Victor Hugo, Maruthoor Purushothaman, Translator
2026
Les Misérables is an epic novel about the ways the systems of the world crush the wretched beneath them and the necessity of fighting against them for the collective good of humanity. It is about redemptive love, man’s right to be free, and the many ways in which manmade structures have corrupted that which was made perfect by God. On the smaller scale, the primary protagonist is a man named Jean Valjean who steals a loaf of bread, turns brutal by the legal punitive system working as designed, is released on parole, and regains his soul after a chance meeting with a good man who challenges him to dedicate his life to good works and to God. Valjean’s story overlaps and entwines with many others, including dogged policemen Javert, cruel and corrupt innkeeper Thénardier, despairing mother Fantine (and her daughter Cosette, whom Valjean adopts), earnest but awkward young lawyer Marius, and angelic revolutionary Enjolras.
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