|Back to the Classics| The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo

I don't read a lot of classics, or older books in general, so when I was looking for something to read this past week, I decided it was time to challenge myself. I picked up The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo, recommended months ago by my cousin and sitting in my to-be-read pile ever since. While I personally read the book in French, the original language, it is definitely worth a read, even as a translation.

First published in 1829 anonymously, the novella seeks to persuade readers that the death penalty is wrong and should be abolished by telling to story of a "condemned man", who has been sentenced to death by the guillotine. While a long preface and Hugo's name were added in the 1832 edition of the book, this roman à thèse (thesis novel, or a novel that holds a moral, philosophical, political, or scientific discussion) continues to be mystic in many ways. Indeed, Hugo does not include the name or crime of the condemned man, seeking instead to focus on the man's feelings and thoughts.

Do We Want to Turn the Page?

Rating this book definitely feels like something I am not qualified to do, considering the immense literary merit that it has, but I'm still going to do it! I actually adored this book. From the beginning it makes you think, revisit your opinions and your assumptions, and really view life in a different manner. It is not surprising then that I am rating it 10/10. It was incredibly book, and Hugo's decision not to include the main character's name, his crime, or most of his background definitely helped me feel more sympathetic to him, focusing on his humanity instead of on his crime. Additionally, we usually see the capital punishment as wrong when applied to a specific person, while Hugo wants to argue that it is wrong in any case. I loved this, which is also why my favorite quote was "What a crime I have committed, and what a crime I am making society commit"(I translated this, so it is not exactly what Hugo said). The condemned man writes this when he is thinking of his daughter, who will grow up without a father, with no one to help her. The latter part of the line represents Hugo's sentiment on the death penalty: society kills people just to prove that killing (or any other crime) is wrong. This punishment is ironic, just like the novella, filled with quips about grey hair and sarcastic conversations with a clergy-man. These funny moments lighten up the mood of the novel while also making you realize how absurd the situation is. I also loved how the story explains how the prisoner is able to write a book, and of course, ending on an interruption, because a dead man cannot finish his story. Just a warning before you go out and pick up the book (which you should absolutely do): It is a difficult read, both from a language point of view and a mentality one. It's a heavy topic, so even though it's short, you might need a little brain break! In any cases, do read if you can!

The Summary:

Victor Hugo takes us inside the head of a man condemned to death who is waiting on his execution. We do not know who he is or what crime he has committed, because the author does not want to debate but wants to show the horror and the absurdity of the situation. His text has such power of suggestion that the reader, identifying with the narrator, shares with him the anxiety and then vain hopes. The most vehement indictment ever made against the death penalty, this novel is also an admirable lesson on writing and humanity.

(From the back of my book and translated by me)

The Author: Victor Hugo

Victor Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry and then from his novels and his dramatic achievements. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles stand particularly high in critical esteem. Outside France, his best-known works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and Notre-Dame de Paris, 1831 (known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). He also produced more than 4,000 drawings, which have since been admired for their beauty, and earned widespread respect as a campaigner for social causes such as the abolition of capital punishment.

Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and the artistic trends of his time. He is buried in the Panthéon. His legacy has been honoured in many ways, including his portrait being placed on French franc banknotes.

(From Hugo's wikipedia bio)