Set in the postnapoleonic era just after the french revolution, les miserables is the story of jean valjean, a convict, who has just been released from prison after serving 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Jean valjean, after spending nineteen years in jail and in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread and for several attempts to escape, is finally. Set in early 19thcentury france, the plot follows the stories of. Valjean, who has become known as mayor madeleine, forces javert to release her and takes her into his own house when he hears her story.
The novel contains various subplots, but the main thread is the story of. In one act of desperation he broke a window and stole a loaf of bread. It continues the story of cosette and marius, but is more a sequel to the musical than to the original novel. Because the story takes place in paris, involves the misery of the parisian underclass, and comes to a climax during a battle, many people assume that the story is set during the french revolution. The few persons who at this time were at their windows or their doors, regarded this traveller with a sort of distrust. Jean valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, finds that the yellow ticketofleave he must, by law, display condemns him to be an outcast. Anonymous based on the novel by victor hugo, les miserables travels with prisoneronparole, 24601, jean valjean, as he runs from the ruthless inspector javert on a journey beyond the barricades, at the center of the june rebellion. The literal meaning of les miserables is the miserable ones. Cosette ou le temps des illusions and marius ou le fugitif. Les miserables is a french historical novel by victor hugo, first published in 1862, that is. Eponine returns, but has been shot crossing the barricade. Summary of the novel set in the postnapoleonic era just after the french revolution, les miserables is the story of jean valjean, a convict, who has just been released from prison after serving.
Les miserables tells the fictional story of jean valjean, a man who has unjustly been condemned to nearly two decades of prison for stealing a. Based on the classic novel, les miserables, by victor hugo, and the classic broadway stage show of the same name, les miserables is the story of jean valjean. Set in postrevolutionary france, the story reaches resolution against the background of the june rebellion. Les miserables synopsis broadway musical the musical takes place at the beginning of the xix century. One of the worlds most iconic and longestrunning musicals, les miserables tells the story of jean valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. He is drunk and in a sadistic mood and chauvinistically feels it is his right to buy anything, even fantine. The former has been published in an english translation. This is the worldfamous story of the power struggle between jean valjean and the police inspector javert over a period of 20 years. Les miserables at its most basic is the story of jean valjean. Set against the backdrop of 19thcentury france and the aftermath of the french revolution, this timeless story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human.
In a nearby town, georges pontmercy, marius father, a hero of the napoleonic wars, lives in retirement. Thenardier a cruel, wretched, moneyobsessed man who first appears as cosettes keeper and tormentor. He grew up in the streets and become a prison guard in the galleys in toulon when he was young, where he met the convict jean valjean, then known as 24601 or jean le cric, notorious for. Les miserables or, as it is often shortened, les mis is a novel by victor hugo, published in 1862. He totally goes along with valjeans story and pretends that the cutlery was a gift. The characters are french and the book is centered around their lives.
Summary plot overview the convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. Thenardier extorts money from whomever he can, and he frequently serves as an informant to whoever will bid the highest. The book is nearly 3,000 pages long and considered an epic. Les miserables is a novel that tells the story of jean valjeans struggles to escape his criminal past and provide for his adopted daughter, cosette. What is the significance of the title les miserables. He lived with his sister and her family in extreme poverty in france after the french revolution.
Les miserables, or popularly referred to as les mis or les miz, is a musical based on the novel of the same name by french poet and playwright, victor hugo. Based on the classic novel, les miserables, by victor hugo, and the classic broadway stage show of the same name, les miserables is the story of jean valjean, a prisoner who breaks parole, and the police inspector, javert, who tries to hunt him down for breaking parole. Les miserables is an invigorating tale of poverty and revolt. Inspector javert is the false main antagonist from the novel les miserables by victor hugo and its musical counterpart. Marius is a seventeenyearold who lives with his grandfather, m. Set against the backdrop of 19thcentury france and the aftermath of the french revolution, this timeless story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and. Valjean is an exconvict who leaves behind a life of hatred and deceit and makes his fortune with his innovative industrial techniques. Les miserables school edition music theatre international.
Set in the parisian underworld and plotted like a detective story, the work follows the fortunes of the convict jean valjean, a victim of society who has been imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. It contains the moments of high drama, clearly outlines all the motivations, is easy to follow and lacks only passion. He is a wealthy dissolute young man who thinks of himself as a gentleman. The story is about a former convict named jean valjean.
Les miserables study guide contains a biography of victor hugo, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. In modernday montfermeil, the setting of victor hugos novel, the filmmaker ladj ly stages his own impassioned cry. In the englishspeaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original french title. Jean valjean is an exconvict who was imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread.
Its not easy to put les miserables in a nutshell, considering that its one of the longest novels ever written. The books opens by describing the life of a really upstanding dude named bishop myriel. Each chapter is relatively short, commonly no longer than a few pages. Apr 12, 2020 les miserables tells its story in a brief 100 minutes, and it feels shorter than that. He is trying to run away after being convicted by the police since he stole bread to feed his sister. The sungthrough musical was originally written in french by claudemichel schonberg, alain boubil and jeanmarc natel and staged in 1980. But please, do me a big favor, in the spirit of the season. Published in 1862, the book referenced what were already historic events. The sequel to les miserables was published in 1995.
