1802–1885
Victor Hugo
French poet and novelist who wrote Les Misérables (1862), much of it in exile on the island of Guernsey.
Every line we carry
Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.
- Grander than the sea is the sky. Grander than the sky, the soul.
Hugo writes this as Jean Valjean wrestles with his conscience through a long night. The inner life is bigger than any ocean or sky. Look inward with the same awe you give the sea.
Les Misérables, Part 1 (Fantine), Book 7, ch. 3, our translation from the French
- Poverty and loneliness are battlefields. Their unknown heroes are sometimes the greatest.
Hugo honors the people fighting hardship that no one sees or applauds. Getting through poverty and isolation takes real courage. Respect quiet struggles, including your own.
Les Misérables, Part 3 (Marius), Book 5, ch. 1, our translation from the French
- The supreme happiness of life is knowing you are loved.
Hugo adds: loved for yourself, or even in spite of yourself. Nothing else gives the same steadiness. Make sure the people you love know it.
Les Misérables, Part 1 (Fantine), Book 5, ch. 4, our translation from the French
- Whoever does not weep does not see.
Hugo says people who never grieve miss part of reality. Tears come from seeing clearly what is at stake. Let yourself feel it.
Les Misérables, Part 5 (Jean Valjean), Book 1, ch. 16, our translation from the French
- Dying is nothing. Not living is terrible.
Jean Valjean says this on his deathbed. Death itself is not the tragedy; an unlived life is. Live fully while you can.
Les Misérables, Part 5 (Jean Valjean), Book 9, ch. 5, our translation from the French
- Laughter is sunshine. It chases winter from the human face.
Hugo writes this as the gloom lifts from the child Cosette's face. Laughter warms people the way sun warms a cold day. Bring some.
Les Misérables, Part 2 (Cosette), Book 8, ch. 9, our translation from the French
- Teach those who do not know as much as you can.
This is Bishop Myriel's advice. He adds that a society that fails to teach is responsible for the darkness it produces. Share what you know.
Les Misérables, Part 1 (Fantine), Book 1, ch. 4, our translation from the French
- To love someone is to make them transparent.
Hugo says things and creatures are opaque, hiding what is behind them. Love lets you see through someone to what is good and true in them. Look at people with that kind of attention.
Les Misérables, Part 4 (Saint-Denis), Book 5, ch. 4, our translation from the French