Marva Barnett is professor at the University of Virginia, where she also serves as director of the Teaching Resource Center.
"Marva Barnett pulls of a neat trick: in grouping Hugo's writings
across genres by themes with universal resonance and timeless
appeal, it proves that what ought to matter to the modern reader is
Victor Hugo. . . . This book . . . succeeds strikingly in showing
how and why Hugo still speaks to us today. And this without
oversimplifying or ignoring the contradictions inherent in his
work; on the contrary, Barnett's meticulously researched and
carefully organized reader provides a nuanced picture of Hugo's
life and body of work. . . . The strength here is how she
artfully presents from the themes selected for each main section
Hugo's multilayered and multi-genre engagement with life's biggest
questions. . . . This type of project is refreshingly alive, and
Barnett;s fluid prose and clear passion for this undertaking
additionally demonstrates the pleasure that can be derived for
scholars from engaging with a public other than themselves."—Isabel
Roche, French Review
*French Review*
"[A] bountiful volume of Hugo's writings. . . . Barnett reveals
herself to be exactly the kind of reader that Hugo wanted to
attract to his works. The result is both meticulously organized and
compellingly informative. . . . Barnett is careful to stress
the character of her portrait as representative rather than
exhaustive. In turn, this volume stands as both a helpful composite
of Hugo's oeuvre and an exciting introduction of what remains one
of the modern age's most extensive bodies of literature. Indeed,
Barnett structures the vast array on offer with enviable poise,
striving for the kind of thematic coherence that should appeal to
aficionados and newcomers alike. . . . The kind of invitation for
readers to go further that Hugo would have appreciated."—Bradley
Stephens, French Studies: A Quarterly Review
*French Studies: A Quarterly Review*
"Much carful thought has gone into the book's organisation, making
it a pleasure to explore. . . . This theme-based approach is
ideal for realising the author's intention of helping the reader
'make contact' with Hugo the man through his writings and engage
with his ideas and thoughts on 'things that matter.' . . .
Barnett's overview of Hugo's life and ideas is lively and
illuminating, valuable in its own right independently of the
anthologized pieces. The author achieves the difficult balance of
including a wealth of information without excessive detail or
denseness. . . . Throughout, the book is animated with Barnett's
own love and appreciation of Hugo's work and what emerges is not
just a showcase of the writer's literary creations but an insight
into 'one great, intriguing mind.' The reader gains an appreciation
not only of the writer but the man himself: his feelings, his
character, his thoughts and his ideas that still speak to us today
with their enduring optimism. Victor Hugo on Things That Matter is
an important step in bringing Hugo to a deservedly wider world
readership."—Andrea Beaghton, L'Echo Hugo
*L'Echo Hugo*
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