Victor Hugo

Hesperus Press, as suggested by their Latin motto, Et remotissima prope, is dedicated to bringing near what is far—far both in space and time. Works by illustrious authors, often unjustly neglected or simply little known in the English–speaking world, are made accessible through a completely fresh editorial approach …

Le roi s'amuse, best translated as ‘The King Amuses Himself’, is a play in five acts. It is set in Paris in the 1520s and the plot was used for Verdi's 1851 opera Rigoletto. The main person of the play is Triboulet, a witty court jester, through whose words Hugo frequently attacks contemporary society.