Les Misérables

Book0 list appearances

*Les Misérables* (1862) is Victor Hugo's monumental indictment of social injustice, tracing former convict Jean Valjean—imprisoned for 19 years after stealing a loaf of bread—from 1815 through the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris Blending melodrama, historical essay, and moral philosophy, the novel argues that society manufactures misery through punitive laws, poverty, and lack of education Hugo began working on the novel after the tragic death of his daughter in 1843, set it aside for years, and completed it in exile at Hauteville House in 1862 Structured into five major volumes/parts: *Fantine* (Vol. I), *Cosette* (Vol. II), *Marius* (Vol. III), *L'Idylle rue Plumet et l'épopée rue Saint-Denis* (Vol. IV), and *Jean Valjean* (Vol. V)