Les Miserables

6b Victor Hugo. Authorized English translation by Sir Lascelles Wraxall (published simultaneously with the first French edition). London: Hurst & Blackett, 1862. First English Edition. In three volumes.

Notes

Les Misérables is a sweeping, multi-layered historical masterpiece that chronicles the life of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict released after nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister's starving children. Spanning several decades in early 19th-century France, the narrative traces Valjean's journey toward moral redemption as he breaks parole, adopts a new identity, and becomes a wealthy benefactor. Along the way, he crosses paths with a tragic, impoverished mother named Fantine, adopts her orphaned daughter Cosette, and becomes entangled in the brewing revolutionary fervor of the 1832 Paris June Rebellion. All the while, Valjean is relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert, a rigid, unforgiving man of the law who serves as a chilling symbol of societal justice without mercy. First editions in English were published only a few months apart with the New York printing in June of 1862 in five volumes and the London printing in October of 1862 in three volumes. The true first edition was first printed in French in ten volumes (often bound in five) on April 3rd, 1862 in Brussels, Belgium. 

Victor Hugo was the towering figure of French Romanticism and a lifelong champion of social justice. Born in 1802, he achieved massive success as a poet, playwright, and novelist, leveraging his immense fame to critique the deep-seated political and economic inequalities of his era. Hugo spent nearly seventeen years writing the massive manuscript of Les Misérables, but his creative process was severely interrupted by his fierce political activism against Napoleon III. Following a 1851 coup d'état, Hugo was forced into a self-imposed exile on the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, where he ultimately completed the novel. His life was marked by both professional triumphs and personal tragedies, including the devastating death of his eldest daughter, which profoundly shaped the themes of grief and redemption that define his enduring legacy.

Since its publication in 1862, Les Misérables has remained a global cultural touchstone that has never gone out of print. The novel's universal themes of compassion and redemption crossed cultural borders almost instantly, spurred by early translations from Charles Edwin Wilbour and Sir Lascelles Wraxall. Over the past century and a half, the story has evolved through dozens of formats, most notably transitioning into a monumental 1980 stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, which became one of the longest-running shows in theatrical history. Additionally, the book has inspired over fifty film adaptations, ranging from early silent era epics to the star-studded, Oscar-winning 2012 musical film adaptation, ensuring that Jean Valjean's struggle for justice remains alive for modern audiences worldwide.

Description 

Near modern rebinding. Deep blue boards with half dark blue crushed Morocco. Gilt in each spinal compartment. Maroon Morocco labels with gilt lettering. Very clean and beautiful binding.