Les Misérables - Wordsworth Classics - Volume One

With an Introduction and Notes by Roger Clark, University of Kent at Canterbury.

Translation by Charles E. Wilbour (1862).

One of the great classics of western literature, Les Misérables is a magisterial work which is rich in both character portrayal and meticulous historical description.

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 personae.

The reader is also treated to the unforgettable descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo and Valjean’s flight through the Paris sewers.

Part of Wordsworth Classics

Wordsworth Classics are inexpensive editions designed to appeal to the general reader and students. We commissioned teachers and specialists to write wide ranging, jargon-free introductions and to provide notes that would assist the understanding of our readers rather than interpret the stories for them. In the same spirit, because the pleasures of reading are inseparable from the surprises, secrets and revelations that all narratives contain, we strongly advise you to enjoy this book before turning to the Introduction.

General Adviser Keith Carabine
Rutherford College
University of Kent at Canterbury