copyright 2000, Sirpa Grierson
copyright 2000, Sirpa Grierson
Author Information
To fully understand a novel to the best of our abilities, it is helpful that we understand the author's life, his surroundings and the history of the era in which the novel is placed. In this portfolio, I have chosen articles that give insight to Hugo's life and the background to his novel Les Miserables. I have also included the first page of a lesson plan and a series of questions that a teacher may find interesting and helpgul in planning his or her own lessons. One of my favorite sites I have included deals with the pronunciation of the characters' names. Because they are of French origin, English-speaking students may find the names difficult to pronounce. This novel has far more to it than meets the eye and hopefully it can be read and appreciated for the great timeless lessons it teaches as well as the literary classic that it is. -H.J.
Victor Hugo
Liukkonen, Petri. "Victor Hugo" Books and Writers. February 26, 2001.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/vhugo.htm
This site gives Hugo's shortened biography in a way that is easy to read and understand. This would be a good introduction for students to Hugo's life.
Victor Hugo's Last Romance
Lewes, G.H. "Victor Hugo's Last Romance." Blackwood's Magazine. Vol xcii, no. dlxii. August 1862. 172-182. Reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Vol 3.
This article gives a very different view on Hugo's writing. The author suggest that Hugo "cannot be loved...with the love bestowed on great writers" thus giving a very different perspective and beginning an interesting discussion.
Genius and Writings of Victor Hugo
Spofford, AInsworth. "Genius and Writings of Victor Hugo. " The North American Review. Vol lxxxi. Oct 1855. 324-46. Reprinted in Poetry Criticism, vol 17.
This article gives insight to the view of the author in the 19th century. It is interesting to see how criticism has or hasn't changed over the years.
Victor Hugo: The Dangerous Master
Winegarten, Renee. "Victor Hugo: The Dangerous Master." New Criterion. June 1998. 29-35.
This article gives a shorter biography of Hugo's life and gives more insight than just the bare facts. Hugo is called a visionary and is com,pared with the other great artists of his time. This would be useful if the teacher wanted to have the students read a brief yet correct life sketch of the author without being bogged down by too much detail.
Novels
Information compiled by Hillary James
