Representative of French Romanticism
Occupation: Writer
1802-1885
Poet, novelist, and dramatist, Victor Hugo is considered the most important of the French Romantic writers. Though regarded in France as one of its greatest poets, he is better known abroad for his novels such as Notre-Dame de Paris and Les Misérables.
«The world is the expanding Greece and Greece is the shrinking world»
Victor Hugo’s interest in liberated Greece was particularly evident in relation to the Cretan question. During the period of the Cretan Revolution (1866 – 1869) he published three letters in favor of the Cretans in the European press in December 1866, February 1867 and February 1869, despite the general negative climate for Greek issues of the time. Apart from supporting the Cretans, he also showed interest in the Parthenon marbles, accusing Elgin of this act, based on his perception that the cultural heritage of one people should not become the property of another. Hugo knew well the history of ancient Greece and was inspired by the Revolutionary Struggle of 1821 and the passion of Lord Byron shortly before the founding of the Greek state. He, in turn, influenced the work of many Greek writers. His death, finally, had a great impact on Greece and almost the entire Greek press covered the fact as the loss of a distinguished Greek writer. In fact, ceremonies, similar to those that took place in France, were held in Greece.
“The Miserables” was written for all nations. I do not know if it will be read by everyone, but I wrote it for everyone.
