New Releases by Victor Hugo

At the center of Hugo''s classic novel are three extraordinary characters caught in a web of fatal obsession. The grotesque hunchback Quasimodo, bell-ringer of Notre-Dame, owes his life to the austere archdeacon, Claude Frollo, who in turn is bound by a hopeless passion to the gypsy dancer Esmeralda. She, meanwhile, is bewitched by a handsome, empty-headed officer, but by an unthinking act of kindness wins Quasimodo''s selfless devotion. Behind the central figures moves a pageant of picturesque characters, including the underworld of beggars and petty criminals whose assault on the cathedral is one of the most spectacular set-pieces of Romantic literature. Alban Kraisheimer''s new translation offers a fresh approach to this monumental work by France''s most celebrated Romantic authors.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris) is an 1831 French novel written by Victor Hugo. It is set in 1482 in Paris, in and around the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The book tells the story of a poor barefoot Gypsy girl (La Esmeralda) and a misshapen bell-ringer (Quasimodo) who was raised by the Archdeacon (Claude Frollo). The book was written as a statement to preserve the Notre Dame cathedral and not to ''modernize'' it, as Hugo was thoroughly against this. The story begins during the Renaissance in 1482, the day of the Festival of Fools in Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, is introduced by his crowning as Pope of Fools. Esméralda, a beautiful 16-year-old gypsy with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men but especially Quasimodo''s adopted father, Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his lust and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to get her. Quasimodo is caught and whipped and ordered to be tied down in the heat. Esméralda seeing his thirst, offers him water. It saves her, for she captures the heart of the hunchback.

Les Misérables Volume One: Fantine is the introduction to Victor Hugo’s acclaimed historical novel centering a weary hero and heroine torn by poverty and politics. It’s a captivating story marked by love, betrayal and ultimately, loss. The story follows former convict, Jean Valjean, who spent nearly two decades in prison for stealing food for his family. After he’s released, Valjean is unable to find work or proper lodging. He’s forced to sleep on the streets before a kind soul offers him food and shelter. Valjean decides to change his name, creating a new life for himself as a successful factory owner and mayor. Valjean’s rise coincides with the decline of a young woman named Fantine. She is a single mother who is struggling to support her daughter Cosette. Due to the child’s illegitimacy, Fantine is unable to keep a job and is forced into prostitution. When the overzealous Inspector Javert arrests Fantine, the mayor intervenes on her behalf. This decision leads to an unexpected reveal and unfortunate tragedy. Les Misérables Volume One: Fantine features two of the most popular literary characters ever created. Both Fantine and Jean Valjean are beloved yet harrowing figures. They are part of a captivating tale that’s been adapted multiple times for stage, television and film. The most notable being the 2012 Oscar-winning production from director, Tom Hooper. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Les Misérables Volume One: Fantine is both modern and readable.

After Fantine''s death, her daughter Cosette remains at the inn where she endures frequent abuse from the owners before the unexpected arrival of Jean Valjean. The duo unites and work to create a better life for themselves away from the city. Following the events of Les Misérables Volume One: Fantine, Jean Valjean is once again on the wrong side of the law. After being sentenced to hard labor and eventually the death penalty, he barely escapes with his life. He travels to an inn where he encounters Cosette, the orphaned daughter of Fantine. He notices her abusive living conditions and attempts to remove her from the innkeepers care. Together, Jean and Cosette break away from the clutches of the owners as well as the cruel Inspector Javert. Les Misérables Volume Two: Cosette is the continuation of the tumultuous story of Jean Valjean. This is one part of a captivating tale that''s been adapted multiple times for stage, television and film. The most notable being the 2012 Oscar-winning production from director, Tom Hooper. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Les Misérables Volume Two: Cosette is both modern and readable.

