The Last Days of a Condemned; Bug-Jargal. Claude Gueux

by Victor Hugo

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ... How can I thus write when every point of his eloquence has already failed, and been unanswerably refuted! TWENTY-NINTH PAPER. THE Priest returned. He has white hair, a very gentle look, a good and respectable countenance, and is a charitable man. This morning I saw him empty his purse into the hands of the prisoners. Whence is it then that his voice causes no emotion, and he does not ever seem affected by his own theme? Whence is it that he lias as yet said nothing which has won on my intellect or my heart? This morning I was bewildered; I scarcely heard what he said; his words seemed, to me useless, and I remained indifferent; they glided away like those drops of rain off the window-panes of my cell Nevertheless, when he came just now to my room, his appearance did me good. Amongst all mankind he is the only one who is still a brother for me, I reflected; and I felt an ardent thirst for good and consoling words. When he was seated on the chair, and I on the bed, he said to me, -- "My son, --" This word opened my heart. He continued: "My son, do you believe in God?" "Oh, yes, Father!" I answered him. "Do you believe in the holy Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church?" "Willingly," said I. "My son," returned he, "you have an air of douht." Then he hegan to speak. He spoke a long time; he uttered a quantity of words. Then, when he had finished, he rose, and looked at me for the first time since the beginning of his discourse, and said "Well?" I protest I had listened to him with avidity at first, then with attention, then with consideration. I also rose and said, "Sir, leave me for a time, I beg of you." He asked, " When shall I return." "I will let you know, Sir." Then he withdrew in silence, but shaking his head as though inwardly...

Genres: Classics

86 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

After Napoleon III seized power in 1851, French writer Victor Marie Hugo went into exile and in 1870 returned to France; his novels include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862).

This poet, playwright, novelist, dramatist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, and perhaps the most influential, important exponent of the Romantic movement in France, campaigned for human rights. People in France regard him as one of greatest poets of that country and know him better abroad.

Reviews

[dely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read also Claude Geux seen that my brain "switched" to French and seen that it's also a pretty short story. Rating for this story: 4,5*.
Here the topic reminds me even more of Les Misérables. Claude Geux is a convicted: he had stolen because hungry and to feed his wife and child. He isn't a bad person and, above all, he loves justice. Also in prison he behaves well and socializes with another thief becoming very close friends. The prison director is an evil person and jalous of this friendship so he sends Claude's friend in another prison. For one month Claude begs to have him back, but seen that the director doesn't agree without a giving him a reason of his decision, Claude decides to kill the director because he understands that he did it only out of evilness and out of spite. He doesn't care if he will be justiced for this murder.
Claude's questions to the judges of his trial are: why was I a thief and why did I kill the director? As in Les Misérables, Hugo wants to underline how society and wrong laws can corrupt a person. At the end of the story Hugo is also preachy underlining once more the importance of education, that laws have to be right to help people because wrong laws lead a person from virtue to vice. It's a very short story, but Hugo is able to point out his ideas and the descriptions of Claude and the director are just marvellous.

A quote I really liked: En général, quand une catastrophe privée ou publique s'est écroulée sur nous, si nous examinons, d'après les décombres qui en gisent à terre, de quelle façon elle s'est échafaudée, nous trouvons presque toujours qu'elle a été aveuglément construite par un homme médiocre et obstiné qui avait foi en lui e qui s'admirait.

*****

3* for The Last Day of a Condemned Man. I don't know if and when I will read the other two stories. I was able to read it in French, it wasn't as difficult as I thought (while I had several problems with Guy de Maupassant), but I have often the feeling that I miss some nuances or emotions when I don't read in my native language.
Victor Hugo was really able to put in this story the thoughts, hopes, feelings and emotions of a person that knows he is going to be executed within six weeks. We have his thoughts till the last moments and it is Hugo's accusation against the barbarity and uselessness of death penalty, the indifference of the judges, the coldness of the priest that should help the convicted in his last moments, the curiosity of the people who attend the execution often without empathy and as if they were at the circus. I don't know if a convicted feels the same as the character, but Hugo made him appear real.

*****

From this book with three stories, for now I will read only The Last Day of a Condemned Man. I have already read some pages and it seems I'm able to understand it though it's ages I don't read anything in French. Fingers crossed I will be able to finish it!

It is a present from my son when he went to Paris last year. It's a very old edition though there is no publishing year; but among the pages I have found a receipt of a parcel that has been sent the 12th August '30. I will use it as a bookmark but I have to read this book being very carefull because the pages are so fragile! Oh, and it smells so fine.

I was able to find the site of the publisher: http://collectionnelson.fr/
Though the cover of my edition is different, it seems it has been published in 1912.

[Renee Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is actually part of a trilogy which I assume all deal with death penalties, punishment, etc. It is classically Victor Hugo dark with deep questions about crime, penalty, incarceration, punishment and most importantly - causes. It's more of a short story than a book and is a quick read. Claude Gueux is a good man who cares for his family but ends up getting the death penalty for stealing food for his hungry family. He continues as a good man in prison in spite of an evil warden who cares nothing for his prisoners and in fact mocks Gueux's goodness and punishes him for it. The closing arguments of Gueux are heartbreaking and should be read by all who blindly support the death penalty.

[Janna]

A very Powerful book

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

pas aimé la première nouvelle mais le dernier jour d’un condamné et claude gueux sont trop bien. les deux dernières pages de claude gueux incroyables!!

[Marie Joachin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely powerful book. A must read if you are having second thoughts about the absurdity of death penalty.

[Nautile · Rating 4 out of 5]

一天看完…果然是雨果聚聚早期的作品，《布格-雅加尔》谜之让我觉得像是高配版的NDP，主角好苏啊（。第三篇看了才发现原来好多名言出处是这里的议论部分。

[Chloé · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pas vraiment d’intérêt