Victor Hugo was born on February 26, 1802, in France and is regarded as one of the greatest French writers. His fame first came from his poetry, but he is best known for two of his most well-known works, Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. He was also well-known as a campaigner for social causes and was a passionate supporter of republicanism.

Novels

• Bug-Jargal (1826)
• The Last Day of a Condemned Man (1829)
• The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831)
• Les Misérables (1862)
• Toilers of the Sea (1866)
• The Man Who Laughs (1869)
• Ninety-Three (1874)

Themes

A few of the themes that show up in his novels include:

• The importance of social justice
• Concern for the weak and vulnerable
• Criticism of unjust parts of society
• The potential of the common people
• Self-sacrifice
• Love