Since it seems I’ve been on a roll of mentioning controversial subjects this week, let’s add one more, capital punishment anyone? Victor Hugo’s short novel, The Last Day of a Condemned Man attempts to address the subject with the goal of abolishing capital punishment in France for one and all.
Originally published in 1829, in 1832 it appeared with a short preface in which Hugo suggested that the book could be read either as a story taken from the yellowing pages written by a “poor wretch” condemned to death, or as a work of imagination by a writer seized by the idea and unable to let it go. In a still later edition, Hugo, who must have stirred up quite a bit of controversy with the book, felt compelled to include a long essay outlining in detail why capital punishment should be abolished. In the essay he argues, among other things, that capital punishment is cruel, the guillotine is not entirely painless and quick for a good many people, and he details executions gone horribly wrong. He does not apologize for offending the sensibilities of his readers, instead he says he wants to force them to see what France and its people are doing, to purposely shock and appall in hopes that it will get people to act. It is a good essay and Hugo is obviously a passionate man.
The premise of the novel is that it was written on the last day of a condemned man’s life. But while it may have been written in a day, it covers several months in time. The condemned man doesn’t have a name and if he does I don’t remember seeing it. I suspect though that he doesn’t so as to be a sort of “everyman.” He is tried and sentenced for murder but we never find out what his motive for murder was, only that is wasn’t premeditated. The condemned has a wife and daughter and is of what seems to be middle to lower middle class. He mentions he has a study. He wears a frock coat of good quality. His young daughter has a nanny. He can read and write and he went to school but not to university.
The priest keeps showing up, expecting confession and contrition but the condemned cannot give the priest what he wants, not because he doesn’t believe in God, but because the priest is the prison chaplain and is only doing his job. He doesn’t care for the prisoner, he only goes through the motions and mouths the words without passion or compassion so that they are completely meaningless.
The guards are good to the condemned, but they too are only doing their job and are not entirely human:
That good jailer with his kindly smile, soothing words, those eyes that fawn and spy on you, with his big podgy hand, he is prison personified, Bicêtre incarnate. Everything around me is a prison; I see prison in all its forms, human as well as in the shape of bolts and bars. This wall is a prison made of stone; this door, a prison made of wood; these jailers, a prison made of flesh and blood. Prison is a sort of terrible creature, whole, inseparable, half house, half man. I am its prey: it broods over me, clutches me to its innermost recesses.
An execution is free public entertainment in Paris and the crowd squeezes into the square for the show. On the way to his death, the condemned man sees there are seats, scaffolds, and carts for hire to provide the spectators with a better view. He describes “pedlars of human blood” calling out ” ‘Who wants a seat?’ ” and the prisoner, angry with all these people, longs to call out, ” ‘Who wants mine?’ ”
The book is well written and well imagined but, for me, Hugo falls short of his goal. As someone who thinks capital punishment should be abolished, I am a sympathetic reader but found it hard to feel sorry for the condemned man. In fact, with the lack of details about the man’s life and his crime and his relentless emotional cycles of agitation and calm, I found myself thinking at times that maybe he deserved to be executed and quick just so I could be done with the book.
I think Hugo makes a much better argument and has a much more sympathetic character in the short story, Claude Gueux that the OneWorld edition I read includes in the book. Claude is an illiterate poor working man who, one particularly hard and jobless winter, steals in order to provide for his family. He is sent to prison for five years and upon his release cannot find honest work because no one wants to hire a criminal, and so is forced once again to commit a crime. His crimes get worse and worse until he murders someone. He is condemned to death and his family is left destitute and must fend for themselves as best they can.
I am glad I read this short novel. I have never read Hugo before and even though I was not dazzled by the story of The Last Day of a Condemned Man, I think it was a good book to read anyway for its historical and social content. But even though this was my first Hugo, it won’t be my last. I look forward to reading more of his work sometime.
Interesting – I haven’t read this Hugo, but I know him as a man of fearsome political intention, a prolific writer, and someone who often divided public opinion. When someone asked Andre Gide who was France’s greatest writer, he said ‘Victor Hugo, alas!’
He managed to inhabit the cultural imagination rather well, though. The Hunchback of Notre Dame made it to Disney, and one of his characters inspired The Joker in Batman (in The Man Who Laughed). Oh the whole, I have to say I find him a bit sentimental and incredibly long-winded. His editors kept trying to take his huge digressions out, but Hugo stubbornly put them back in again!
And I love controversy week here at So Many Books. Plenty more issues still out there! ๐
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I did love Les Mis when I read it. This sounds like a bit less intimidating, so nice place to start!
PS I personally loved the long digressions in Les Mis. They had *some* pertinence to creating scene.
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This sounds interesting, if maybe not quite as welldone as it could be. I’m against capital punishment as well and have always been horrified by the execution spectacles that used to happen. I remember especially in Handmaids Tale (and The Lottery, too, come to think of it) my stomach just turning…
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I just started this book last night, so we can compare notes when I’ve finished. I thought the little drama at the novel’s beginning was pretty amusing — he satirizes society figures quite well.
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What synchronicity… I’m reading a novel about capital punishment right now too. I’ve not read anything by Victor Hugo but do have a wonderful copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame waiting for me.
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The fact that you weren’t bowled over by it makes me think about the criticisms of publishers of “lesser known works.” Maybe those books are lesser-known for a reason! (Just in case there wasn’t enough controversy here… ๐
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Even though this is a serious subject and a serious post I had to laugh at your wish the prisoner should just be done with. Not to be irreverant and I’m glad I read Les Mis, but Hugo does like to go on and on. I think I’ll content myself with just reading your post on this one! ๐ Not to say he isn’t a wonderful writer!
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I haven’t read any Victor Hugo books before. I agree that knowing more about the character would probably help the reader to feel more for him.
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I have a soft spot for Victor Hugo since Les Miserables is my favorite book in the whole world. I can’t believe I’ve never run across this one, Stef!
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Litlove, was surprised to learn in the author’s note, and from your comment, how prolific and varied Hugo’s career was. I had no idea! Last Day is not long at all but it does go on too long and is at times a bit over much on the sentiment. Hugo displays his long-windedness in his introductory essay. I think it must be about half as long as the novella.
Rebecca, I have been meaning to read Les Mis for years but its bulk has kept me from it. I think this was a nice introduction to Hugo, a small and less intimidating taste.
Daphne, the spectacle of it all is horrifying, but Hugo makes a good point in his essay that hiding it away implies the State knows it is doing wrong and is ashamed and guilty to let the public see the truth.
Dorothy, I can’t wait to hear what you make of it. I totally forgot about the little drama! It was rather humorous.
Iliana, I am looking forward to hearing about the book you are reading. I’d like to read Hunchback sometime. Maybe I will get to it before Les Mis.
Sylvia, you crack me up!
Danielle, I am glad you laughed. While I was reading and realized I was wishing he was just get his head cut off already I felt horrified, but then I immediately blamed Hugo for my reaction and I felt much better ๐
Alyce, yes, you are right. Hugo was trying to walk too thin of a line I think, making his character general enough that it could be anyone–there but for the grace of God kind of thing–but specific enough that the reader is sympathetic. He couldn’t quite pull it off.
Grad, this is a new translation so maybe it wasn’t that available before. I am hoping to one day have a soft spot for Les Miserable too ๐
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