Les Miserables is a novel by French author Victor Hugo, first published in 1862. The novel is set in post-Napoleonic France and is based on the life of Jean Valjean, a man who is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. Valjean’s life slowly fades away but he is given a reprieve by the mayor of the town, Madeleine. Fantine, one of the workers at Madeleine’s factory, is fired when it is discovered that she has an illegitimate child. Desperate and destitute, Fantine turns to prostitution to support herself and her daughter, Cosette.
Javert, a policeman, recognizes Valjean as an ex-convict and begins to stalk him. Valjean manages to escape Javert’s clutches and takes refuge in a convent with