Les Miserables: Complete and Unabridged

Written by Victor Hugo

Narrated by Mark McKerracher

It is hardly surprising that Victor Hugo's 1862 masterwork should have inspired one of the most phenomenally successful musicals in the history of the Broadway stage. Les Miserables has long been recognized as one of the finest novels of all time, a brilliant fusion of unforgettable characters and universal themes.



Its hero is Jean Valjean, the noble peasant imprisoned. A sweeping story of love and honor in the depths of the Parisian underworld, immerses us in an epic struggle between good and evil, and carries us onto the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a realism that is unsurpassed in modern literature. We experience the desperation of the prostitute, Fantine; the amorality of the rogue, Thenardier; and the unquenchable desire of all human beings to be genuinely free.



Hugo saw Les Miserables as a means of dramatizing his bitter criticism of French society, but the novel that resulted transcends its own time and place. It's an ever-fascinating story, a sweeping spectacle that dazzles the senses as it touches the heart, and this audio edition captures its lasting greatness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HighBridge Audio
• Release date: Nov 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781598876994

Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet and novelist. Born in Besançon, Hugo was the son of a general who served in the Napoleonic army. Raised on the move, Hugo was taken with his family from one outpost to the next, eventually setting with his mother in Paris in 1803. In 1823, he published his first novel, launching a career that would earn him a reputation as a leading figure of French Romanticism. His Gothic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) was a bestseller throughout Europe, inspiring the French government to restore the legendary cathedral to its former glory. During the reign of King Louis-Philippe, Hugo was elected to the National Assembly of the French Second Republic, where he spoke out against the death penalty and poverty while calling for public education and universal suffrage. Exiled during the rise of Napoleon III, Hugo lived in Guernsey from 1855 to 1870. During this time, he published his literary masterpiece Les Misérables (1862), a historical novel which has been adapted countless times for theater, film, and television. Towards the end of his life, he advocated for republicanism around Europe and across the globe, cementing his reputation as a defender of the people and earning a place at Paris’ Panthéon, where his remains were interred following his death from pneumonia. His final words, written on a note only days before his death, capture the depth of his belief in humanity: “To love is to act.”

Reviews for Les Miserables

[baddyo_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Triumph of the human spirit!

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Phew - this was a long one. I downloaded a French edition to an e-reader and read it on the T. Hugo loves to digress and I found myself zoning out on the long descriptions of Waterloo and such. The man did love his language though and there are some great passages and lots of interesting words that the weak French/English dictionary installed on the reader couldn't handle. Who knew there were so many French words for hovel? The best parts of course were the adventures of Jean Valjean, the badass ex-prisoner who knew how to escape and be a loving father to the orphan Cosette.

[zohrab_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One volume beautiful edition. Original translation authorized by Victor Hugo himself.

[jonfaith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness.

It will always be Belmondo when I think of Jean Valjean in that wonky adaptation I saw at the Vogue back in the 90s. The film affected me deeply, thinking about the Occupation and questions of race and justice; the Willa Cather quote which surfaces a number of times. Beyond all that, the smoldering desire to read the novel was forged and eventually realized. I read Les Miserables here and there, with airports occupying a great deal of the effort. One drunken night in New Orleans the following year I spied someone in a pub reading the novel with obvious pleasure. I wished the man well and tripped out into the balmy night.

[ssimon2000-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, I knew going in that this was a beast of a book. I knew the basic plot from the movies and the musical, but I was not prepared in the least for the political and social commentary about the dregs of French society.

The story of Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette, is the heart of the book. If this is the story you are looking for, I'd recommend finding a good abridged version. If you want to know about the innumerable details of Waterloo (skewed toward the French viewpoint, of course), French monasteries and convents, the treatment of galley slaves, the lives of the thousands of homeless children in and around Paris... I could go on, but you get the point. This book is more of a treatise on the downtrodden and how the more-fortunate need to turn their attention and wealth to helping them.

I do love this story, which is a perfect analogy of redemption and salvation. Jean Valjean, the galley slave turned mayor turned fugitive. Cosette, the young girl saved out the pit of despair and pain. It's a wonderful story, if you can get through many, many tangents that push and pull the characters.

[johnjgaynard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Les Misérables was one of the first full-length (very full length!) books I managed to read in French. I can still remember the Friday afternoon, all those years ago, when I began to read it. I didn't look up from its pages until the following Sunday evening. A truly magnificent book.

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written, long-winded but informative. I read the Denny translation and listened to the Hopwood translation read by Homewood. Jean Valjean forever!

