Victor Hugo was the most famous writer in the world when his daughter, Adèle, left their home in Guernsey on a years-long mad pursuit of a former lover. Centuries later, author Mark Bostridge retraces her steps and tries to understand her obsession in the prism of his own life.

I have not seen acclaimed 1975 film The Story of Adele H., so this was my first real acquaintance with the strange life of Adèle Hugo, whose story was long obscured by her own family out of the shame of her mental illness and her loss of reputation. 

Readers seemed to have mixed reactions to Bostridge's wedding of the incidents of Adèle's life to his own - I am one who comes down on the side of loving it. Without it, Adèle's story alone would have made for too slim a story, but beyond that, Bostridge's own life contextualizes hers, and encourages the reader to draw closer too. Suddenly she is not a remote historical figure but a person driven by the same kinds of impulses and obsessions as someone we may know - maybe even ourselves.

The writing is lovely and poetic, and as we trace Adèle's footsteps her story expands beyond the mere single-minded pursuit of the unprepossessing Lt. Albert Pinson. We explore her life as the recorder of her father's every pearl of wisdom, laboring under the shadow of her older sister's untimely demise, the utter isolation she faces in her family exile to Jersey and later Guernsey, and by the time she takes flight to chase her erstwhile lover across the sea you have come much closer to understanding what drove her to it. I was also impressed by how much the author was able to reveal about Albert Pinson, the object of her obsession, to learn for the first time how he might have felt about his stalker.

The sections in Newfoundland and Barbados did feel a little lighter on detail - understandably as Adèle's writings from this time are presumed lost, and much of the information remaining comes down as oral accounts. However, as the author hunts for the homes that Adèle was alleged to have lived in, I thought we lost a chance to peer closer into what may have been going through her mind at these times.

This is an interesting, academic book about the life of Adele Hugo. It is meticulous yet sensitive and heartfelt. There are parallels throughout the book between Bostridge’s life and Adele’s which sometimes took me away from her story. I understand though that the author’s intent is to show the timeless themes of love, abandonment and mental illness.

If you've ever been captured by an idea that has reshaped your life, you'll love this tale of pursuit. I liked the now-and-then exploration of life in Hugo's time. The genre of creative non-fiction allows for musings between what we actually can prove and what might or could have been. Bostridge combines facts and speculations in an engaging and interesting way.

Recommended for history buffs, for literature and Victor Hugo fans, and for the curious. Useful for academics as well as literary bystanders. Enjoy this unusual and engaging book (complete with photos.)

Victor Hugo’s spinster daughter Adèle (1830-1915) developed an obsession with a British soldier and, in defiance of the conventions of her time, followed him to his postings in Canada and Barbados. Author Mark Bostridge is similarly obsessed with Adèle and her story. He travels to all the places she and her family lived and, in this memoir, connects his own life story as a gay man and sensitive soul to her tale of madness and wasted opportunities.

This book encompasses several genres, including biography, history, travel writing, and memoir. Despite some new information revealed by Bostridge’s dogged research, Adèle’s story remains frustratingly incomplete. Bostridge’s memories of his own life are not as compelling as the mysteries of Adèle’s. His sections sometimes feel like padding.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book.

I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

The life of Adele Hugo, the famous writer’s youngest daughter, is stranger than fiction. She fell in love with a British soldier and followed him across the world. She spent her last days in an asylum. Was her love ever returned, or was she an obsessed and unwanted stalker?

Mark Bostridge obsessively traveled across the world to track down Adele, hoping to discover the truth. He was able to dredge up new documents and photographs and insights.

Adele’s beloved older sister’s death was a shock her father never recovered from. The beautiful Adele was pursued, but she rejected marriage. Victor Hugo was forced to leave his beloved homeland, taking the family (and his mistress!) to the Channel Islands. Hugo was larger than life in his fame as a novelist–and for his sexual appetite.

Adele fell for the handsome British officer Albert Andrew Pinson. They had a love affair. She followed him from post to post, but they never married, although a marriage license has been found. In fact, he married another woman, but remained concerned for Adele’s welfare.

Bostridge story of his search for Adele mirrors Adele’s obsession. Drawing from Adele’s journal, family stories and photographs, and historical records, Bostridge teases out a story that confirms that the mysteries of the human heart are unsolvable.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.