Published in 1862, the book referenced what were already historic events. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Les miserables is a novel that tells the story of jean valjeans struggles to escape his criminal past and provide for his adopted daughter, cosette. A man named jean valjean has just been paroled from prison following an extended sentence that he received for stealing bread. Only the saintly bishop, monseigneur myriel, welcomes him.
Summary plot overview the convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. It contains the moments of high drama, clearly outlines all the motivations, is easy to follow and lacks only passion. Les miserables, one of the most popular musicals of all time, is based on a novel of the same name by french author victor hugo. The book, first published in 1862, is set in 19th century france and still captures imagination and emotion today.
The title is french, translating in english to the wretched. The book begins in 1815, following napoleons defeat by the. When the police catch him, he says it was a gift from the bishop, who goes along with the story. The book begins with a history of the novel itself and then delves. Behind the plot of les miserables lie inklings about the meaning of life and about human nature. Victor hugos les miserables is quite simply one of the most beautiful and affecting books ever written. Hugo now turns to another leading character, marius. One day, an ex convict wanders into the bishops village and cant find any food or lodging because everyone turns him away. Les miserables cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Synopsis this version is a close adaptation of the broadway stage musical with the dialogue entirely in song in 1815 france, convict jean valjean hugh jackman is released on parole by prison guard javert russell crowe after serving a 19year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. The book begins in 1815, following napoleons defeat by the british at waterloo. The convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. In the englishspeaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original french title.
Mademoiselle baptistine is a respectable woman, not pretty, but deeply good, though her goodness seems to make. The book is nearly 3,000 pages long and considered an epic. Gillenormand, by threatening to disinherit marius, has forced georges. Hugo develops the plot beautifully as former convict jean valjean struggles to escape his past and is pursuer inspector javert. Jean valjean, a convict recently released from jail, shows up on monseigneur bienvenus doorstep and is given food and. The books opens by describing the life of a really upstanding dude named bishop myriel. Based on the classic novel, les miserables, by victor hugo, and the classic broadway stage show of the same name, les miserables is the story of jean valjean, a prisoner who breaks parole, and the police inspector, javert, who tries to hunt him down for breaking parole. The story starts in 1815 in digne, as the worker jean valjean, just discharged from 19 years detainment in the galleys five for taking bread for his starving sister and fourteen more for various escape endeavors is dismissed by innkeepers since his yellow visa marks him as a previous convict. You can also read the full text online using our ereader. When the book was finished, hugo tried and failed to write a preface.
Les miserables synopsis broadway musical the musical takes place at the beginning of the xix century. It was an instant popular success and was quickly translated into several languages. A les miserables reading list for all ages book riot. As for the story itself, les miserables is simply one of the greatest stories ever told. Based on the classic novel, les miserables, by victor hugo, and the classic broadway stage show of the same name, les miserables is the story of jean valjean. In a nearby town, georges pontmercy, marius father, a hero of the napoleonic wars, lives in retirement. The plot fails with the timely arrival of the inspector. The protagonist of the novel, jean valjean, finds temporary haven. When valjean arrives at the town of digne, no one is willing to give him shelter because he is an exconvict. Monseigneur bienvenu takes his christianity to heart and gives to the poor all the wealth allotted to him by the church. In 19thcentury france, jean valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory workers daughter. After 19 years of penal servitude, jean valjean is released by policeman javert. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. A story filled with outrage and idealism becomes somehow merely picturesque.
Set in the parisian underworld and plotted like a detective story, the work follows the fortunes of the convict jean valjean, a victim of society who has been imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Les miserables study guide literature guide litcharts. A les miserables reading list the complete book of les miserables by edward berh. The bishops background destined him to a worldly career. But the more you read this novel, the more youll realize that hugo is a real sucker for characterization. With hugh jackman, russell crowe, anne hathaway, amanda seyfried. Les miserables is a french historical novel by victor hugo, first published in 1862, that is. Les miserables study guide contains a biography of victor hugo, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Working in the impoverished suburb of montfermeil, in the 93th district, where victor hugo wrote his famous 1862s novel the miserables, ruiz joins the local anticrime brigade, being paired with veterans but unscrupulous colleagues chris and gwada, who are charged with the task to train ruiz about the way montfermeils works and the people to meet. Myriel had arrived with his sister, mademoiselle baptistine, a spinster ten years younger than he was, and with a servant of the same age, madame magloire. The convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent. The question and answer section for les miserables is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. In this book, berh writes about everything les miserables.
Les miserables or, as it is often shortened, les mis is a novel by victor hugo, published in 1862. Les miserables tells the fictional story of jean valjean, a man who has unjustly been condemned to nearly two decades of prison for stealing a. The title is french, translating in english to the wretched ones. One of my favourite musical films is the 1956 the king and i, with the late yul brynner and late deborah kerr in the lead roles. However, knowledge of earlier french history is definitely helpful in understanding much of the plot. While the fictional aspects may seem to be an afterthought, hugos craft is. After nineteen years as a prisoner on the chain gang, jean valjean is released on parole with his yellow ticketofleave, which he must always carry with him, always branding him as a thief. Les miserables is a novel of great enough length that there are several different plot lines happening throughout the story following different characters. More than just a compelling and finely woven narrative, hugos work contains themes of social injustice, philanthropy, sacrifice and, most importantly, redemption presented so skillfully the reader cannot help but question his or her own moral.
Only the bishop of digne invites him in and treats him with compassion. Components of romanticism and realism are used by hugo in order to successfully project his feelings about the plight of. At digne, he is repeatedly refused shelter for the night. Marius is a seventeenyearold who lives with his grandfather, m. Before valjean leaves the prison, javertone of the guardswarns him against breaking his parole. Though d is a small town where gossip and rumors rule, after around nine years, any rumors about the bishop had dissipated. The novel les miserables was written in 1862 by victor hugo. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 june rebellion in paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of exconvict jean valjean and his experience of redemption. He is seventyfive years old and lives only with a sister baptistine, ten years younger than he, and an old servant, madame magloire, the same age as his sister. The novel opens with a character study of a kind, saintly priest, m. Les miserables, by victor hugo, is an epic historical novel that, though titled les miserables, which translates to the miserable people, is also a story about undying love set largely against the backdrop of the june rebellion, also known as the paris uprising of 1832. This version hews much more closely to hugos book, a fivevolume, 365chapter novel that over the course of its complex plot explores history, law, politics, religion and ideas about justice. Les miserables is like a perfectly respectable classics illustrated version of the victor hugo novel. The synopsis below may give away important plot points.