[cavernism · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've never been married, but reading Les Miserables is what I imagine marriage would be like. I started out so excited to get into the the book, knowing that it was going to be a doozy, but knowing that it was a classic and that I liked the overall story and characters. Then around page 500, Hugo starts going on and on about nunneries and I think, "I did not sign up for this!"

This indignant thought leads to temptation; after all, why bother time with this long-winded book when there are so many other, shorter, newer books out there? Everywhere I turn, a temptation. Every time, though, I always refrain and turn back to good ol' Les Miserables, because every time I pick it up again and become engrossed with the intricate thought processes and descriptions, I would remember why I was reading it in the first place.

Sure, there are (as in marriage), times when I wanted to rip my hair out, and other times when things got so syrupy that I wanted to puke, but as a whole, looking back over all those pages, all that time I spent with this book...it really is stunning. Just know that if you're picking up this book with the intention of finishing it, you're entering a pretty hefty commitment. For richer or poorer, better or worse...

[skavlanj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although there were several times I was tempted to throw this book across the room in frustration, particularly in the interminable scene of Marius watching through the hole in the wall and "agonizing" what he should do, this was a satisfying read. I did find the repeated intersections of the characters far-fetched in a city the size of Paris (e.g. Valjean and Marius' encounter with Thenadier at the Seine with Javert lying in wait) but Hugo wouldn't have a story with these encounters. And until the very end I was uncertain whether this was a story of redemption or a tragedy. At 800+ pages in the abridged edition, you have to be invested in the story and characters to get past Hugo's ambling detours but it's well worth the effort.

[justagirlwithabook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read the abridged version when I was in 9th grade and I absolutely fell into the story - I loved it! I want to revisit this one again soon, but go for the unabridged version (which will be a bit of a challenge but I'm up for it). I have yet to see the adaptation and would like to read it before I do watch it.

[emathison-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book during my sophomore year of high school. I think that its when we had the KBAR (kick back and read) period. This allowed me to read the novel bit by bit at a leisurely pace.

What I remember most is how Hugo chose to write this work. Some areas of the novel followed a pattern of one chapter of details and "setting the scene" followed by one chapter of story action.

I enjoyed reading it, although this book requires patience. You might not finish if you aren't a patient person or create a schedule to help see you though.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a slow read, but well worth the effort. Hugo chronicles the time and place in detail, with many digressions that may seem unneccessary to the modern reader, but I think are essential to the texture of the work. The novel's main story deals with the convict Jean Valjean, and his search for redemption against the backdrop of 19th century poverty and a vindictive penal system. Lots of food for ethical thought.

[shereadsnovels · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Les Miserables is one of the longest books I've ever read (and I've read a lot of long books) and as someone with very little knowledge of French history, it was also one of the most challenging. Jean Valjean has just been released from prison after nineteen years (he had been sentenced to five years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family, and then a further fourteen years for his attempts to escape). As an ex-convict, Valjean finds himself rejected by everybody he approaches until the kindly Bishop Myriel takes him in and gives him shelter for the night. However, Valjean repays him by stealing his silverware. When the police catch him and take him back to the bishop's home, the bishop tells them they've made a mistake - he had given the silverware to Valjean as a gift. The bishop's simple gesture of kindness has a profound effect on Valjean, filling him with the determination to be a better person.After establishing himself as a successful factory owner and becoming mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer, Valjean promises a dying woman that he will take care of her daughter, Cosette. The rest of the book follows Valjean's attempts to escape the investigations of Inspector Javert and to build a new life for himself and Cosette. Along the way we meet a gang of criminals, a group of revolutionary students, and a greedy innkeeper called Thenardier.Most of the characters are very well developed and Hugo spends a considerable amount of time introducing us to them. However, I didn't find the characters of Marius and Cosette very interesting, despite their central roles in the book - I thought some of the secondary characters were much stronger, such as the street urchin Gavroche and the Thenardiers' eldest daughter Eponine.I almost gave this book four stars rather than five, because of all the lengthy digressions on the Battle of Waterloo, life in a convent, the July Revolution of 1830, the Paris sewer system etc. Although these pages are often interesting and informative and contain some beautiful writing, they have very little direct relevance to the plot and interrupt the flow of the story. However, this is really the only negative thing I can say about the book. It's worth perservering through all the social commentary, politics and history to get to the actual story itself - and the wonderful, moving, thought-provoking, suspenseful story is why I finally decided to give the book a five star rating.

[pnorko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably my favorite novel of all time.

[ashooles · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love the musical and I love the over all story of Les Mis, but I found the book really difficult to get through. I started it a year ago, and just managed to get through it now. The characters and the plot about the characters was beautiful, but all the back story and history of France was rather dull and long for my liking. I am not taking away from the story itself, as I know it's a classic, and I adore the musical. This was just very hard for me to read.

