1880 – Les Misérables – Victor Hugo | Hetzel Definitive Ne Varietur Printing

As a novelist, poet, playwright, and essayist, Victor Hugo is often considered the greatest French writer of all time, with his works being translated into dozens of languages and adapted for stage, radio, and film. One of his most famous works is Les Misérables, the story of a reformed convict who tries to outrun and atone for his past, culminating during the Paris Uprising of 1832. With deep themes of redemption versus law, French antimonarchism, and the nature of different kinds of love, the work has been dearly beloved since its first publication in 1862. In 1880, Hugo granted all his manuscripts to his publisher, J. Hetzel, authorizing them to create a comprehensive printing of all his works, though he would continue to live and write for another five years. This “Ne Varietur” edition was the first definitive and authorized collection of Hugo’s works based on his original manuscripts and included this 4-volume printing of Les Misérables.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Les Misérables
• Author: Victor Hugo
• Contributor: Maison Quantin (printer)
• Publisher: Paris: J. Hetzel and Cie
• Edition: Ne Varietur Edition, [c. 1880]
• Binding: Half leather with marbled boards
• Format: Duodecimo (12mo), 4 volumes
• Size: ~ 7.25in × 4.75in (18cm × 12cm)
• Collation: Each volume individually paginated
• Contents Include:
  • Fantine
  • Cosette
  • Marius
  • Rue St. Denis
  • Jean Valjean
• Provenance: Handwritten, “Nellie P Hammond, Paris July 1892” on front flyleaf

Condition:

Good. Half leather binding and marbled boards show mild to moderate edgewear and rubbing. Hinges are starting, but the rope cords are all intact and secure, and the text blocks are tight. Pages are clean but browned and somewhat brittle throughout.

Why Collect This?

• First definitive and collected version of Hugo’s works
• Hugo’s classic and beloved novel in the original French

Item Number: #31325