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. Overall, i think it is a well made book of good quality and very economical. A summary of fantine, books onetwo in victor hugos les miserables. It is the inspiring tale of an impoverished woodcutter turned galleyslave named jean valjean, who rises in the eyes of those who really know him to the status of a saint. If its any help, there are 366 chapters, so you can read it simply over the course of a year. Les miserables study guide literature guide litcharts. The musical captures the scope and scale of the book better, but the nonmusical focuses in more on valjean and javert and is all the better for it. 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. Boublil, french author of songs during performance of. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. I have tried and failed quite a few times to read the famed book, but the page count and density have yet to allow me to finish it. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and was so excited. Les miserables, novel by victor hugo, published in french in 1862. After its great success, hollywood has now decided to take on the difficult task to bring this beloved play to the big screen.
Les miserables, brochure and handbill from the musical, by alain boublil and claudemichel schonberg based on the novel by victor hugo. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of les miserables. Set in postrevolutionary france, the story reaches resolution against the background of the june rebellion. Les miserables or, as it is often shortened, les mis is a novel by victor hugo, published in 1862. In 1815, monsieur charlesfrancoisbienvenu myriel was bishop of digne. Use the words and images as prompts to invent stories of your own and encourage your children to do the same. When valjean arrives at the town of digne, no one is willing to give him shelter because he is an exconvict. The first edition of the novel was published in 1862, and was written by victor hugo. Feb 05, 2009 i need a really brief like, 2 paragraph summary of les miz. Nov 05, 2017 les miserables quite possibly my favorite drama storyline of all time, les miserables is a french historical novel published in 1862 by victor hugo. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Buy les miserables classics by hugo, victor, denny, norman, denny, norman, denny, norman from amazons fiction books store. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of les miserables by victor hugo.
Free online study guide summary for les miserables by victor hugo book notes chapter summary synopsis booknotes study guide analysis online notes. Les miserables is a novel by victor hugo that was first published in 1862. Free download or read online les miserables pdf epub les miserables series book. The main characters of this classics, historical story are jean valjean, javert.
Hugos plot is intertwined with innumerable threadsthat of the reconciliation between marius and his grandfather, the ultimate defeat of the evil of thenardier, the aspects of victory and defeat in the insurrection, the love affair between marius and cosette, and the constant chase of javert for. Valjean makes contact with the bishop of digne who agrees to give him and. Les miserables victor hugo bok 9781846140495 bokus. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Pdf les miserables book les miserables free download. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. It also tells the story of the 1832 revolution and describes the unpleasant side of paris. See more ideas about les miserables book, les miserables and les miserables victor hugo.
Published in 1862, the book referenced what were already historic events. This book is a part of the baby lit series published by gibbs smith. Several days after his prison break, he is recaptured and sent to the galleys in toulon. So that even baudelaire the modernist poet, the poet of dense economy could write in le boulevard, on april 20 1862, that it. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Les miserables synopsis broadway musical the musical takes place at the beginning of the xix century. Dec 31, 2014 caissie levy as fantine and ramin karimloo as jean valjean in the 2014 revival of les miserables valjean had to pay the thenardiers fantines distant relatives and cosettes guardians in order for them to hand over their custody of cosette to valjean. I am either going to read the hunchback of notredame or les miserables. The moving love story of kim, the vietnamese girl, and chris, the american gi, and their fateful encounter in.
Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work. Les miserables is a novel of great enough length that there are several different plot lines happening throughout the story following different characters. I know because i made the initial mistake of getting the abridged version. When mabeuf finds a purse in his yard, he takes it to the police. Enriched classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Les miserables, victor hugo les miserables is a french historical novel by victor hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. Feb 16, 2010 the free one is the abridged version of the book. This extraordinary english version by renowned translator julie rose captures all the majesty and brilliance of hugos work. 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 tells the fictional story of jean valjean, a man who has unjustly been condemned to nearly two decades of prison for stealing a. Im doing a project on it for my french class, and i want to tell my class what the book s basically about without boring them to death.
It is a musical tragedy, which served as a major powerhouse competitor for andrew lloyd weber musicals in the early eighties and nineties. Les miserables by victor hugo meet your next favorite book. Book summary jean valjean, after spending nineteen years in jail and in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread and for several attempts to escape, is finally released, but his past keeps haunting him. The idea to create the musical, which is based on victor hugos novel, has come to the a. One day, an ex convict wanders into the bishops village and cant find any food or lodging because everyone turns him away. An interactive data visualization of les miserabless plot and themes. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. In spite of courfeyracs advice and urging, marius avoids the society of women. When first debuting on broadway in 1987 it traveled a long hard road to compete with musicals of the decade. 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.
Plus, there is a great biography of victor hugo at the front of. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of les miserables and what it means. Im not trying to get someone to write a book report, and i already know what the book s about. Sep 10, 2012 an antique les miserables edition or just a really ratty book. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. The pages are silky smooth without any typo errors. The famous historical setting provides a unique and dignified backdrop for the concert version of the. The book is nearly 3,000 pages long and considered an epic.
