Other editions of book Les Misérables: A Novel

On one level Les Miserables is a detective story in which the relentless Inspector Javert obsessively pursues the escaped convict Jean Valjean. On another level, it is a drama of crime, punishment and rehabilitation set against a panoramic description of French society after Napoleon. But above all, Hugo’s masterpiece is about the metaphysical struggle between good and evil in the soul of every man. It is a plea for social justice, political enlightenment and personal charity.

Set in the Parisian underworld and plotted like a detective story, the work follows Jean Valjean, a victim of society who has been imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. A hardened criminal upon his release, he eventually reforms, becoming a successful industrialist and mayor of a northern town. Despite this he is haunted by an impulsive, regretted former crime and is pursued relentlessly by the police inspector Javert. Valjean eventually gives himself up for the sake of his adopted daughter, Cosette, and her husband, Marius. 'Les Miserables' is a vast panorama of Parisian society and its underworld, and it contains many famous episodes and passages.

This ebook includes a biographical introduction, a short, critical analysis of Hugo's work within the historical context and a brief introduction to this work.Originally published in 1862, Les Miserables is a novel in five volumes that relates the experiences of Jean Valjean over the course of 15 years during his time in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, his release and slow redemption. Hugo also recounts the stories of Valjean's nemesis, Javert, Fantine and her daughter Cosette as well as a host of other characters, major and minor.By pitting a downcast set of individuals against an over-bearing state, Hugo manages to combine his Romantic viewpoint with a political perspective. Although the novel was panned by critics at the time, it proved immensely popular with readers both in France and outside it in translation. In the modern era it has spawned an extremely successful musical stage version and a recent film version that relies more on the musical than strictly on the book.

This book contains a unique translation by Isabel Hapgood.Les Misérables (1862) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo, and among the best-known novels of the 19th century. It follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty year period in the early 19th century that starts in the year of Napoleon's final defeat. Principally focusing on the struggles of the protagonist—ex-convict Jean Valjean—who seeks to redeem himself, the novel also examines the impact of Valjean's actions for the sake of social commentary. It examines the nature of good, evil, and the law, in a sweeping story that expounds upon the history of France, architecture of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, law, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Misérables is known to many through its numerous stage and screen adaptations, of which the most famous is the stage musical of the same name, sometimes abbreviated "Les Mis" or "Les Miz" .Language: English Published in: 1862 Translator: Isabel F. HapgoodWord count: 560,391 words

Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean—the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread—Les Misérables ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it, Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them to the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose. Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier, and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les Misérables gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait that resulted is larger than life, epic in scope—an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.

This unique edition includes hand-crafted annotations:- Historical background‘Les Miserables’ was first published in in 1862.Victor Hugo was born in 1802 and died in 1885. He left a legacy of outstanding novels that continue to captivate minds and hearts of the audience even after more than hundred fifty years after its first publication. Vivid images and gripping plot engages readers more than anything. Especially ‘Les Miserables’ is a must read for all.Even in English speaking countries this novel is best known by its French title, ‘Les Miserables’, because it is somewhat difficult to translate, with the most popular translation being The Miserable. It has since been adapted for the theatre as well as a recent popular movie starring Ann Hathaway.

Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.

After serving a lengthy prison sentence, Jean Valjean turns his life around after an act of kindness opens his eyes, becoming a beloved mayor of a French town. A policeman, Javert, who was a prison guard when Valjean was locked up, has a vendetta against him and tries to denounce him as a criminal despite a lack of evidence. Spanning several decades, the story of Javert and Valjean's rivalry is set against the backdrop of post-Revolution French society.

Considered to be French novelist Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Les Miserables, which was published in 1862, is a sprawling historical and philosophical epic that covers from 1815 through the Paris Uprising in 1832. Notable for its many subplots and digressions from the main storyline, the novel's stated aim is a progress from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsehood to truth, which can be seen most clearly in the story of the central character Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who struggles to shake the sins of his past and become a good man. Widely adapted, the novel inspired the blockbuster musical and movie colloquially known as Les Mis. This is an abridged audio recording of the 1887 Isabel F. Hapgood translation.

French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor

Les Misérables (1862) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo, and among the best-known novels of the 19th century. It follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty year period in the early 19th century that starts in the year of Napoleon's final defeat. Principally focusing on the struggles of the protagonist--ex-convict Jean Valjean--who seeks to redeem himself, the novel also examines the impact of Valjean's actions for the sake of social commentary. It examines the nature of good, evil, and the law, in a sweeping story that expounds upon the history of France, architecture of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, law, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Misérables is known to many through its numerous stage and screen adaptations, of which the most famous is the stage musical of the same name, sometimes abbreviated "Les Mis" or "Les Miz" .