Today, I finally finished the first volume of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. For a long time, I had planned to read this book, as the writer's outstanding style caught my attention. Now, let’s dive into the summary.
Victor Hugo began working on Les Misérables in 1845 but didn’t publish it until 1862. In this novel, he highlights social injustice and the struggles of the poor and desolate. After its publication, the book faced criticism, but despite that, it spread quickly across the world, capturing the attention of readers from different backgrounds.
The story follows Jean Valjean, a young man who experiences numerous hardships from an early age. He takes on the responsibility of caring for his widowed sister and her seven children. Struggling with poverty, he steals a loaf of bread from a store one day. As a result, he is sentenced to three years in prison, where he endures harsh treatment and merciless punishment. He attempts to escape three times, but each attempt only increases his sentence, eventually extending it to nineteen years.
During his time in prison, Jean Valjean gradually loses his faith in humanity. Years of suffering and injustice fill him with hatred and resentment. This raises an important question: Was Jean Valjean truly a criminal? Did he deserve such severe punishment? He was not a well-educated man, but he was far from being a real criminal.
Throughout his years in prison, he acknowledges that stealing the bread was wrong. However, he had no money and no job, and given the harsh realities of the time, finding work to survive was nearly impossible. While theft is not justifiable, the punishment he endured was extreme, and the treatment of prisoners in katorga was unbearable. He never wanted to become a criminal, but circumstances pushed him