Intro to Les Miserables:

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a celebrated French novelist, poet, playwright, dramatist, essayist and statesman whose work ushered in the Romantic literary movement in France, one of the most influential movements in French and all European literary history. Like many of his time, Hugo promoted the virtues of liberty, individualism, spirit and nature in rebellion of the conservative political and religious establishments of Imperial France, and eventually became known as one of the most gifted and influential writers of his time. In 1862 he released the novel that would come to be known as his masterpiece: "Les Miserables". The Romantic novel paints a picture of nineteen century Paris, in all its gritty detail, at a time of revolution. Themes of moral redemption, politics, justice and human rights are vividly expressed as Hugo follows the lives of four unforgettable characters through the sordid streets of Paris.Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Les Misérables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for the stage, television, and film, including a musical and a 2012 film version of that musical.The appearance of the novel was highly anticipated and advertised. Critical reactions were very diverse, but most of them were negative. Commercially, the work was a great success, not just in France, but also in the rest of Europe and the world.