Les Misérables

victor hugo norman macafee charles e. wilbour lee fahnestock isabel florence hapgood

Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged Inspector Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty.

Genres classicsfictionhistorical fictionliteraturefrancehistoricalnovelsfrench literatureromanceclassic literature

1463 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 31,1862

Literary awards

french-american foundation translation prize,

Places

paris, france, digne, montreuil,

This edition

Format: 1463 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published: March 3, 1987 by Penguin
ISBN: 9780451525260
ASIN: 0451525264
Language: English

Characters More characters

Jean Valjean

Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Les Miserables, a former convict who turns his life around after a kindly act from the bishop. He takes care of Fantine and becomes the father of her daughter Cosette. Throughout the story he is chased by Inspector Javer...
Javert

The antagonist of Les Miserables. He is an Inspector who searches tirelessly for Jean Valjean....
Cosette

Cosette is the daughter of Fantine and Tholomyes. She is raised by the Thénardiers who treat her like a servant. Jean Valjean rescues her and makes her his daughter. For several years she is raised in a convent, but then Valjean takes her and leaves. She ...
Fantine

After being abandoned by her lover, she is left with her daughter Cosette. She finds an innkeepers family who take care of Cosette and goes to find work. When they discover she has a daughter she is fired. Later Jean Valjean, who owned the factory w...
Bishop Myriel

...
M. U0026 Mme. Thénardier

...

About the author

victor hugo

After Napoleon III seized power in 1851, French writer Victor Marie Hugo went into exile and in 1870 returned to France; his novels include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862).

This poet, playwright, novelist, dramatist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, and perhaps the most influential, important exponent of the Romantic movement in France, campaigned for human rights. People in France regard him as one of greatest poets of that country and know him better abroad.