Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo
- First published
- 1862
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo is a French epic historical novel published in 1862. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, it follows ex-convict Jean Valjean's struggle for redemption. The novel explores the nature of law and grace, examining themes of justice, poverty, and love through the lives of interconnected characters in nineteenth-century France. Considered one of the greatest novels of its century, it depicts society's most downtrodden members and their fight for dignity.
- Historical fiction
- Orphans
- Paris (France)
- Epic literature
- Ex-convicts
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #135. Les Misérables on Wikipedia.
