Curiosidades

In 1884, just months before his death, Hugo visited the massive construction site of The Statue of Liberty. He was said to be impressed and said "The idea, it is everything".

The publication of Les Miserables led to the shortest ever correspondence at that point in history. Hugo was in England when it was published, and therefore didn't know how successful it would be. His single-character telegraph to his publisher was simply a question mark, signifying that he was asking how the publication was going. His publisher indicated it was a hit with a single-character response: an exclamation point.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche included Hugo in his list of "impossible people", describing him as "a lighthouse in a sea of absurdity."

"Les Misérables" is the source for 48 operas; "Notre Dame de Paris" (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) is the source for 16 operas.

His brother, Eugène, went mad when Hugo married Adèle Fourcher, whom the brothers had known since childhood and whom Eugène was secretly in love with. He died at Charenton Asylum on 20 February 1837.

Mortified to be descended from commoners - his father was a soldier who rose to be a general in Napoléon Bonaparte's army; his mother was the daughter of a sea captain - he "adopted" more illustrious Hugo ancestors, and designed a crest for himself with the words "Ego Hugo."

His remains were interred at the Pantheon in Paris, France.

The appearance of Gwynplaine, the hero of The Man Who Laughs, especially as portrayed by Conrad Veidt, was the inspiration for the appearance of Batman's greatest enemy, The Joker.

His novel Les Miserables became a hit among Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. In fact, in reference to the novel, they often referred to themselves as "Lee's Miserables." Ironically, Hugo was anything but a southern sympathizer. He wrote a strongly worded public letter condemning the U.S. government for the then-pending execution of abolitionist John Brown, and even created a painting of the tragic event itself.

Had a mistress, Juliette Gauvain (aka Juliette Drouet), for 50 years, although he had many other affairs. He escaped sentencing for adultery in 1845 by royal pardon. His wife, Adèle, became involved with critic Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve shortly after their marriage, although the nature of the relationship is uncertain.

Was a personal favorite of Ayn Rand, who was inspired to become a writer from reading his books.

Appointed Pair de France. (1845)

In 1848, he announced his candidacy for president of the French Republic, but he got very few votes.

He won a seat in the National Assembly in 1871, but soon resigned out of frustration with the political process.

Children: Léopold (16 July - 10 October 1823); Léopoldine (28 August 1824 - 4 September 1843); Charles (4 November 1826 - 13 March 1871); François-Victor (28 October 1828 - 26 December 1873); Adèle (24 August 1830 - 21 April 1915). Some biographers give Charles's birth date as 3 November 1826, and Adèle's as 28 July 1830. Adèle's unrequited love for an English soldier was the basis of the film A História de Adèle H. (1975).

He was at the bedside of Honoré de Balzac when he died.

In addition to having been adapted into a hit stage musical, Les Miserables has also been the basis for two hit television series. Roy Higgins modeled Richard Kimble, the main character of The Fugitive, on Jean Valjean. His pursuer, Gerard, was so named because it sounded similar to Javert. This was also used as the basis for Dr. Banner moving from town to town in The Incredible Hulk, with Javert as the basis for his pursuer, journalist Jack McGee.

Pantheon, Paris, France (1996)

He was a staunch and very vocal opponent of capital punishment.