Translated by Eugenia De B
This short novella was written in 1834 and is considered to be an early example of crime fiction, containing Hugo’s thoughts on injustice in society. The narrative concerns Claude Gueux, a poor, hungry inhabitant of Troyes, who has received neither education nor help from society. One day, in the midst of a great famine, he steals a loaf of bread to feed his wife and child; but he is caught and sent to the Clairvaux Prison, an old abbey turned into a high-security detention centre.
Though this is a lesser known work, its content would later inspire Hugo in the writing of Les Misérables.