Brombert, Victor.
Victor Hugo and the Visionary Novel
. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1984.
A thorough interpretation of the author’s major novels and an invaluable resource for teaching
Les Misérables
. Includes photos of the author’s pencil sketches.
Edwards, Samuel.
Victor Hugo: A Tumultuous Life
. Ed. Noel Bertram Gerson. New York: David McKay Co., Inc., 1971.
An objective, detailed biography. Provides excellent insight into the man in his time.
Hampson, Norman.
A Social History of the French Revolution
. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd., 1963.
An informative and detailed account of developments leading to the French Revolution.
Ionesco, Eugene. Hugoliad or The Grotesque and Tragic Life of
Victor Hugo
. Trans. Dragomir Costinaeu. New York: Grove Press, 1987.
A scathing evaluation of the man and his works. Though finished, this book provides unmatched insight into the other side of the story. A must for both admirers and skeptics of Hugo.
Lefebvre, Georges.
The Coming of the French Revolution
. Trans. R. R. Palmer. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1947.
Reasons for the French Revolution.
Palmer, R. R. and Joel Colton.
A History of the Modern World
. New York: Knopf, 1978.
An excellent historical reference. Provides thorough information on the French Revolution in a world perspective.
Peyre, Henri.
Victor Hugo: Philosophy and Poetry
. Trans. Roda P. Roberts. University of Alabama: U of Alabama P, 1980.
Provides additional insight into Hugo’s philosophy through his poetry.