Many people have heard of or seen the broadway production Les Miserables, know the songs and the surface of what the French classic is about. However, most have not read the novel, which, in depth, goes beyond the stage production and the 100+ adaptations.
Victor Hugo, the author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published the historical novel Les Miserables in 1862. The story follows the life of ex-convict Jean Valjean on his journey to redemption, interweaving with several characters, the wretched ones.
The book is separated into five volumes: Fantine, Cosette, Marius, The Idyll in the Rue Plumet and the Epic in the Rue St. Denis and Jean Valjean.
The first volume starts with the protagonist, Jean Valjean, prisoner 24601, who is released after 19 years of imprisonment in the galleys of Bagne of Toulon, a notorious prison located in Toulon, France. He seeks a job, but because of his parole, he is turned down and even beaten by adults and children alike.
After taking refuge in a church, he meets M. Myriel, Bishop of Digne. To repay for his services, Valjean steals silver from the humble bishop, only to be caught by guards, called gendarmerie, and taken back to the church, where he is redeemed for his actions by M. Myriel, only if he promised to repent for his sins and become a better man – a man of God.
The novel takes you on a journey that elaborates upon the history of France, politics, religion and justice as Valjean tries to better himself and help whomever, no matter how deadly the situation. Hitting the main points, such as the French Revolution, Hugo creates an impoverished and unfair look at life, making the whole novel an anticipated read. It’s all about the fight for freedom, the familial love and the power of government vs. the power of God.
Victor Hugo sums it up best when he says, “In the future there will be neither darkness nor thunderbolts; neither ferocious ignorance, nor bloody retaliation. … In the future no one will kill anyone else, the earth will beam with radiance, the human race will love. The day will come … when all will be concord, harmony, light, joy, and life.”
