Written by Victor Hugo in 1834, “Claude Gueux” is a short story considered to be an example of early 'true crime' fiction. Within it, Hugo presents his stilldeveloping ideas concerning societal injustice three decades before he would imbue them into his seminal novel “Les Miserables”. An exciting and thoughtprovoking tale, “Claude Gueux” constitutes a mustread for fans of Hugo's work. Victor Marie Hugo (1802 – 1885) was a French novelist, dramatist, and poet belonging to the Romantic movement. He is widely hailed as one of the most accomplished and wellknown French writers, originally achieving renown for his poetical endeavours-the most notable of which are the volumes “Les Contemplations” and “La Légende des siècles”. Outside of his native country, Hugo's bestknown works are his novels: “Les Misérables” (1862) and “NotreDame de Paris” (1831), commonly known as “The Hunchback of NotreDame”. Aside from his literary achievements, he also produced over 4,000 beautiful drawings and was a prominent campaigner for social and political issues, including abolishing capital punishment. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, highquality, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.