The Terrible Year, 1872
Original title: L'Année Terrible
In June 1871, Hugo and his family left Brussels for Vianden, Luxembourg, keeping a safe distance from the uprising of the Paris Commune and MacMahon beating it down. Getting continuous reports of the events taking place in Paris, he wrote The Terrible Year, describing the horrors in poetic form. The first print of 1600 sold out on the day it was published, 20 April 1872, but the reception was far from enthusiastic. Two years later though, an illustrated edition sold 80.000 copies.
