One of the great classics of Western literature, Les Miserables is a magisterial work which is rich in both character portrayal and meticulous historical deseription. Characters such as the absurdly criminalised Valjean, the street urchin Gavroche, the rascal Thenardier, the implacable detective Javert, and the pitiful figure of the prostitute Fantine and her daughter Cosette, have entered the pantheon of literary dramatis personce.
The reader is also treated to the unforgettable deseriptions of the Battle of Waterloo and Valjean's fligt through the Paris sewers.