Which French author wrote "Les Misérables"?

Victor Hugo wrote Les Misérables. First published in 1862, the French epic novel follows Jean Valjean, an ex-convict seeking redemption while Inspector Javert relentlessly pursues him.

Hugo was one of nineteenth-century France’s most influential writers, known not only for novels but also for poetry, drama, political essays, and public activism. He wrote much of Les Misérables during periods of political exile, and the book reflects his concern with poverty, punishment, inequality, justice, and social reform.

The story begins in 1815 and builds toward the June Rebellion in Paris in 1832. Alongside Valjean and Javert, major figures include Fantine, Cosette, Marius, Éponine, and the revolutionary students. Hugo also pauses the plot for long discussions of French history, the Battle of Waterloo, religion, and Parisian institutions.

The novel is often confused with the stage musical and its film adaptations, but those versions are adaptations of Hugo’s original work. The musical’s songs and compressed storyline represent only part of the much larger historical and philosophical novel.