Les MisŽrables
By: Victor Hugo
Published March 3rd 1987 by Signet Classics (first published 1862)
Category: Business
Pages: 1463 pages
ISBN: 9780451525260
Description:
Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean ValjeanÑthe noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of breadÑLes MisŽrables 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 ThŽnardier, and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les MisŽrables 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 scopeÑan extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.