Author: Victor Hugo
Release Date: April 24, 2004 [EBook #12137]
Language: English and French
Character set encoding: ASCII
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EBOOK la legende des siecles ***
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[Illustration]
BY VICTOR HUGO
Edited by G. F. Bridge, M.A.
Encouraged by the favourable reception accorded to
the ’Oxford Modern French Series,’ the
Delegates of the Clarendon Press determined, some
time since, to issue a ‘Higher Series’
of French works intended for Upper Forms of Public
Schools and for University and Private Students, and
have entrusted me with the task of selecting and editing
the various volumes that will be issued in due course.
The titles of the works selected will at once make
it clear that this series is a new departure, and
that an attempt is made to provide annotated editions
of books which have hitherto been obtainable only in
the original French texts. That Madame de Stael,
Madame de Girardin, Daniel Stern, Victor Hugo, Lamartine,
Flaubert, Gautier are among the authors whose works
have been selected will leave no doubt as to the literary
excellence of the texts included in this series.
Works of such quality, intended only for advanced
scholars, could not be annotated in the way hitherto
usual, since those for whom they have been prepared
are familiar with many things and many events of which
younger students have no knowledge. Geographical
and mythological notes have therefore been generally
omitted, as also historical events either too well
known to require elucidation or easily found in the
ordinary books of reference.
By such omissions a considerable amount of space has
been saved which has allowed of the extension of the
texts, and of their equipment with notes less elementary
than usual, and at the same time brighter and more
interesting, whilst great care has been taken to adapt
them to the special character of each volume.
The Introductions are also a novel feature of the
present series. Originally they were to be exclusively
written in English, but as it was desired that they
should be as characteristic as possible, and not merely
extracted from reference books, but real studies of
the various authors and their works, it was decided
that the editors should write them in their own native
language.
Whenever it has been possible each volume has been
adorned with a portrait of the author at the time
he wrote his book.
