Chapter VI
Timeline
History, Novel, Author, and Adaptation · 1802–2012
Victor Hugo Born
Victor-Marie Hugo is born in Besançon, France, the son of a Napoleonic general and a royalist mother.
Napoleonic Wars End at Waterloo
Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo. The Bourbon monarchy is restored. The events of Les Misérables begin — Jean Valjean is released from prison.
July Revolution
The people of Paris overthrow Charles X in three days of street fighting. Louis-Philippe, the 'Citizen King,' takes power. Hugo witnesses the revolution.
Notre-Dame de Paris Published
Hugo's first great novel — The Hunchback of Notre-Dame — is published. It makes him the most famous writer in France and saves the cathedral from demolition.
June Rebellion — Climax of the Novel
A small group of republicans build barricades in Paris. The uprising is crushed in one night. Approximately 800 are killed. Hugo is caught in the crossfire.
Hugo Elected to the National Assembly
Hugo enters politics as a deputy. The 1848 Revolution interrupts his work on Les Misérables.
Louis-Napoléon's Coup — Hugo Goes Into Exile
Hugo opposes Louis-Napoléon's coup d'état. He flees first to Brussels, then to Jersey, and finally settles on Guernsey. He spends nineteen years in exile.
Les Misérables Published
After being interrupted by the 1848 revolution and resumed in exile, Les Misérables is published. The first edition sells out within hours. It is the literary event of the century.
Hugo Returns to France
After the fall of Napoleon III, Hugo returns to a triumphant welcome in Paris.
Hugo Dies — Over 2 Million Attend His Funeral
Hugo dies in Paris at the age of 83. Over two million people line the streets for the largest public funeral in French history. He is buried in the Panthéon.
Musical Adaptation Opens in Paris
Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's musical adaptation of Les Misérables premieres at the Palais des Sports in Paris.
English-Language Musical Opens in London
The English-language adaptation, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and translated by Herbert Kretzmer, opens at the Barbican Centre in London.
Musical Opens on Broadway
Les Misérables opens on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre. It becomes the longest-running musical in Broadway history at the time.
Tom Hooper's Film Adaptation
The film adaptation stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine (who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress).