Les Miserables (original) Victor Hugo

thrilling tale of narrow escapes, romance in the midst of a revolution, and battlefield heroism, Victor Hugo's sprawling 1862 novel focuses on the Parisian underworld. Ex-convict Jean Valjean, who served 19 years in prison for stealing bread, attempts to redeem his life by helping the downtrodden. But his every move is dogged by the implacable policeman, Inspector Javert, whose relentless pursuit of a reformed criminal reflects a morally empty state that values retribution rather than justice.