
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Don’t let the sheer number of pages in this book intimidate you, it is worth it! Victor Hugo’s classic tale of Jean Valjean, the peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, is among the greatest novels of all time. Published in 1862, the book begins in 1815 France and ends in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris. Along the way we are introduced to the noble Jean Valjean; the desperate prostitute, Fantine, and her daughter, Cossette; the relentless Javert; the despicable Thénardier and many others. This is an epic novel that delves into many topics such as crime and punishment, politics, grace, justice, and love–both romantic, and familial. Hugo drew upon many experiences in his own life when creating the story and explained his ambition for the work to his Italian publisher by saying:
“I don’t know whether it will be read by everyone, but it is meant for everyone. It addresses England as well as Spain, Italy as well as France, Germany as well as Ireland, the republics that harbour slaves as well as empires that have serfs. Social problems go beyond frontiers. Humankind’s wounds, those huge sores that litter the world, do not stop at the blue and red lines drawn on maps. Wherever men go in ignorance or despair, wherever women sell themselves for bread, wherever children lack a book to learn from or a warm hearth, Les Misérables knocks at the door and says: “open up, I am here for you”.
The musical is fantastic, but to get the true sense and emotion of Victor Hugo and this work, reading Les Miserables is a must.
Content Advisory: Violence, child abuse, sexual content, death, death of a parent, suicide