Brief biography of victor hugo victor hugo was the son of a french major and general in napoleons army, so he traveled around often as a child. The books opens by describing the life of a really upstanding dude named bishop myriel. Ive switched now, and the other edition has illustrations, which are a lovely addition to the story. Les miserables penguin classics paperback april 29, 1982. 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. I know that the count of monte cristo would naturally be the next novel to undertake since i loved dumas work so much but i am wanting to keep it as a treat for a later time and would rather try something of another great of frances romantic period like victor hugo. Tolstoy is said to have called les miserables the greatest novel ever written, and it exerted a powerful influence on the creation of war and peace. At digne, he is repeatedly refused shelter for the night. Les miserables summary from litcharts the creators of. Victor hugos les miserables is such a popular and loved book that it has been adapted into plays and movies many times, most recently in 2012.
Les miserables summary the books opens by describing the life of a really upstanding dude named bishop myriel. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 1463 pages and is available in mass market paperback format. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including les miserables. After 19 years of penal servitude, jean valjean is released by policeman javert. One of the great classics of world literature and the inspiration for the most beloved stage musical of all time, les miserables is legendary author victor hugos masterpiece. An epic novel of social injustice, it features jean valjean, a parisian peasant who is unjustly imprisoned, and the man. Les miserables germanlanguage premiere at the raimund theater we are musical.
This famous musical has been produced in 40 countries and been interpreted into 21 different languages. Mar 25, 20 victor hugo, whose sprawling novel is the basis of the theatrical and film smash musical les miserables, wasnt exactly a good catholic. Les miserables by victor hugo book club discussion. But his soul was catholic through and through, and so isles mis, a film that gives the restless human heart just what it wants. The title is french, translating in english to the wretched ones. Mabeuf loves plants and books, but sells his books and prints in order to pay for a friends medical care.
Free study guide summary chapter notes synopsis plot analysis download. Anonymous based on the novel by victor hugo, les miserables travels with prisoneronparole, 24601, jean valjean, as he runs from the ruthless. The bishop is not necessarily a brilliant theologian but rather shows his character through his good works. Only the bishop of digne invites him in and treats him with compassion.
The story begins in 1815 in digne, as the peasant jean valjean, just released from 19 years imprisonment in the galleysfive for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family and. But theres no right or wrong way to read cozy classics. Please realize that jean valjean was a convicted criminal, and by french law at that time he was guilty, even if he was doing it to help his sisterinlaws family. Victor hugo achieved great fame in france for his story the hunchback of notre dame which he published in 1831 and which was an instant triumph. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The story was amazing and reawakened in me my love of reading.
As early as 1829, hugo began to gather notes for a book that would tell the story of a saint, a man, a woman, and a child, but over the years it became enriched by a throng of new characters and multiple accretions from hugos philosophy and experience. Its a rather thick book of course, but it opens and lays flat without having to hold it down. Les miserables tells the story of exconvict, jean valjean, and his valiant struggle to redeem his past. Jan 25, 20 for more than 25 years, les miserables has swept the world with its tear jerking songs and heartbreaking story. It was an instant popular success and was quickly translated into several languages.
Marius is finally able to make contact with cosette, and the two declare their love for. The unabridged version is known to be 1,463 pages long, whereas the abridged version is only a little over 800. Only the saintly bishop, monseigneur myriel, welcomes him. A reformed convict, a policeman bent on revenge and a lonely orphan come together in victor hugos classic novel, vividly retold for newly independent readers by mary sebagmontefiore. For me les miserables, by victor hugo was required reading in my high school english class 1966. A good book, if somewhat meandering in the style of the day, giving a lot of background detail not strictly essential to the plot. 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. 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. Les miserables known in english as the terrible is a musical portrayal of the french revolution. Les miserables is a story of harrowing human travails culminating in sublime accomplishment. At one level a detective story in which the relentless inspector javert obsessively pursues the escaped convict jean valjean, culminating in a dramatic chase through the sewers of paris, at another.
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. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary. It is set in france and spans the course of 17 years, starting in 1815 and ending in 1832. Jean valjean, after spending nineteen years in jail and in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread and for several attempts to escape, is finally released, but his past keeps haunting him. After selling his last book, he joins the students in the insurrection. He has become very handsome and notices that the girls heads turn to look at him when he passes, but he thinks they are making fun of his shabby coat.
An antique les miserables edition or just a really ratty book. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Sure, its unusual to open up with valjean stealing the bread and then follow him the entire time hes in prison, which means they dont even get to paris until the last. When victor hugo published les miserables in 1862 it too became a huge hit with the public. The book begins in 1815, following napoleons defeat by the british at waterloo.
However, just a few days following valjeans escape, an incident takes place around montfermeil that is not unrelated to our story. Les miserables by victor hugo, first edition abebooks. In the englishspeaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original french title. Plot summary of les miserables novel summaries analysis.
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. I am a fan of les miserables and i wish my girls were still young so i could read them the baby board book as if we were watching the play. 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. Anonymous based on the novel by victor hugo, les miserables travels with prisoneronparole, 24601, jean valjean, as he runs from the ruthless inspector javert on a journey beyond the barricades. Les miserables is the story of four peoplebishop myriel, valjean, fantine, and mariuswho meet, part, then meet again during the most agitated decades of 19thcentury france.
1368 1162 144 1463 581 1381 1195 777 1431 1289 863 134 1107 516 311 790 450 1434 1076 827 1040 116 1508 90 635 373 603 999 54 666 99 220 912 605