Jean Valjean is free after nineteen years in prison. However, his reentry into society will be anything but easy. During his long struggle to succeed as an honest man, his life is shaped by the fates of the impoverished Fantine, and her daughter Cosette, the despicable Thenardier, the young student Marius, and the obsessive police inspector Javert. Each character plays an unforgettable part in Hugo’s master work. Victor Hugo's spectacular novel is set in the tempest-tossed nineteenth century Paris. His work explores social justice, human rights, and most memorably, the power of grace. This edition features Isabel F. Hapgood's translation of Les Miserables, it is complete and unabridged.