Sjömansbiblioteket

Claude Gueux is a poor man living in Troyes. One day he decides to steal food for the sake of his family. Good intentions, however, don’t save him in front of the law, and he ends up in prison. But Gueux is not a man who would easily give up – he is able to find friends even in the harsh prison conditions.

‘Claude Gueux’ is Victor Hugo’s short story first published in 1826, and it tells about the injustice of the society.


Victor Hugo (1802–1885) was a French writer. He is best known for his novels ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’. Hugo made his debut at a very young age; he published his very first book 'Odes et poésies diverses' at the age of 20. Hugo was also a human rights activist, and many of his works deal with human rights.