Les Misérables is a sweeping epic of human suffering, resistance, and redemption set against the backdrop of 19th-century France. The novel centers on Jean Valjean, a man who transforms from a hardened ex-convict into a symbol of compassion and moral strength. His journey touches the lives of others, including the tragic Fantine, the innocent Cosette, the determined Marius, and the relentless Inspector Javert. Through intersecting stories of love, poverty, injustice, and revolution, Victor Hugo reveals the deep fractures of society while upholding the enduring hope for change. The novel is both a personal tale of redemption and a broader cry for social reform. Profound, emotional, and timeless, Les Misérables remains one of the most powerful novels ever written.