Middletown transcript., 1915-03-13
HUCO'S GREAT WORKS
Six Handsome Novels Including His
Famous Les Miserables
FOR THE TRIFLE OF $l.25


1t will not need many sets of fingers
to count the names which by common
consent the centuries have styled su-
premely great
In the field of F ction, the verdict of
mankind has enrolled Victor Hugo, the
author of Les Miserables, as one of
these. Not to mention other works Of
his, like 'Notre Dame of Paris, ''The
Toilers of the Sea-, ETC., his Lies
Miserables' is one of those surprising
masterpieces of literature that every
educated person is supposed to read as
a matter of course, just as he does
Homer, Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe,
Dante and Cervantes.
In the heroic creations of the "Good
Bishop of Digne" and ''Jean Vatican" I,
in Les Miserables, Hugo struck a
note of lofty alturism almost divine,
while in the character of ''Fantine"
there is an illustration of self-devoted
mother-love but little less noble. That
single character of Jean Vatican would
would have set Hugo's name among
the immortals had he never penned a
page of his other great things in verse
and prose.
All his characters ''live, move and
have their being" as truly as do those
of Shakespeare, Scott, Thackeray or
Dickens. They are no mere lay figures.
wooden mannikins'upon which he me-
chanically drapes plot, incident and
characteristics, as do the modern hack
writers SO much in vogue, but they are
breathing men and women of types
true in every way to the human nature
all about US in this wOrka-day world of
ours.
The language of Hugo is strong, fine,
exalted, adorned always with the varied
learning of the Scholar, and glowing at
times with the imagination of the Poet.
Without being merely bizarre, he is
strikingly original in ali he does. His
dramatic crises arise as naturally and
as surprisingly as those of Shakespeare
himself, and the most experienced and
acute reader, tho ever so familiar with
the plot handling of the novelists, and
commonly able to foresee the coming
climax or dramatic situation, is again
and again delightfully."- surprised at those
wrot by this master hand
The spice of satire and epigram
abound in these wonderful novels OF
Hugo, adding to the readers entertain
ment, even in the English translation,
tho some of the exquisite beauties of his
consummate skill in the use of words
(minor beauties, no doubt, but very
charming ones for all that are to be
observed only in the original French.
One becomes of necessity very critica
and hard to please after so years of g
diligent book reading that sharpens the
Judgment and elevates the taste, and
SO it often happens that re-reading Of
works that long ago delighted ones
youth, now sadly fails to satisfy. But
the writer after such long course OF
reading recently found his severe taste
completely met, as with ever increasing
delight and amazement he read in tnf
French two of Hugo's masterpieces,
Les Miserables, and Notre Dame
This volume set offered by the Del.
marvia Star, comprises Les Miserables,
Notre Dame, Toilers of the Sea, The
Man Who Laughs and Ninety Three
the cream of Hugo's famous works.
The type is new ana large and the books
are illustrated with fine duotone pictures
by great artists, while both paper anc
binding are all one could ask.
This handsome half dozen of Hugo'E
romances are offered by the Star, post
paid, for the small sum of $1.25 and {
single coupon.
We cannot too strongly urge oul
readers to avail themselves of thil
chance to get such choice literature fol
so small an outlay. Hugo's sublime
work, Les Niserables, of itself will give
each purchaser $500 worth of enter
tainment, and each will thank The Stai
gratefully for bidding them buy it.
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