[sometimeunderwater · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Did I really just read 1200 pages of a book only to give it 3 stars? Apparently so. My thoughts:- Unlike everyone else, I enjoyed the diversions. The story of Waterloo at the beginning of book 2 is one of the best bits. The sweep of history is this book's strength, but also its weakness. Everyone feels like a pawn in a overcooked plot, set against the backdrop of historical determinism. - The characterisation in this book is profoundly weak. Over 1200 pages, only Valjean comes close to appearing actually human, rather than a cartoon, and even then not wholly so. - Of the characters, perhaps only Fantine, Gavroche, Eponine, Javert, and a few others are actually interesting. The rest are either comically villainous (Thenadier et al) or dully virtuous (Valjean, Cosette, the bishop). Marius is a plot device, nothing else. - Hugo manages to hold many divergent threads together quite well. Perhaps a little too well, relying on sometimes quite desperate narrative acrobatics to bring Thenadier and Valjean together again. Some of the happy coincidences (e.g. Fauchelevent and the convent) are too forced and absurd.- I'm unsure if it's the translation, but there is some very clunky language employed in this book (I picked out the end of 3.III.ii as a particularly egregious example).- Worse than the language is Hugo's contrived narrative style, which I confess I frequently found grating. Example: in the last chapter, Thenadier visits Marius dressed in disguise. Hugo gives us this scene by first introducing us to "the Changer", the "ingenious Jew" who disguises criminals for a living - twenty pages from the end of the novel... Trying to add this kind of colour/detail doesn't give add up to depth - and it just serves to highlight how insufficient Hugo made his main protagonists. - The main thrust of the novel is enjoyable, and the significant deaths genuinely moving. The over-sentimentality didn't bother me at all, although the over-moralisation did. "No writer enters a girl's bedchamber"? Well that's why Hugo isn't Dostoevsky. - The musical retains a surprising fidelity to the book, that I wasn't expecting. I don't feel cheap in saying that the musical is worth most people's time, and subsequently reading the book is probably unnecessary.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hard to capture briefly, a romance and a novel of human transformations from bad to good. A challenging read with digressions into French history, urban structure of Paris and justice.

[cemagoc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An incredible writer who needed a better editor. I loved it anyway.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is an undeniable masterpiece. The sheer scope of the novel is praise-worthy. Then you add on fascinating characters, the complicated plot, which weaves countless lives together, the detailed history of France and so much more and it blows you away. The basic plot (there's no way to briefly sum up the whole thing) follows a convict named Jean Valjean. He was imprisoned for stealing bread and now, years later, he tries to make a life for himself in 19th century France. The plot is complex and the characters are intricately connected in unexpected ways. I loved the Bishop at the very beginning of the story. His gentle heart and merciful choices make him unforgettable even though he is only in a brief section of the book. The police chief Javert is a villain of sorts. He is so focused on living by the letter of the law that he misses the point of true justice. Hugo writes dozens of pages of French history in between actions scenes. By the time I made it through his wandering sidetracked thought I'd sometimes forget where we'd left the major characters. I just wish that Hugo had had a better editor. It's not even that the history lessons weren't interesting, it's just that they hindered the flow of the book (at more than 1,400 pages, it doesn't need to be hindered). Apparently Hugo told his editor that he wasn't allowed to remove anything from the book. ANYTHING. Not a single line. Now this obviously shows Hugo's passion for his work and his desire to maintain the integrity of his original vision, but there are editors for a reason. Sometimes authors aren't the best judge of what might improve their book after its been completed. I loved the story. It's such an inspiring tale of redemption and sacrifice. There are so many beautiful lines in the novel that are a testament to Hugo's talent. "One can no more prevent the mind from returning to an idea than the sea from returning to a shore. In the case of the sailor, this is called a tide; in the case of the guilty, it is called remorse." Over all I really enjoyed it. I was able to sink completely into the time period because of the books length and details. I do believe that trimming a few of the historical parts would have sharpened the focus on the plot, but that's just my opinion. I'm so glad I read it. It is one of those books that provide such a rich experience. It's not one I'll read every year or something, but it's a story that will stay in my soul for decades to come.

[fglass_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very Moving!

