Les Miserables ( French: Les Misérables ) is an epic novel by the French classic Victor Hugo . Widely recognized by world literary criticism and the world community as the apotheosis of the writer's work and one of the greatest novels of the 19th century . First published in 1862.
| Outcasts | |
|---|---|
| Les misérables | |
 "Cosette." Illustration from the first edition of 1862 | |
| Genre | epic novel |
| Author | Victor Hugo |
| Original language | French |
| Date of writing | |
| Date of first publication | 1862 |
The novel is translated into many world languages and is included in a large number of school courses in literature. He was repeatedly staged on the theaters and more than once filmed in France and abroad under his original name.
Versions and translations
There are several translations of the novel into Russian. There is also a shortened edition edited by E. I. Vygodskaya . Its volume is reduced several times relative to the original, containing more than a thousand pages.
- Translators of the Les Miserables
- Vinogradov A.K. (1931 translation)
- D. Livshits, N. Kogan, N. Efros , K. Lox, M. Vakhterova, V. Levik
Description
The novel’s pages widely cover the main and most important problems for Hugo: the force of law and love, cruelty and humanity, the incomprehensible deprivation of the poor and the unbearable suffering of the rich, unhappiness and prosperity. The author draws a long and difficult life path of the former convict Jean Valjean (the main character of the novel), his worldview; changes that occurred in his character during the course of the narration; his desire to correct past mistakes, good and self-sacrifice in the name of freedom and happiness of others. Jean Valjean is one of the noblest and most dedicated heroes in French literature. He is opposed by Inspector Javert , personifying power. This is a cruel and strong-willed person who will not stop at nothing so that justice will triumph.
Covering a wide time frame (including the period of France from 1815 to 1832 and the June uprising in Paris brutally crushed by troops), the work is a historical drama, constantly referring the reader to current events of that time. Victor Hugo criticizes the politics of the Restoration era, the impoverished social status of the majority of the population. He gives his characters a republican mood, which makes the novel revolutionary and anti-monarchical.
Story
1815 year. Former convict Jean Valjean - an “ outcast ” who is angry with all of humanity after his nineteen-year imprisonment for stealing bread - falls to the Catholic Bishop Miriel Dinsky , who completely changed his life. The bishop treated him as a person worthy of respect. Moreover, when Valjean stole silverware from him, forgave him and did not give him to the authorities - and even gave him silver candlesticks. Jean Valjean kept them in awe until his death. The first and only creature who felt sorry for him, the convict, shocked Valjean so much that he changed his life very dramatically: under the name of Madeleine he founded a factory for the manufacture of small black glass products, thanks to which the welfare of the whole town grew; and then became his mayor.
Having retreated on his life path, he becomes the coveted prey of the French police. She is looking for him, and Jean Valjean is forced to hide. The inspector of the Paris police station, Javert, considers his capture and sent to penal servitude a matter of his life.
After the death of Fantina - a woman for whose fate Jean Valjean considered himself responsible - her daughter Cosetta becomes the only person close to him.
Characters
- Jean Valjean
- Cosette - daughter of Fantina, adopted daughter of Jean Valjean
- Fantina - Cosette's mother
- Javert - Police Inspector
- Young Baron Marius Ponmersi , at the time of the meeting with Cosette - law student
- Tenardier
- Aunt Tenardier
- Gavrosh - son of Tenardieu
- Eponina - the eldest daughter of Tenardieu
- Azelma - the youngest daughter of Tenardier
- Father Mariel - Bishop of Digne
- Anjolras
- Granter
- " Friends of the alphabet "
- " Cock's Hour "
Historical Persons Mentioned in a Book
- Napoleon I
- Louis XVIII
- Louis Philippe I
- Karl X
- Napoleon III
- Maximilian Robespierre
- Andre Chenier
- Louis XIV
- George Noel Gordon Byron
- George Washington
- John brown
- Voltaire
- William Wordsworth
- Franz Joseph Haydn
- Hannibal
- Giuseppe Garibaldi
- Homer
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Dante Alighieri
- Camille Demoulin
- Pierre Cornell
- Louis XVI
- Carlo Pisacane
- Plutarch
- Jules Auguste Arman Marie Polignac
- Epicurus
- Catherine II
Films and musicals
- Les Miserables (film, 1913)
- Les Miserables (film, 1917)
- Les Miserables (film, 1925)
- Les Miserables (film, 1934)
- Les Miserables (film, 1935)
- Les Miserables (1952 film)
- Les Miserables (film, 1958) starring Jean Gabin , Bourville , Bernard Blieu .
- Les Miserables (mini-series 1972)
- Les Miserables (TV movie 1978) , cast - Richard Jordan, Anthony Perkins
- Les Miserables (1982 film) starring Lino Ventura , Michelle Bouquet , Jean Carme .
- Les Miserables (animated series 1992)
- Les Miserables (1995 film) starring Jean-Paul Belmondo , Annie Girardeau , Jean Mare .
- Les Miserables (1998 film) starring Liam Neeson , Jeffrey Rush , Uma Thurman , Claire Danes .
- Les Miserables (mini-series 2000) starring Gerard Depardieu , Christian Clavier , John Malkovich , Asia Argento , Charlotte Gainsbourg .
- Les Miserables: Cosette, 2007 ( anime series)
- Les Miserables (musical)
- Les Miserables (film / musical, 2012) starring Hugh Jackman , Russell Crowe , Anne Hathaway , Amanda Seyfried , Sasha Baron Cohen , Helena Bonham Carter .
- Les Miserables (television series 2018)
See also
- Eugene Widoc
- Gavrosh
Literature
- Tolstoy L.N. Preface to the works of Guy de Maupassant // Poln. Sobr. Op. in 90 vols .-- T. 30.- S. 3-24.
- At Tolstoy. 1904-1910: “Yasnaya Polyana Notes” by D. P. Makovitsky / USSR Academy of Sciences. Institute of World Lite. them. A. M. Gorky. - M .: Nauka, 1979.- T. 90, Prince. 2: 1906-1907. - S. 562. - 687 p. - ( Literary inheritance / ed.: V.R.Sherbin (chap. Ed.), G.P. Berdnikov ... [and others ]; t. 90, book 2). - 15,000 copies.
- Dostoevskaya A. G. Memoirs, “ Fiction ”. - M., 1971. - S. 258—259.