The Wretched - or Les Misérables in its original title - is Victor Hugo's epic novel of redemption, sacrifice, love and suffering, set against the turbulent backdrop of early nineteenth-century France. It tells the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean, who has spent nineteen brutal years in chains after stealing a loaf of bread. Saved by an act of charity, he is then offered a chance of happiness when he encounters the downtrodden Fantine and vows to rescue her daughter Cosette - but is constantly pursued by the implacable policeman Javert, who will not let him escape his past. An instant bestseller on publication in 1862, The Wretched is a novel of intense emotional power, weaving together individual stories with true historical events to create a rich, imaginative drama of human life. Christine Donougher's powerful, lucid and authoritative new translation is accompanied by an introduction by Robert Tombs discussing Hugo's life as a novelist and progressive political crusader, and the dramatic historical context of the novel. 'A great writer - inventive, witty, sly, innovatory.' A. S. Byatt 'Still grips the reader with its epic narrative sweep and all-embracing humanitarianism.' The Sunday Times