Victor Hugo

My all-time favorite fiction author is Victor Hugo. So, of course, he’s one of my heroes.

While I can’t be certain, here’s how I think I found out about him.

I didn’t learn about the musical version of Les Miserables until I was in college (probably in 1989). I initially listened to some of the songs on a cassette tape, without much context into the story.

For whatever reason, it did not grab me right away.

With limited choices for cheap tickets, I took the opportunity to get a standing-room spot to see the musical on Broadway. There, I was blown away by the experience of watching Les Miserables!

Suddenly, the story came to life. I fell in love with the music and lyrics. This was the best musical I had ever seen! (Later, I learned how to play many of the songs on the piano.)

Soon afterward, I dove into the source material. I got the hardback book translated by Lascelles Wraxall with additions by Charles E. Wilbour. It was a gift from Sanjay, one of my friends. When I started reading it, the faded red cover was already falling away from the binding, and the pages were stained with age.

It didn’t matter. Soon, I became amazed at how well it had been transformed into a musical. I connected with Victor Hugo’s words on so many levels. I was inspired by the exquisite language. I loved how he expressed his ideas both directly and in the way he let the story unfold.

I felt the emotional impact of the story all over again.

Later, while visiting Paris, I bought a French version of Les Miserables in three paperback volumes. I never learned the language well enough to grasp it all, but I enjoyed the experience of trying to read it in the original language.

More recently, I got this beautiful hardback version as a gift from my son.

When I got married, my friend Paul read several quotes from the novel at our wedding ceremony, including this one.

What is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul.

– Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

While Les Miserables impacted the trajectory of my life more than any other book, I also enjoyed reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame and some of his other works.