Showing results by author "Hugo" in All Categories

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by an ensemble cast which includes the BAFTA award-winning actor Adeel Akhtar (Killing Eve; The Night Manager; Les Miserables), Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey; The King's Speech), Natalie Simpson (Outlander; Les Miserables), Emma...

Reason, we are told, is what makes us human, the source of our knowledge and wisdom. If reason is so useful, why didn't it also evolve in other animals? If reason is that reliable, why do we produce so much thoroughly reasoned nonsense? In their groundbreaking account of the evolution and workings of reason, Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber set out to solve this double enigma.

Set in the Parisian underworld and plotted like a detective story, Les Miserables follows Jean Valjean, originally an honest peasant, who has been imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's starving family. A hardened criminal upon his release, he eventually reforms, becoming a successful industrialist and town mayor. Despite this, he is haunted by an impulsive former crime and is pursued relentlessly by the police inspector Javert.

In the grotesque bell-ringer Quasimodo, Victor Hugo created one of the most vivid characters in classic fiction. Quasimodo's doomed love for the beautiful gypsy girl Esmeralda is an example of the traditional love theme of beauty and the beast. Yet, set against the massive background of Notre Dame de Paris and interwoven with the sacred and secular life of medieval France, it takes on a larger perspective.

Sur fond des troubles du XIXe siècle en France, Les Misérables retrace la vie de Jean Valjean, un ancien détenu qui lutte pour se reconstruire dans un monde qui refuse d’oublier son passé. Poursuivi sans relâche par l’inspecteur Javert, rigide et impitoyable, le parcours de Jean Valjean devient un combat moral entre la miséricorde et la loi, la rédemption et le châtiment.

Quasimodo, the isolated and disfigured bell-ringer of the great cathedral, lives hidden from the world—feared by the crowds below and bound in loyalty to the powerful archdeacon who raised him. But everything changes when he encounters Esmeralda, a free-spirited dancer whose kindness awakens a longing he has never known. As desire, jealousy, and power collide in the shadow of the cathedral, the lives of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and those around them spiral toward a tragic reckoning. In a city ruled by appearances and authority, compassion may be the rarest—and most dangerous—virtue of all.

Joss Ackland, Roger Allam and Leslie Phillips star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel. When poverty drives Jean Valjean to steal a loaf of bread from a baker’s window, it is an action that will haunt him for the rest of his life. A citizen of...

Im Moloch Paris treiben sich die seltsamsten Gestalten herum. Der prosaische Großmeister Victor Hugo nutzt diese Weltbühne, um Charaktere unterschiedlichster Couleur aufeinanderprallen zu lassen und entfesselt ein spektakuläres Realitätsbild der wahnwitzigen Gesellschaft. Sorgenlose und mutige Glücksjäger, ausgestoßene Einzelgänger, vom Teufel besessene Priester, die leidenschaftlich morden und in alchemistischer Besessenheit nach Goldformeln suchen, wunderschöne Frauen, Studenten u. a.

Les Misérables is set in Paris after the French Revolution. In the sewers and backstreets, we encounter "the wolf-like tread of crime", and assassination for a few sous is all in a day's work. We weep with the unlucky and heart-broken Fantine, and we exult with the heroic revolutionaries of the barricades; but above all we thrill to the steadfast courage and nobility of soul of ex-convict Jean Valjean, always in danger from the relentless pursuit of the diabolical Inspector Javert.

Life has the capacity of great moments and attainment, of lives well lived, fulfilling for ourselves and for those we touch. But for others life is arduous. There is no spark to ignite the curiosity, to explore and achieve a stability and a growth to their lives. Indeed their lives, in their own eyes, become almost meaningless, their sense of themselves subsumed under a myriad of problems, whether real or imagined. Seismic events in a life might crush them; the loss of a loved one for instance. Coping is difficult, support hard to find and isolation abounds.

Quasimodo. Esmerelda. Frollo. Phoebus. Victor Hugo’s immortal tale of duty, desire and priestly revenge stands strongest on its own, and in this unabridged edition, it is more approachable than ever. Peer into the mind of the fiercely loyal Quasimodo. Discover the world through the sharp eyes of Esmerelda. Discover the privileged and calculating motivations of the ignominious Frollo - all amid the incredible backdrop of the Gothic Notre Dame cathedral.

It is 1793 in France, the year of the guillotine. Already, Louis XVI has been sentenced to the scaffold, and Terror reigns. The architects of the Revolution (Marat, Danton, and Robespierre) have set up the Convention, an embryo parliament, designed to stem social chaos. But ideals topple in the face of political necessity, alliances founder, and intrigue is a way of life.

"1100 Quotations from the Great French Writers of the 19th Century" is a wonderful collection of wit and wisdom from some of the greatest French writers ever. From Guy de Maupassant and Honoré de Balzac to Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, this carefully crafted collection is guaranteed to inspire and entertain. Ideal for those needing a dose of encouragement. These French literary giants are responsible for some of the worlds most famous works, including "The Three Musketeers", "Les Misérables", "Madame Bovary" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".

Hugo's vibrant portrait of the characters in late 18th century Paris is a world-famous story, which has also been made into an award-winning musical. Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, tries to turn his life around for the sake of his adopted daughter, Cosette. Set in turbulent times, this reding by Michael Jayston of this classic tale is a bustling and thrilling trip for a listener through the streets and cafes of a Paris finding its feet and losing its head.

Quasimodo was born disfigured, hunchbacked and lame, and years spent ringing the bells of the Cathedral of Notre Dame have left him deaf, but also spared him the taunts of the cruel mobs of Paris. Now Quasimodo has fallen in love with the lovely Gypsy girl Esmeralda, the only person who ever showed pity on him - but she faces a death sentence, and only Quasimodo's pure spirit can save her. Or can he?

Les Misérables emphasizes the three major predicaments of the 19th century, each symbolized by a major character: Jean Valjean represents the degradation of man in the proletariat, Fantine represents the subjection of women through hunger, and Cosette represents the atrophy of the child by darkness.

Les Misérables est un roman monumental de Victor Hugo qui plonge le lecteur au cœur de la France du XIXe siècle. À travers le destin de Jean Valjean, ancien forçat en quête de rédemption, et la poursuite inlassable de l'inspecteur Javert, l'œuvre explore avec intensité les thèmes de la justice, de l'amour et de la révolte sociale. Ce chef-d'œuvre dépeint un panorama saisissant des inégalités et des souffrances de son époque, tout en offrant une réflexion profonde sur la condition humaine et la lutte pour la dignité.

The remarkable, moving story of Prince Philip's mother by eminent biographer Hugo Vickers, updated in this new edition - for fans of Kingmaker and The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse Princess Alice, mother of Prince Phillip, was something of a mystery figure even within her own...

Advice, inspiration, and real experiences from real couples — welcome to Real Weddings, Replayed. Hear what really happened on the big day, from favourite moments and surprises to the music, planning choices, and lessons learned. Whether you’re planning your own wedding or just love a good love story, these honest, heartfelt chats will entertain and inspire.

Au début du dix-neuvième siècle, un ouvrier nommé Claude Gueux vit à Paris avec sa maîtresse et leur enfant. Un hiver, le feu et le pain manquent. Alors, Claude Gueux décide de voler. Il en résultera trois jours de pain et de chauffage pour la femme et pour l'enfant, et cinq ans de prison pour Claude Gueux à la prison de Clairvaux. Là, une confrontation va s'engager entre Claude Gueux et le directeur des ateliers de la prison.