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 still-developing ideas concerning societal injustice three decades before he would imbue them into his seminal novel Les Miserables . An exciting and thought-provoking tale, Claude Gueux constitutes a must-read 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 well-known French writers, originally achieving renown for his poetical endeavours-the most notable of which are the volumes Les Contemplations and La Legende des siecles . Outside of his native country, Hugo’s best-known works are his novels: Les Miserables (1862) and Notre-Dame de Paris (1831), commonly known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame . 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, high-quality, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.