Ursus and Homo were fast friends. Ursus was a man, Homo a wolf. Their dispositions tallied. It was the man who had christened the wolf: probably he had also chosen his own name. Having found Ursus fit for himself, he had found Homo fit for the beast. Man and wolf turned their partnership to account at fairs, at village fêtes, at the corners of streets where passers-by throng, and out of the need which people seem to feel everywhere to listen to idle gossip and to buy quack medicine. The wolf, gentle and courteously subordinate, diverted the crowd. It is a pleasant thing to behold the tameness of animals. Our greatest delight is to see all the varieties of domestication parade before us. This it is which collects so many folks on the road of royal processions.

Jean Valjean has a background of a prisoner, but with a new identity he manages to create a career as a factory owner and a mayor. Not everyone is as lucky as Jean Valjean, though. A woman called Fantine has started to work at Jean Valjean’s factory, but she soon gets fired due to an illegitimate child. Fantine has no choice – she is forced to to a life of prostitution. Victor Hugo’s ''Les Misérables’ is one of the most significant European novels. It takes place in the early 1800’s France, and it follows the tragic paths of multiple characters. ‘Les Miserables’ has been filmed into a movie numerous times. In 2012 Tom Hooper directed a movie starring Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe and Anne Hathaway. Victor Hugo (1802–1885) was a French writer. He is best known for his novels ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’. Hugo made his debut at a very young age; he published his very first book ''Odes et poésies diverses'' at the age of 20. Hugo was also a human rights activist, and many of his works deal with human rights.

THE PROPHECY OF VICTOR HUGO

Ninety-Three (Quatrevingt-treize) is the last novel by the French writer Victor Hugo. Published in 1874, shortly after the bloody upheaval of the Paris Commune, the novel concerns the Revolt in the Vendée and Chouannerie – the counter-revolutionary revolts in 1793 during the French Revolution. It is divided into three parts, but not chronologically; each part tells a different story, offering a different view of historical general events. The action mainly takes place in Brittany and in Paris. Ayn Rand greatly praised this book (and Hugo''s writing in general), acknowledged it as a source of inspiration, and even wrote an introduction to one of its English-language editions.

Why buy our paperbacks? Expedited shipping High Quality Paper Made in USA Standard Font size of 10 for all books 30 Days Money Back Guarantee BEWARE of Low-quality sellers Don''t buy cheap paperbacks just to save a few dollars. Most of them use low-quality papers & binding. Their pages fall off easily. Some of them even use very small font size of 6 or less to increase their profit margin. It makes their books completely unreadable. How is this book unique? Unabridged (100% Original content) Font adjustments & biography included Illustrated Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Les Mis�rables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Mis�rables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for the stage, television, and film, including a musical and a film adaptation of that musical. The appearance of the novel was highly anticipated and advertised. Critical reactions were diverse, but most of them were negative. Commercially, the work was a great success globally.

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About Les Mis�rables - Volume 2 by Victor Hugo Les Mis�rables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Mis�rables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for the stage, television, and film, including a musical and a film adaptation of that musical. The appearance of the novel was highly anticipated and advertised. Critical reactions were diverse, but most of them were negative. Commercially, the work was a great success globally.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About Les Mis�rables by Victor Hugo Les Mis�rables (pronounced /leɪ ˌmɪzəˈrɑːb/ or /leɪ ˈmɪzəˌrɑːb/; French pronunciation: u200b[le mizeʁabl(ə)]) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Mis�rables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for the stage, television, and film, including a musical and a film adaptation of that musical. The appearance of the novel was highly anticipated and advertised. Critical reactions were diverse, but most of them were negative. Commercially, the work was a great success globally.

Les misérables is a novel by French politician, poet and writer Victor Hugo published in 1862, considered one of the best known works of the nineteenth century. The novel, of romantic style, raises through its argument a reasoning about the good and the evil, on the law, the politics, the ethics, the justice and the religion.

