Required reading ''Les misérables'' read with the copy of the first edition

Hi,
Today I will going to introduce the book that I possess.
When we go to french school, every students must read this book.
Of course, the whole world read this book when they go to the school.
By books, musical, plays, every genres every one love the story.



As you see this illustration, can know the story?
It is Les miserables.
Always this illustration is used for representative poster. And it is Cosette's figure.
Cosette is the daughter that is adopted from the main character(Jean Valjean).

This is the first edition of Les misérables.
Les misérables is the major work of Victor Hugo.
In french,''Les misérables''means a poor person.
Now, by following the illustrations imagine the story.

Évêque et le forçat.

The bishop and with the people shabby eat with the luxury silverware.
The bishop gives the meal to Jean Valjean who was 19 years in the jail and be paroled.

The story begins with Jean Valjean who languish in the prison in the past.
Because of bishop who gives the hot meal with the love to Jean Valjean who is an ex-convict by himself, life of Jean Valjean changed completely.
He expends effort and became the mayor.

The woman who sell her body is Fantine.
She is arrested by the policeman who obey the rules and law and named Javert.
The illustration shows Fantine is imploring to Javert.
Jean Valjean who became the mayor saves and cares Fantine.
However, Jean Valjean is chases by Javert.

This is Jean Valjean's childhood.
The illustration of the left shows the life of France during 19 century.
The children look hungry and the adults abandon.
And for right, the boy that is stealing by hand is Jean Valjean.

By Fantine's will, Jean Valjean saves her daughter Cosette, avoid Javert they haul to Paris.
La seine(Seine river in Paris) looks little bit similar than now.

It is written ''Les enchantements et les désolations''
It means in french the pleasure and solitude.
Jean Valjean and Cosette, then Cosette's boyfriend Marius's feelings shows very well.

Jean Valjean's solitude...
Marius is a student revolutionary and share love with Cosette.

Jean Valjean saves Marius who was in the dangerous situation.
Javert who chases Jean Valjean suicides by himself.
By looking Jean Valjean, Javert's belief was collapsed.
The illustration shows Javert who suicide.


The illustration shows Javert who suicide.



This is the last illustration of the book.
It is Jean Valjean's death. Cosette and Marius are sad.

Jean Valjean is the main character, but why we always use Cosette as the representative poster?
Russ Eglin who design the poster of the 4 greatest musical(Cats, Les misérables, the Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon) in the interview, ''Jean Valjean is the main character, but why he fail of the model of the poster?we said.

Then, she responded very simply: ''We always tried but, Jean Valjean looks more gloom''

The illustration of Cosette is used for the first time by France songwriter Claude Michel Schönberg when he released his concept album.

Then later, in London 1985, when the musical ''Les misérables'' was premiered, the poster Cosette is used.


I hope you read this book and I recommend this book and if we read this book a lot of time, we don't tire :)
And the person who posses this book is me(Chloe OH)

Bye~
(Photo and writing by Dawon OH)