Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

society, culture, history, arts · EN-US

Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is a novel which tells the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean, his struggles and eventual redemption. It's hailed by many critics as not just Victor Hugo's finest work but also one of the best French novels of all time. Like most epic novels written in the 19th century, the storyline of Les Misérables spans through several decades beginning in the early 1800s and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris. The events related to the lives of the central characters in the novel are also tied to the great historical events of the time from the French Revolution to the June Rebellion. In the novel, Jean Valjean a man from a poor family was convicted of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's family. He eventually escaped from prison and was able to begin a new life with the help of Bishop Myriel. A police inspector named Javert was assigned to guard the group of prisoners which includes Jean Valjean. Javert became obsessed in arresting and bringing J