In the third and fourth part, tells the story of Fantine, a girl who falls in love but is suddenly left by her lover while she is pregnant. Disconsolate, she decides to give a decent education to her daughter whom Cossette calls. But the single mother''s life is harder than she expected and the finances are not enough. He then asks his family to take care of the child. This new situation transforms the life of both, the family demands a lot of money to Fantine for the care of its daughter, at the same time that they mistreat and they overwhelm to Cossette.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris) is an 1831 French novel written by Victor Hugo. It is set in 1482 in Paris, in and around the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The book tells the story of a poor barefoot Gypsy girl (La Esmeralda) and a misshapen bell-ringer (Quasimodo) who was raised by the Archdeacon (Claude Frollo). The book was written as a statement to preserve the Notre Dame cathedral and not to ''modernize'' it, as Hugo was thoroughly against this.The story begins during the Renaissance in 1482, the day of the Festival of Fools in Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, is introduced by his crowning as Pope of Fools.Esm�ralda, a beautiful 16-year-old gypsy with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men but especially Quasimodo''s adopted father, Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his lust and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to get her. Quasimodo is caught and whipped and ordered to be tied down in the heat. Esm�ralda seeing his thirst, offers him water. It saves her, for she captures the heart of the hunchback.

Gwynplaine is a young homeless boy with a facial disfigurement who comes to the rescue of an infant girl orphaned as the result of a snowstorm. After the two are adopted by an itinerant carnival vendor called Ursus, they embark on a life on the road, for fifteen years performing to audiences in southern England. However, when Duchess Josiana, the illegitimate daughter of King James I, discovers their act, their lives are changed forever. "The Man Who Laughs" was written by Victor Hugo over a period of fifteen months while he was living in the Channel Islands, having been exiled from his native France. Contents include: "Book the First. Night not so Black as Man," "Portland Bill," "Left Alone," "Questions," "The Tree of Human Invention," "Struggle Between Death and Life," "The North Point of Portland," "Book The Second. The Hooker at Sea," "Superhuman Laws," "Our First Rough Sketches Filled In," "Troubles men on the Troubled Sea," et cetera. Victor Marie Hugo (1802 - 1885) was a French novelist, dramatist, and poet belonging to the Romantic movement. He is widely hailed as one of the most accomplished and well-known French writers, originally achieving renown for his poetical endeavours-the most notable of which are the volumes "Les Contemplations" and "La Legende des siecles." Outside of his native country, Hugo''s best-known works are his novels: "Les Miserables" (1862) and "Notre-Dame de Paris" (1831), commonly known as "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author."

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Last Day of a Condemned Man [Le Dernier jour d''un condamné] Victor Hugo Translated by Eugenia De B. The Last Day of a Condemned Man (French: Le Dernier Jour d''un Condamné) is a short novel by Victor Hugo first published in 1829. The novel recounts the thoughts of a man condemned to die. Victor Hugo wrote this novel to express his feelings that the death penalty should be abolished. At the head of the earlier editions of this work, published at first without the name of the author, there was nothing but the following lines. "There are two ways of accounting for the existence of this work. Either there really has been found a bundle of yellow, ragged, papers, on which were inscribed, exactly as they came, the last thoughts of a wretched being; or else there has been a man, a dreamer, occupied in observing nature for the advantage of art, a philosopher, a poet, who, having been seized with these forcible ideas, could not rest until he had given them the tangible form of a volume. Of these two explanations, the reader will choose that which he prefers." As is seen, at the time when this book was first published, the author did not deem fit to give publicity to the full extent of his thoughts. He preferred waiting to see whether the work would be fully understood. It has been. The author may now, therefore, unmask the political and social ideas, which he wished to render popular under this harmless literary guise. He avows openly, that The Last Day of a Condemned is only a pleading, direct or indirect, as is preferred, for the abolition of the penalty of death. His design herein and what he would wish posterity to see in his work, if its attention should ever be given to so slight a production, is, not to make out the special defense of any particular criminal, such defense being transitory as it is easy; he would plead generally and permanently for all accused persons, present and future; it is the great point of human right, stated and pleaded before society at large, that highest judicial court; it is the sombre and fatal question which breathes obscurely in the depths of each capital offense, under the triple envelopes of pathos in which legal eloquence wraps them; it is the question of life and death, I say, laid bare, denuded and despoiled of the sonorous twistings of the bar, revealed in daylight, and placed where it should be seen; in its true and hideous position, not in the law courts, but on the scaffold, not among the judges, but with the executioner! This is what he has desired to effect. If futurity should award him the glory of having succeeded, which he dares not hope, he desires no other crown.

