Les Misérables (pronounced or ; ) is a
French historical novel by
Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest
novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including
The Miserables,
The Wretched,
The Miserable Ones,
The Poor Ones,
The Wretched Poor,
The Victims and
The Dispossessed. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832
June Rebellion in
Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict
Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.