Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is an epic novel following ex-convict Jean Valjean's quest for redemption in 19th-century France, interweaving stories of love, revolution, and social injustice. Through Valjean's transformation, Fantine's tragedy, Cosette's rescue, and the June Rebellion, Hugo created a sweeping portrait of a society and a meditation on mercy versus justice. This Penguin Classics hardcover becomes both historical epic and moral argument, proving that Hugo wrote with both heart and political fire and that some novels contain entire worlds.

WHY WE PICKED IT: Because Hugo wrote the ultimate novel about redemption and social justice, creating characters who represent eternal struggles between mercy and law. This edition reminds us that Valjean's transformation is literature's great redemption story, that Javert's rigidity is tragic, and that the barricade scenes still inspire revolutionaries.

DETAILS: • Author: Victor Hugo • Publisher: Penguin Classics • Format: Hardcover • Publication Date: November 14, 2012 • ISBN: 9781846140495 • Ships direct from distributor in 3–7 business days