\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \qj\li105\ri195 \f1 \b Les MisΘrables\par
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\b0 Brought out in ten volumes between April and June 1862 by the publisher Lacroix, \i Les Mis
Θrables\i0 (\i The Wretched\i0 ) appeared in Paris at a time when its author was in exile on the island of Guernsey. Victor Hugo had started to write it in 1847, driven by a feeling of pity and indignation over the misery of the common people. He paints
a lyrical picture of their travail through the unforgettable characters of the convict Jean Valjean, the saintly bishop Monseigneur Myriel, the poor woman Cosette, Inspector Javert, the Paris street urchin Gavroche, and the abominable ThΘnardier couple.
But the true heroes of this fabulous literary monument are the people of Paris, described with warmth and feeling, a talent for the epic, and a generosity that still ensures the book's popularity today.\par