PREFACE Notre-Dame de Paris Also known as: The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo A few years ago, while visiting or, rather, rummaging about Notre-Dame, the author of this book found, in an obscure nook of one of the towers, the following word, engraved by hand upon the wall:-- ~ANArKH~. These Greek capitals, black with age, and quite deeply graven in the stone, with I know not what signs peculiar to Gothic caligraphy imprinted upon their forms and upon their attitudes, as though with the purpose of revealing that it had been a hand of the Middle Ages which had inscribed them there, and especially the fatal and melancholy meaning contained in them, struck the author deeply. He questioned himself; he sought to divine who could have been that soul in torment which had not been willing to quit this world without leaving this stigma of crime or unhappiness upon the brow of the ancient church. Afterwards, the wall was whitewashed or scraped down, I know not which, and the inscription disappeared. For it is thus that people have been in the habit of proceeding with the marvellous churches of the Middle Ages for the last two hundred years. Mutilations come to them from every quarter, from within as well as from without. The priest whitewashes them, the archdeacon scrapes them down; then the populace arrives and demolishes them. Thus, with the exception of the fragile memory which the author of this book here consecrates to it, there remains to-day nothing whatever of the mysterious word engraved within the gloomy tower of Notre-Dame,--nothing of the destiny which it so sadly summed up. The man who wrote that word upon the wall disappeared from the midst of the generations of man many centuries ago; the word, in its turn, has been effaced from the wall of the church; the church will, perhaps, itself soon disappear from the face of the earth. It is upon this word that this book is founded. March, 1831.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Marius is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo''s 1862 novel Les Miserables. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revolutionary association Friends of the ABC as they take part in the 1832 June Rebellion. Although not a member of the group, the ties of friendship bring him close in. Facing death in the fight, his life is saved by Jean Valjean, and he subsequently weds Cosette, a young woman whom Valjean had raised as his own."

This carefully crafted ebook: " Les Miserables (Fully Illustrated Unabridged Hapgood Translation)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. 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. The unabridged Hapgood Translation is widely regarded as a classic translation of this novel. This edition is fully illustrated with classic Les Miserables illustrations by different illustrators. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, focusing on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. The novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Misérables contains many plots, but the main thread is the story of ex-convict, Jean Valjean (known by his prison number, 24601), who becomes a force for good in the world, but cannot escape his dark past. The novel is divided into five volumes, each volume divided into books, and subdivided into chapters (for a total of three hundred sixty-five chapters). Each chapter is relatively short, usually no longer than a few pages. Nevertheless, the novel as a whole is quite lengthy by modern standards, exceeding fourteen hundred pages in unabridged editions (nineteen hundred pages in French). It also contains what has many times, incorrectly, been considered the longest sentence in a published novel. Within the borders of the novel''s story, Hugo fills many pages with his thoughts on religion, politics, and society, including several lengthy digressions, one being a discussion on enclosed religious orders, one on the construction of the Paris sewers, another being on argot, and most famously, his retelling of the Battle of Waterloo. Content: Volume I – Fantine Volume II – Cosette Volume III – Marius Volume IV – The Idyll in the Rue Plumet and the Epic in the Rue St. Denis Volume V – Jean Valjean