[haidji-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a masterpiece.It is an incredible story of temptations, redemptions, evil, love; it describes how miserablelife in that era of France was for the common people. A story about real life, with fictional characters creating real people, and the social perspective is as true today as it was in the past.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I know I read at least parts of this book many years ago and I was familiar with the story and the characters. However, I thought it would be a great book to listen to and I was able to download a copy of the audiobook from my library. The story is compelling but the narrator, David Case, practically spoiled it for me. I kept losing the thread because his voice was annoying and monotonous. He also had a very odd way of pronouncing the French names that made them almost unintelligible.Jean Valjean was convicted of theft of a loaf of bread which he stole to feed his sister's children. He spent many years in the galleys and when he was finally released he was treated as a pariah. One man, a bishop, was kind to him and gave him food and shelter for a night but Jean Valjean took the bishop's silver and fled in the night. When he was apprehended by the police he told them the bishop had given him the silver and the bishop confirmed the story. He also gave Jean the silver candlesticks. By this man's example Jean determined that he should turn over a new leaf and help others. He successfully started a business that made him a lot of money but also provided jobs with good wages which improved the region's economy. He was even appointed the mayor but one detective. Javert, realized who he was and had him arrested just as he was trying to help one of his employees dying of TB get reunited with her daughter. Although Valjean was again relegated to the galleys he managed to escape after a few years in a way that made it seem he was dead. He found his employee's daughter, Cosette, and adopts her, moving to Paris and changing his name again. When Cosette is grown a young man, Marius, sees her in the Gardens of Luxembourg and falls in love. Javert has again found Valjean and Valjean has determined that he and Cosette should leave for England. Marius and Cosette wanted to marry so Cosette writes a letter to Marius to tell him of this plan. Marius gets caught up in the students' revolution and Valjean saves him from certain death by spiriting him away through the sewers of Paris. When Marius recovers he marries Cosette but he is appalled when Valjean discloses his past. He banishes Valjean from their house but when he realizes that Valjean is the man who rescued him he and Cosette go to Valjean and are reconciled before Valjean dies.It's quite a convoluted plot and relies extensively on coincidence and synchronicitiy. Nevertheless Valjean comes across as a heroic figure and the reader can't help but feel sorry for him.

[sarahliz2182 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This got so much better towards the end. 3.5 stars is a better fit.

[atoponce-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meh. The story as a whole is a good story, but there are reasons that abridged versions exist. Victor Hugo adds a great deal of French history and infrastructure to the book that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. It's almost as though he's trying to prove himself as a legitimate French historian. But, removing that, the story is actually a good love story. It also has the right amount of conflict between Javert and Jean Valjean. The story doesn't stray into strange territory, and Hugo is able to keep all the stories moving well, enough to keep the reader intrigued.

[billt568-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book, but man it was long.

[scott_hercher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful story, but Hugo goes off on too many unnecessary digressions. Long sections on slang, the history of a convent, the construction of the Paris sewer system, etc., really don't add to the tale. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I would recommend it to others.

[scaryguy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting premise . . . laboriously long.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Les Miserables is one of those books that is perpetually on the shelf of books that should be read when you have spare time. At 1300 pages - that's a LOT of spare time. Is it worth picking up? If you've seen the amazing Broadway musical, then you already know the story of Jean Valjean, a convict who seeks redemption through good acts during his life. Does the book really add more? Yes! Les Miserables is more than the story of a single man. It is a social commentary about class structure in 19th century France and the inability of the poor to receive justice. It is a story about how a person can change - starting as a convict and ending as a saint. It is the story of heroism - people giving their lives for a cause. It is a story about love and the sacrifices people make for love. It is an amazing masterpiece worth every one of those pages.

[miguelnunonave · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A masterpiece of realism and humanity, like only a French author could have ever written. The scope is huge, the story incredibly powerful and beautiful.

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Les Miserables" by Victor HugoMy thoughts and comments:I finished "Les Miserables" as part of the Le Salon group read yesterday morning and, (attempting to keep it spoiler free), yes, this is indeed a book that I loved and will read again over the years. Hugo has a way about writing that almost made me feel like he was attempting to lure my head from the story at times, but if so, he sadly failed. He tends to do what my mum calls "going off on a tangent". He gets caught up in a netherwind and is off and running with it for a while but then here he brings it back to the story line and yes, it usually had some little/big something to do with one or the other of the characters, including Paris.By the way, this is the best book with Paris as the backdrop that I have ever read.So I really liked it; I cared very much about most of the characters. I think that the only character I actually detested was Thenardier. I liked how Hugo built his characters so they were multifacted and layered and not just one dimensional. And he took the time to do it, which not all authors do; sometimes all parts of a character are described at once. But not here. Here, we actually got to see the growth (to the bad or the good) of the characters.Thank you Le Salon, for organizing this read. For me, it was a reading experience of a lifetime for me. I highly recommend Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables".