Les Misérables

by Victor Hugo (1862)

Before there was binge-watching on TV, there was Victor Hugo, who wrote a book so massive, so emotionally intense and so French that it makes modern soap operas look like polite weather reports. Yes, we’re talking about Les Misérables — or as fans call it, Les Mis, because frankly, even the title is exhausting.

This is the story of Jean Valjean, a man who steals a loaf of bread, is hunted for decades by an obsessive policeman, adopts a tragic waif, runs from the law, hides in sewers, joins a student revolution, and somehow still finds time to reflect on the meaning of life. It’s got more plot twists than a pretzel and more suffering than a Victorian dentist's waiting room.

Our characters include:

A relentless inspector who treats parole violations like war crimes.
A dying factory worker who sings through her misery and somehow manages perfect pitch.
A streetwise kid with the bravery of ten men and the hygiene of none.
A pair of innkeepers who would steal the teeth out of your mouth and upsell them back to you as "vintage".

And let’s not forget the backdrop: the French Revolution (well, a revolution — France had several, like they were trying them on for size). There are barricades! Cannons! Tragic songs! People die beautifully while wearing tasteful waistcoats.

Reading Les Misérables is like being caught in a heartfelt thunderstorm: it’s long, it’s loud, it’s dramatic, and it’s determined to make you feel all the feelings — while possibly teaching you 80 pages' worth of sewer infrastructure along the way.

So grab your tissues, prepare your vocal cords (in case spontaneous singing occurs), and step into the melodious, miserable, magnificent world of Victor Hugo — where no good deed goes unpunished and everyone has a backstory.

Translated from the original French version by Isabel F Hapgood, Les Misérables is one of the most well known 19^th century novels.

Index

Cosette in the Thénardiers' inn,
depicted by Émile Bayard (1837-1891)