sense of justice. He was also a father and lover who cherished paternal and romantic love. My Sons fully demonstrates his tender fatherly heart toward his sons. The Anniversaries of Love records the love story between Hugo and Juliet. Hugo's love for Juliet was not born of infidelity. After discovering his wife's affair, his spirit was severely wounded, and the love of their youth vanished. His encounter with Juliet reignited his passion, a flame that burned for half a century. They corresponded frequently, and wherever Hugo went, Juliet followed closely. From the day they were married, he wrote a passage every year on the same day to commemorate their union. The Anniversaries of Love inadvertently became a faithful record of their love story. Like a New Year's card, Hugo wrote his heart's thoughts almost every year, but he did not send them out. Instead, he kept them treasured. This album was placed under his pillow, accompanying him through the nights year after year. The pages gradually formed a precious, a series of unsent love letters.
Hugo traveled to many places in his lifetime, and his impressions of foreign landscapes were particularly unique. His early travelogue The Alps captured the majestic beauty of this towering European mountain range while also showcasing the rich imagination of a Romantic writer. The Rhine is Hugo's most important travelogue, written in the form of letters, consisting of thirty-nine letters that document his observations in the Rhine region from 1838 to 1839. As he depicted the grandeur of this great European river, he also included folk tales and myths from the region. In Hugo's view, the Rhine was a river that nurtured European civilization, which is why he felt a special connection to it. His interwoven narration and commentary revealed his extensive historical knowledge and familiarity with the historical changes of Europe and the cultural development of the Rhine Valley.
Beyond its profound intellectual depth, Hugo's prose also holds significant documentary value. His works recorded major events and their evolution in the 19th century. As a renowned writer and political activist, Hugo stood at the forefront of political trends and social life, interacting with key political figures and celebrities. His observations thus held historical value. Moreover, due to his close relationships with other famous writers like Balzac, Chateaubriand, George Sand, and Alexandre Dumas, his accounts of their lives and funerals were also invaluable records. His vivid descriptions of the execution of Louis XVI and the return of Napoleon's remains provided a vivid commentary on history, equally valuable in terms of documentation.
Artistically, Hugo's prose possessed many remarkable features that made him a world-class master of the essay. First, his prose was free and flexible, rich in variety. Each essay had a unique narrative style—some were straightforward or interwoven with commentary like news reports, others used or, some were structured in stages, some explored a topic from multiple angles, some took the form of diaries, and some ended with thought-provoking conclusions that summarized the essence of the work. Some were lengthy, spanning tens of thousands of words, with a sweeping and unrestrained pen; others were concise, with only hundreds or even dozens of words, each word a gem. This demonstrated Hugo's mastery as a writer.
By the 19th century, French prose had reached a stage of maturity. Chateaubriand's lyrical essays were eloquent and magnificent, advancing the tradition of Rousseau's nature descriptions. Hugo followed in his footsteps but achieved even greater development. His prose included lyrical, philosophical, political, epistolary, diary, and aphoristic forms, synthesizing the best of others and embodying the style and demeanor of a Romantic leader, his talent, and his pen.
Second, Hugo had a unique narrative style. He often combined meticulous observation with original thinking, making his prose both dynamic and deeply nuanced, yet powerful. For example, his description of the architecture of the Reims Cathedral was so detailed that it left readers amazed at his keen observation and sharp vision. Then, his tone shifted dramatically as he described a king's statue with a swallows' nest on its crown, expressing a profound reflection. This reflection revealed Hugo's love for the world and life. The preceding narration was meticulous and precise, while the concluding description was abrupt and forceful. The contrast was striking, awakening readers to deeper insights. His observations often differed from ordinary people's, often winning attention with their uniqueness and giving readers a profound sense of wonder.
In his short essays that depicted characters, Hugo also favored this contrastive technique. For instance, regarding Talleyrand, a political figure who had been active across several French dynasties, Hugo contrasted his magnificent and sinister mansion with the dark drainpipe beside it. The towering, luxurious, and gloomy architecture mirrored Talleyrand's body and character. After his death, his brain, which was dissected, was thrown into the drainpipe by his servants, symbolizing his tragic fate and the public's evaluation of him.
Hugo was a master of language. His prose was rich and varied, with a unique style. As a poet, he could use concise language to depict poetic scenes. As a novelist and dramatist, he often inserted vivid dialogues into his writing, creating stories full of life and color. Hugo's command of language was so refined that he could wield it effortlessly.
On one hand, his prose was rich; on the other, it was unique. Especially in rhetorical construction, he loved using parallel verbs to express ideas. French verbs are particularly rich, with nuanced and varied tenses. By using parallel verbs, he conveyed complex and concise meanings, layering his arguments and deepening his insights with force.
The rhetorical device of contrast was another of Hugo's language. For example, in these three sentences:
"At the bottom are the people. Above the people, the religious representatives of the church. Beside the church, the judicial representatives of justice."
These sentences are arranged in three lines, with a striking contrast in thought. Hugo often used such unexpected contrasts to capture readers' attention and achieve a powerful effect.
There is no doubt that Hugo's prose was profound in thought and highly artistic, radiating a unique brilliance. He was fully worthy of his place among the great masters of world prose. This collection of essays is a powerful testament to that.