Mar 11 2025 42 mins
Seance transcript images:
Pages 1187 and 1189 of the seance transcripts contain the words "fille" and "morte," but neither includes the words Leopoldine. Page 1189 of the seance transcripts. Page 1187 of the seance transcripts.
Show summary:
It is September 11, 1853, and the already famous author Victor Hugo has been mourning the loss of his daughter for 2 years. He’s also been exiled from France, and having barely escaped with his life he’s now living on a small island off the French coast named Jersey. He’s there with his wife, his mistress, his children, and some friends. He’s sitting on 2/3rds of a manuscript for Les Misérables, and his plans for it’s future and its publication are in limbo, as is the rest of his life.
Days earlier they have received as a guest the distinguished Mademoiselle de Girardin, herself an accomplished author, member of high society, and well-connected member of the continent’s literary class. She has brought with her a device that is all the rage in the Europe that Hugo can’t visit…a séance table. It’s not sophisticated, and it’s really just a small table on top of a large table that’s supposed to tap when the spirits arrive. In a few tries so far it hasn’t really done anything.
But the group has gathered again, with a designated transcriber ready to take the minutes of the event to save an accurate transcript for the historical record.
Tonight IS different. When called upon, the spirits will move the table. In fact, they will tap out a message so precise and so clear that nobody could doubt it’s authenticity…and nobody did. Skeptics were turned into believers instantly. What did the table say? Why did it resonate so strongly with the Hugo family?
This table would send Victor Hugo a very specific message about the Les Misérables manuscript … and introduce the family to William Shakespeare as well. What did the table say about Les Mis, and how would that affect the eventual production of the novel? We’ll talk to the ghosts on this episode of THM.