The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo

Book Summary

The extraordinary work, "The Last Day of a Condemned Man," is about the final day of a condemned man who, on the brink of death, speaks about his last moments of execution with the guillotine. The renowned author, Victor Hugo, introduces the reader to the thoughts passing through the mind of the condemned person in a unique way, making them feel as if they are inside the main character's mind, experiencing his thoughts minute by minute.

Perhaps at times, we may have empathized and put ourselves in the place of a person facing execution. Certainly, in such a situation, the first question that comes to mind is: what is he thinking about right now? Has he reconstructed his death scenario multiple times for himself? Or maybe he is thinking about the people close to him in these days? Although the idea of the difficult and painful moments of an execution is not pleasant for anyone psychologically, it resonates with some individuals and will bring painful experiences to them.

When Hugo decided to write his talkative and narrative novel and published it in 1829, various whispers about abolishing the death penalty were heard, sparking off events in French society and even other countries. On another note, the novel begins with the criminal himself taking shape and until the end, his name and of course the crime he committed remain completely hidden, seemingly the author had a logical reason for it.

In any case, besides depicting what a condemned person goes through, Hugo also tried to portray the nature of the death penalty and maintained interest from beginning to end with his exemplary skill. Reading about the efforts of a criminal who tries everything to obtain forgiveness from the court and receive a pardon, as well as hearing what people call him, will undoubtedly be valuable for readers.

About the Author

Victor Marie Hugo was a French writer and poet born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon. He spent some time at the prestigious College des Nobles in Madrid, Spain, and then under the guidance of a private tutor in France before turning to writing novels, stories, and plays after initially writing poems. His first collection of poems called "Odes and Other Poems" was published in 1822 and his first novel was made available to enthusiasts in 1826.

During his lifetime, Hugo experienced many hardships such as betrayal, the death of his wife, his daughter's institutionalization due to an unsuccessful love affair, and the death of two of his sons. He passed away on May 22, 1885 in Paris. Some of his most famous works include "Les Misérables," "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," "How to be a grandfather" "Toilers of the Sea," and "Claude Gueux."

Who Should Read the Book?

Enthusiasts of literary fiction and classics are the primary audience for the mentioned novel; also, fans of Victor Hugo's writings can benefit from reading this work.

Book Quotes

From the conciergerie prison, they are transferring me as reported. My journey up to this point is worth describing. It was half-past seven when the executioner appeared in front of my cell door again. He said, "Sir, I am ready to take you."

Alas! He and everyone else were ready! I rose from my place and took a step forward; it seemed like I couldn't take the next step, my head felt unbearably heavy, and my legs were quite weak, but after a while, I regained composure and walked with steady steps. Before leaving the cell, I cast one last glance at it. I was in love with my cell! It will be empty and lonely after me; this is what makes the atmosphere of the prison cell so strange.

But it will not remain like this for long. The guards said that later this afternoon, the next person is coming, a criminal whom the criminal court has just sentenced to death. Along the corridor, a priest joined us. He had recently finished his breakfast. As soon as we left the prison, the prison warden kindly took my hand and added four more soldiers to my guard detail. Behind the infirmary door, an elderly man shouted farewell.

Alas; there is absolutely no sin on my part in this matter; it is the poisoned soul of a condemned person that corrupts everything.

It seems to me that as soon as my eyes are closed, I will see a great light and traps of light that my mind will dive into endlessly.

I got up; my teeth were chattering, my hands were trembling, and I didn't know where my clothes were. I felt weak in my legs, and in the first step I took, like a porter carrying a heavy load on his shoulders, I stumbled. Nevertheless, I followed the prison guard. Two guards were waiting at the threshold of the cell. They handcuffed my wrists again. The handcuff had a tight and small lock that the guards carefully fastened. I let them lock it. It was as if one machine was closing on another machine. We passed through a secluded courtyard.

The windows were open; the air and the city's noises freely entered the courthouse, and the trial hall was so bright that it seemed like a wedding celebration was taking place inside. The joyful rays of the sun had drawn bright lines on the luminous window frames here and there; on the floor of the hall, they spread long and stretched out, wide and broad on the tables, broke in the corners of the walls, and every ray that entered through the shiny window panes split a large shaft of golden dust in the air. The judges sitting at the end of the hall seemed content. Their happiness was probably due to having completed a bit of their work. In the face of the presiding judge, who had found a gentle light reflection from one of the windows, there was a soothing and good presence, and one of the young judge's counselors was happily talking to a beautiful woman sitting behind him as he walked away with his neckerchief.