It is set in france and spans the course of 17 years, starting in 1815 and ending in 1832. After 19 years of penal servitude, jean valjean is released by policeman javert. Hugo now turns to another leading character, marius. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of les miserables by victor hugo. Describe how each of these characters see the poor. Valjean realizes he has given him a chance to regain his soul. When the police catch him, he says it was a gift from the bishop, who goes along with the story. Les miserables study guide contains a biography of victor hugo, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters.
Click the link for more information on the show, to buy tickets and much much more. The world awaits in joyful expectation the coming of les miserables in a theater near you. Jan 10, 2020 les miserables is set in the parisian suburb of montfermeil, where sections of victor hugos 1862 novel is set, though the movies connection to that earlier story reaches even deeper than that. A brief synopsis for those who might be unfamiliar with the story. Amp was able to perform the original les mis in 2015, during a brief time period when it was made available to community theatres, and several of our cast and production team. But the officers eventually have no choice but to let him go. The convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. The student version of this iconic story does not water down the content nor the lyrics for our teens, so be prepared for pg content and language, as in the original. Les miserables story the tony awardwinning musical that first ran on broadway for 16 years is back with a fresh, young cast moving audiences to tears all over again. When valjean arrives at the town of digne, no one is willing to give him shelter because he is an exconvict.
Les miserables, by victor hugo, is an epic historical novel that, though titled les miserables, which translates to the miserable people, is also a story about undying love set largely against the backdrop of the june rebellion, also known. In 2001, two french novels by francois ceresa that continue hugos story appeared. Les miserables is the worlds longest running musical a true modern classic based on victor hugos novel and featuring one of the most memorable scores of all time. One day, an ex convict wanders into the bishops village and cant find any food or lodging because everyone turns him away. He finds fulfillment in loving his adopted daughter and helping people who are in difficult situations, even when it. The urgency thats pulsating through the film is endemic of that same restless energy that ly is. The novel is a global success story which continues to this day, with two new english translations appearing in the past decade. Upon his release, he finds that he is treated like an outcast everywhere he goes, until the bishop myriel helps him to create a new life for himself. He tries to find a meaningful life, but is followed by a police officer.
The title is french, translating in english to the wretched ones. A story filled with outrage and idealism becomes somehow merely picturesque. Javert was born in a prison in 1780 to a fortuneteller mother and a galleyslave father. Sep 16, 2016 a brief synopsis for those who might be unfamiliar with the story.
Les miserables, novel by victor hugo, published in french in 1862. The novel is a global success story which continues to this day, with two new english translations appearing in. His schemes range from robbery to fraud to murder, and he has strong ties to the criminal underworld in paris. Les miserables, victor hugo 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. He is seventyfive years old and lives only with a sister baptistine, ten years younger than he, and an old servant, madame magloire, the same age as his sister. It was an instant popular success and was quickly translated into several languages. The history behind les miserables by caleb hughes, junior a musical entailing a dramatic story of love, revolutionary passion, and redemption, les miserables is commonly known and credited as one of the most beautifully composed and written musicals of all time. The bishop then, in addition, gives him two silver candlesticks. Les miserables les miserables bedtime story bedtimestory. The story starts in 1815 in digne, as the worker jean valjean, just discharged from 19 years detainment. Feb 23, 2015 discover more about the story of les miserables futurelearn. The music was composed by claudemichel schonberg and the lyrics were written by alain boublil and jeanmarc natel, with an englishlanguage libretto by herbert kretzmer. Gillenormand, by threatening to disinherit marius, has forced georges. The subtle seduction in hugos story and lest this condemnation of the ruling class in les mis be taken as an endorsement of the angry men and their revolutionary ideology, let me just say that i regard the glorification of revolutionary violence as one of the central and most subtle seductions of hugos story, and one that discerning.
The book begins in 1815, following napoleons defeat by the british at waterloo. May 28, 2019 les miserables, one of the most popular musicals of all time, is based on a novel of the same name by french author victor hugo. Les miserables character descriptions bamatabois bamatabois is the customer who taunts fantine into violence. Everything you need to know official london theatre. Javert pretends to ally with the students, gavroche identifies he as a spy and he is tied up, to be dealt with later. Charles francoisbienvenu myriel has been bishop of digne for nine years. Discover more about the story of les miserables youtube. Victor hugos les miserables is such a popular and loved book that it has been adapted into plays and movies many times, most recently in 2012. Les miserables, by victor hugo, is an epic historical novel that, though titled les miserables, which translates to the miserable people, is also a story about undying love set largely against the backdrop of the june rebellion, also known as the paris uprising of 1832. Les miserables tells the fictional story of jean valjean, a man who has unjustly been condemned to nearly two decades of prison for stealing a loaf of bread to save a starving child. Mar 11, 2019 the history behind les miserables by caleb hughes, junior a musical entailing a dramatic story of love, revolutionary passion, and redemption, les miserables is commonly known and credited as one of the most beautifully composed and written musicals of all time. Amazing young singers, live from spirit ypc duration. He adopts the name monsieur madeleine, and becomes a successful factory owner. The students, including marius, build a barricade in the street, and are told to surrender by an army officer.
579 982 855 1489 876 1010 682 655 146 694 757 1099 1528 588 620 272 1030 1115 121 1289 398 517 183 867 1048 615 1131 1135 1119 394 358 1062 144 361 843 1027 1307 853 1208 1250 1262 75 177 130 328 332 1149 89 1499