The Novel of the Century

This “impeccably researched and pithily written" volume reveals the dramatic life of Victor Hugo's literary masterpiece (The New York Times).

Les Misérables is among the most popular and enduring novels ever written. Like Inspector Javert’s dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean, its appeal has never waned since its first publication in 1862. Whether we encounter Victor Hugo’s story on the page, onstage, or on-screen, Les Misérables continues to captivate while also, perhaps unexpectedly, speaking to contemporary concerns. In The Novel of the Century, acclaimed scholar and translator David Bellos tells us why.

This enchanting biography of a classic of world literature is written for “Les Mis” fanatics and novices alike. Casting decades of scholarship into accessible narrative form, Bellos brings to life the extraordinary story of how Victor Hugo managed to write his novel of the downtrodden despite a revolution, a coup d’ tat, and political exile; how he pulled off a pathbreaking deal to get it published; and how his approach to the “social question” would define his era’s moral imagination.

More than an ode to Hugo’s masterpiece, The Novel of the Century provides a fascinating window into 19th century France and shows how Les Misérables continues to be a timely tale today.

New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice