Information about Les Miserables the novel Hugo began to think about the story of LES MISERABLES as early as 1829. On a sunny but cold day, he witnessed a poor man being arrested for stealing a loaf of bread. As the man stood on the street, a fancy carriage pulled up beside him. Inside there was a beautiful woman dressed in velvet, playing with a child hidden under ribbons, embroidery, and furs. The poor man stared at the woman, but she was totally unaware of him. Hugo wrote this about that man, saying that he was: “the spectre of misery, the ghostly forewarning in full light of day, in the sunshine, of the revolution still plunged in the shadows of darkness, but emerging from them. The moment he became aware of her existence, while she remained unaware of his, a catastrophe was inevitable.” Hugo used his life experiences to shape the story of the novel, so that it reflected his philosophy. For example: • He visited prisoners right before their execution to interview them about their prison experience and their thoughts about their sentence of death. He opposed the death penalty and worked this into the novel. • Hugo created the character of Javert to represent the representatives of the law who never questioned their duty to deliver men to the galleys and to the executioner. • In 1835, he was impressed with a report of a Bishop aiding a convict, and so included a bishop helping the convict Jean Valjean in the beginning of the novel. • Hugo’s 19 year exile for rebelling against the government is reflected in Jean Valjean’s 19 years in prison. When LES MISERABLES was published in 1862, it generated more excitement than any book in the history of publishing. In Paris, it was advertised with giant sketched portraits of Cosette, Fantine, Marius, and Jean Valjean. The title of the book, LES MISERABLES (pronounced Lay-mee-zay-rahbl), means “The Miserable Ones,” “The Depressed” or “The Wretches.” Even though critics hated the book, they had absolutely no effect on public interest or the popularity of the novel. The first day it came out, the 48,000 copies put on sale sold out and it was observed that bookshop owners and other vendors literally fought over copies of the book. Long lines and traffic jams took place all over Paris as people fought to buy a copy of the book. Hugo wrote this about his book: “I don’t know if it will be read by everyone, but it is meant for everyone. It addresses England as well as Spain, Italy, as well as France, Germany as well as Ireland, the republics that harbour slaves as well as empires that have serfs. Social problems go beyond frontiers…” Hugo’s goal was to present the ideas in his book to as many people as possible, so he told his publishers to bring out cheaper editions of the book in small print to make it available to ordinary people. As soon as the book was translated into different languages, it became an instant success in other countries as well. In America, the civil war was going on at the release of the novel. The book became a sensation, especially among Confederate soldiers, who read the novel voraciously, calling themselves “Lee’s Miserables.” The novel had many enemies, including those who thought that it encouraged people to rebel against government institutions. Critics also condemned Hugo for writing a book about poor people and making money on it; however, the book was bought in record numbers by the poor in unprecedented numbers. Workers often pooled their money to buy the book, which they then shared among themselves. When the musical came out in 1985, the pattern was repeated from the release of the book: the critics hated it and the public couldn’t get enough of it, and it went on to become one of the world’s most popular musicals.