Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo is one of the most renowned French writers of the pre-French Revolution era, born in 1802 during the Romantic period. He gained fame in France primarily as a poet and subsequently as a novelist. However, outside of France, he is primarily recognized for his novels. It is noteworthy that Hugo was an advocate for republicanism and opposed monarchical rule.
Hugo authored numerous poetry collections, including Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles, and he is best known for his novels such as Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. His novel Les Misérables is considered one of the catalysts that fueled the French Revolution. Hugo lived a long life, passing away in 1885 at the age of 83.
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire, born in 1821, was a French poet and writer, contemporary to Victor Hugo. Baudelaire is best known for his poetry, followed by translation and literary criticism. He significantly contributed to French culture by translating many masterpieces of European literature into French.
Baudelaire is often regarded as a controversial figure due to his literary ideas. He wrote poetry that was not widely understood during his lifetime, which later inspired succeeding generations. His tumultuous life experiences, particularly his relationship with his mother after her remarriage, profoundly influenced his writing style. Baudelaire passed away in 1867.
Voltaire
Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet in 1694, is recognized as a seminal figure in French literature and one of Europe’s influential philosophers during the Enlightenment, despite his birth occurring at the tail end of that era.
Voltaire was prolific in various literary forms, producing significant works in drama, poetry, translations, and philosophical texts that elucidated his ideas. His extensive travels across Europe, especially to England, led to his translation of Shakespeare’s works into French. Voltaire died in 1778.
Albert Camus
Albert Camus, often referred to simply as Camus, was a modern French writer and philosopher, born in 1913 in Algeria to a French father and a Spanish mother. His father passed away shortly after his birth, and his mother was deaf. He moved to Algiers with his mother and brother to support their family.
Camus is often described as an absurdist writer, as he sought to explore themes of absurdity and nihilism in his literary works, particularly in his novel The Stranger. At one point, he contracted tuberculosis, and tragically, in 1960, he lost his life in a car accident, which some speculate was orchestrated to eliminate him.