Les Misérables

Jean Valjean spent nineteen years in prison — five for stealing bread, fourteen for trying to escape. Valjean tries to make a new life for himself, but he cannot escape the stigma of his past, nor the oppressive watch of the cold-hearted Inspector Javert.

Fantine is a working class woman barely scraping together enough for herself and her young daughter Cosette. Both mother and daughter are exploited by the greedy innkeeper Thénardiers, who keeps demanding more and more money. Fantine’s health begins to deteriorate, and in her desperation she begins to consider prostitution.

These are but two of the unfortunate souls from Victor Hugo’s massive novel about rebellion, redemption, authority, romance, and justice. Les Misérables is a rich, complex, profound, and heart-breaking work of historical fiction, and one of the greatest novels of all time.

This includes all five volumes of the masterwork, including illustrations by Émile Bayard. Additionally, in the Nook version, many of the most poetic passages in the original French placed side-by-side with an English translation.(Can't do that with a Kindle!)