Claude Gueux

Victor Hugo

Claude Gueux was a short story written by Victor Hugo in 1834. It is considered an early example of "true crime" fiction, and contains Hugo's early thoughts on societal injustice which thirty years later he would flesh out in his novel Les Misérables. The Les Miserables character Jean Valjean is loosely based on the life of Eugène François Vidocq, an ex-convict who became a successful businessman widely noted for his social engagement and philanthropy. It is believed Vidocq helped Hugo with the research for Claude Gueux.

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