Hauteville House, Guernsey
Victor-Marie Hugo was born on February 26th, 1802 in Besancon, France, the third son of Sophie Trebuchet and General Joseph-Leopold-Sigisbert Hugo. He was an eminent French novelist, poet, playwright and essayist. His notable works include Les Contemplations, Les Misérables, and Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame).
On October 31, 1855, Victor Hugo arrived in Guernsey, forced to leave France as a result of his problems with Napoleon. He rented a furnished house at 20, rue Hauteville, and lived there with his family for a few months. With the proceeds of the first publication of “Contemplations”, Hugo acquired the house at 38, rue Hauteville where he spent the rest of his 15 years in exile from France.
Hauteville House is an amazing place to visit and is maintained by the City of Paris, meaning that the guides are all French. Fortunately for us when we visited, they speak excellent English and give the most fascinating talks about the house, Hugo and the island.
Still furnished as it was when Hugo lived there over 150 years ago, Hauteville House was designed by the author himself and is a real work of art. He left symbols or his initials everywhere. In the dining room, for example, his initial are inscribed in the tiles.
Four floors of lavishly decorated and richly furnished rooms really reflect the man himself. Each room is decorated in a very different style with lots of flair and imagination and about 3000 books are stored in the various libraries of the house.
At the top of the house, Hugo had his 'look-out', offering stunning views of the garden and the coast line beyond. It is easy to see why this was one of the writer’s favourite places and here he worked and wrote several of his most famous pieces, including Les Miserables. The desk on which he wrote is still there. Also in this attic area, there is a small bedroom, resembling a ship's cabin, where Hugo would often sleep. The house is absolutely worth visiting -and re-visiting!
Only in 1870, when the government fell in the Franco-Prussian War, did Hugo finally return to his former home of Paris and even then he frequently returned to his adopted island home of Guernsey.
Hugo’s novels are not children’s books, but Marcia Williams has worked her magic on ‘Les Miserables’, retelling the masterpiece in her own comic-book style. This doesn’t make the sombre content any more pleasant, but the story becomes far more easily digestible for younger readers, perhaps those who have seen the musical.
Les Miserables Marcia Williams
Candlewick Press ISBN: 978-0763674762
