Les Misérables
Jean Valjean, under the alias Monsieur Madeleine, illustration by Gustave Brion | |
| Author | Victor Hugo |
|---|---|
| Translator | Charles Wilbour |
| Illustrator | Emile Bayard |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Epic novel, historical fiction, tragedy[1][2] |
| Publisher | A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Cie. |
Publication date | 31 March 1862 |
| Publication place | First published in Belgium, when author was in self-imposed exile in Guernsey |
| Pages | 1,462[3] |
Les Misérables (/leɪ ˌmɪzəˈrɑːb(əl), -blə/,[4] French: [le mizeʁabl] ⓘ) is a French epic historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. Les Misérables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for film, television, and the stage, including a musical.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims, and The Dispossessed.[5] 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 ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.[6]
Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love.
- ^ Carter, Alice (24 December 2012). "Victor Hugo's 150-year-old tragedy continues to excite on stage and film". Triblive. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ Matt, Rawle (17 December 2019). The Grace of Les Miserables Youth Study Book. Abingdon Press. ISBN 9781501887222.
- ^ Victor Hugo. "Les misérables, Tome I". Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Les Misérables". Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ Novelist Susanne Alleyn has argued that "the phrase les misérables, which has a whole range of subtly shaded meanings in French, is much better translated into English as 'the dispossessed' or even as 'the outsiders', which can describe every major character in the novel in one way or another, than simply as 'the miserable ones' / 'the wretched ones'. No, It's Not Actually the French Revolution: Les Misérables and History.
- ^ "Bon anniversaire! 25 facts about Les Mis". BBC Online. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2010.