AP Photo

As France heads into the first round of the presidential elections, President Nicolas Sarkozy shares Gide's ambivalence. Suddenly, Victor Hugo has become his principal opponent. Whether it is the Socialist candidate, Francois Hollande, or the candidate of the far left, Jean-Luc Melenchon, citing from or identifying with this hulking literary figure - the 19th century’s greatest poet, novelist and bard of the Revolution - has become de rigueur.