Description
Les Miserables is a magnificent, sweeping story of revolution, love and the will to survive amidst the poverty-stricken streets of nineteeth-century Paris.
Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an introduction by Paul Bailey.
Escaped convict Jean Valjean turns his back on a criminal past to build his fortunes as an honest man. He takes in abandoned orphan Cosette and raises her as his own daughter. But Jean Valjean is unable to free himself from his previous life and is pursued to the end by ruthless policeman Javert. As Cosette grows up, young idealist Marius catches a glimpse of her and falls desperately in love. The fates of all the characters await them during the violent turmoil of the June Rebellion in 1832.
This abridged version of Victor Hugo's masterpiece was published in 1915 with the aim to provide 'a unified story of the life and soul-struggles of Jean Valjean'.
An abridged edition of Victor Hugo's masterful novel of nineteeth century Parisian life.
About the Author
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) is one of the most well-regarded French writers of the nineteenth century. He was a poet, novelist and dramatist, and he is best remembered in English as the author of Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) (1831) and Les Miserables (1862).
Hugo was born in Besancon, and became a pivotal figure of the Romantic movement in France, involved in both literature and politics. He founded the literary magazine Conservateur Litteraire in 1819, aged just seventeen, and turned his hand to writing political verse and drama after Louis-Philippe's accession to the throne in 1830. His literary output was curtailed following the death of his daughter in 1843, but he began a new novel as an outlet for his grief. Completed many years later, this novel became Hugo's most notable work, Les Miserables.
Reviews
Les Miserables is probably the best book ever written . . . it really is an incredible classic. -- Dominic West * Metro *
Les Miserables is a game with destiny: it dramatises the gap between the imperfections of human judgments, and the perfect patterns of the infinite -- Adam Thirlwell * The Guardian *
On the morning of April 4, 1862, part 1 of Les Miserables, called "Fantine," was released simultaneously in Brussels, Paris, Saint Petersburg, London, Leipzig, and several other European cities. No book had ever had an international launch on this scale -- Nina Martyris * The Paris Review *
Book Information
ISBN 9781909621497
Author Victor Hugo
Format Hardback
Page Count 472
Imprint Macmillan Collector's Library
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 248g
Dimensions(mm) 157mm * 103mm * 28mm