Les Miserables
By Victor Hugo

• Download the Free Excerpt » (Requires MobiPocket Reader)

Summary

First published in 1862, this sprawling novel is an extravagant historical epic that is teeming with harrowing adventures and unforgettable characters. In the protagonist, Jean Valjean, a quintessential prisoner of conscience who languished for years in prison for stealing bread to feed his starving family, Les Misrables depicts one of the grand themes in literaturethat of the hunted man. Woven into the narrative are the prevalent social issues of Hugos day: injustice, authoritarian rule, social inequality, civic unrest. And this new translation brings astonishing vivacity and depth to Hugos immortal dramatis personaethe relentless police detective Javert, the saintly bishop Myriel, the tragic prostitute Fantine and her innocent daughter, Cosette, the dashing lover Marius, and many others whom Jean Valjean encounters on his path to sublime sacrifice.

• Get Help Purchasing »
• Our Offered Formats »
• Download Software »