Victor Hugo

The French Romantic writer is best known for his monumental novels Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Both were published in the 19th century and remain literary classics.

Victor Hugo published Les Misérables in 1862 after working on the massive manuscript for nearly two decades. The book was an immediate commercial success across Europe.

Yes, while he is most famous for his novels outside of France, he was actually recognized primarily as a master poet and playwright in his home country. He produced vast collections of poetry, such as Les Contemplations.

Hugo went into a 20-year exile in the Channel Islands due to his political opposition to Napoleon III. He lived primarily on the island of Guernsey from 1855 until the fall of the Second Empire in 1870.