The Wretched- or Les Misérables in its original title - is Victor Hugo''s epic novel of redemption, sacrifice, love and suffering, set against the turbulent backdrop of early nineteenth-century France. It tells the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean, who has spent nineteen brutal years in chains after stealing a loaf of bread. Saved by an act of charity, he is then offered a chance of happiness when he encounters the downtrodden Fantine and vows to rescue her daughter Cosette - but is constantly pursued by the implacable policeman Javert, who will not let him escape his past. An instant bestseller on publication in 1862, The Wretchedis a novel of intense emotional power, weaving together individual stories with true historical events to create a rich, imaginative drama of human life. Christine Donougher''s powerful, lucid and authoritative new translation is accompanied by an introduction by Robert Tombs discussing Hugo''s life as a novelist and progressive political crusader, and the dramatic historical context of the novel. ''A great writer - inventive, witty, sly, innovatory.'' A. S. Byatt ''Still grips the reader with its epic narrative sweep and all-embracing humanitarianism.'' TheSunday Times

"This translation first published by the Folio Press 1976"--T.p. verso.

The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-Witness by Victor Hugo was published in 1877, long after it was written. It is an account of the 1852 coup d''tat that brought Napoleon into power and forced Hugo into an exile of eighteen years. The work covers those momentous early days of Napoleon rule that changed the course of French history. The deepest feelings and patriotic emotions of the author are reflected in these pages that chronicle the rise of Napoleon.

Victor-Marie Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France. In France, Hugo''s literary reputation rests primarily on his poetic and dramatic output and only secondarily on his novels. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Legende des Siecles stand particularly high in critical esteem, and Hugo is sometimes identified as the greatest French poet. In the Englishspeaking world his best-known works are often the novels Les Miserables and Notre-Dame de Paris (translated into English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) (1899). Though extremely conservative in his youth, Hugo moved to the political left as the decades passed; he became a passionate supporter of republicanism, and his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. He is buried in the Pantheon. Amongst his other works are: Napoleon the Little (1852), The Man Who Laughs (1869), The History of a Crime (1877), Poems (1888) and The Memoirs of Victor Hugo.

Classic from the year 2009 in the subject Romance Languages - French Literature, language: English, abstract: BOOK FIFTH. THE DESCENT*** CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY OF A PORGRESS IN BLACK GLASS TRINKETS*** And in the meantime, what had become of that mother who according to the people at Montfermeil, seemed to have abandoned her child? Where was she? What was she doing? After leaving her little Cosette with the Thenardiers, she had continued her journey, and had reached M. sur M. This, it will be remembered, was in 1818. Fantine had quitted her province ten years before. M. sur M. had changed its aspect. While Fantine had been slowly descending from wretchedness to wretchedness, her native town had prospered. About two years previously one of those industrial facts which are the grand events of small districts had taken place. This detail is important, and we regard it as useful to develop it at length; we should almost say, to underline it. ...] *** BOOK SIXTH. JAVERT*** CHAPTER I. THE BEGINNING OF REPOSE*** M. Madeleine had Fantine removed to that infirmary which he had established in his own house. He confided her to the sisters, who put her to bed. A burning fever had come on. She passed a part of the night in delirium and raving. At length, however, she fell asleep. On the morrow, towards midday, Fantine awoke. She heard some one breathing close to her bed; she drew aside the curtain and saw M. Madeleine standing there and looking at something over her head. His gaze was full of pity, anguish, and supplication. She followed its direction, and saw that it was fixed on a crucifix which was nailed to the wall. Thenceforth, M. Madeleine was transfigured in Fantine''s eyes. He seemed to her to be clothed in light. He was absorbed in a sort of prayer. She gazed at him for a long time without daring to interrupt him. At last she said timidly: -- "What are you doing?" M. Madeleine had been there for an hour. He had been waiting for Fantine to awake. He took her hand, felt

Encompassing a multitude of plots, the narrative is bounded by the character of the protagonist, Jean Valjean. Expressing the author''s ideas about society, religion and politics, it is in the backdrop of Napoleonic Wars and ensuing years that the story unravels. Grace, moral philosophy, law and history of France are discussed.

The French title of the novel emphasizes Notre Dame''s (A French memorial) role as a symbol of Paris. Primarily novel is concerned with the theme of revolution and social strife. Hugo was profoundly concerned by the class differences that set the 1789 French Revolution in motion. Hugo acknowledges that fate plays a powerful role, but implies that free will is also possible.