Les Misérables

Already considered the finest writer in France at the time, Victor Hugo forever solidified his rank as France's premiere novelist with the publication of "Les Misérables" in 1862. A sweeping epic that spans decades, "Les Misérables" is considered one of the finest novels ever written and it's characters have become household names thanks to the enormous success of the musical adaptation of the book, which still plays to packed houses around the world. A passionate advocate on behalf of the poor and destitute, Hugo sets his novel among the lowest of the low, the dregs of society, the dispossessed¿the miserable. The novel introduces us to Jean Valjean, the physically powerful but wretched bread thief who manages to escape his bonds and flee, pursued by the tireless policeman Javert, a single-minded lawman who has sworn to bring Valjean to justice. Along the way, we meet the tragic young mother Fantine, who has turned to a life of prostitution to support her daughter Cosette only to fall into disgrace, disease and death. When Fantine dies and Cosette is entrusted to the now-rich and secretive Valjean, the plot turns on how Cosette will be able to live her life; either on the run with her adopted father or in the arms of her true love, the revolutionary student Marius. Sweeping in its scope and power, "Le Misérables" is one of the world's most cherished and honored novels and we present it here in it's original and unabridged format, translated by Isabel F. Hapgood.