Victor Hugo, the 19th-century French literary rockstar, had a life that read more like an epic novel than a biography. Born in Besançon, France, to a dad who was all about that Napoleon life and a mom who was a card-carrying artsy type, young Victor was practically destined for a life of fame, drama, and really, really long novels.

As a kid, Hugo was already scribbling away, and by the ripe old age of 24, he published "Odes et Ballades," his first poetry collection. Let's just say, the literary world was like, "Whoa, this guy’s got game."

Then came 1831, and Hugo dropped "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." Picture this: a deformed bell-ringer and a beautiful gypsy girl in a love story set in medieval Paris. It was the "Titanic" of its time – minus the iceberg and  Kate Winslet.

But wait, there's more! In 1862, Hugo unleashed "Les Misérables," and, oh boy, did it cause a stir. It's like he asked, "How many issues can I cram into one novel?" and then answered, "Yes." Poverty, social injustice, redemption – the works. It’s so epic, it could give "Game of Thrones" a run for its money (if everyone sang, that is).

On the side, Hugo was like a social justice superhero. He dabbled in politics, fought for the underdog, and helped kickstart the Third Republic. Basically, he was the 19th-century version of a celebrity activist, minus the Instagram account.