"The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness." "So long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Miserables cannot fail to be of use," says Victor Hugo in the preface of his famous novel. Set in the years after the French Revolution, Les Miserables is certainly French history recounted through the personal stories of its main characters: Jean Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Javert, and others. And the novel offers philosophical insight on the good deeds that can happen even amidst ignorance and poverty. This handsome leather-bound volume is a beautiful addition to any classic literature library with specially designed endpapers, gilded edges, and a ribbon bookmark so you will never lose your place.

Author Biography

Victor Hugo (1802-1885), novelist, poet, and dramatist, is one of the most important of French Romantic writers. Among his best-known works are The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1831) and Les Miserables(1862). Ken Mondschein is a college professor, scholar, fencing master, jouster, and author with expertise in subjects ranging from medieval history to contemporary politics. He was a Fulbright scholar to France, received his PhD in history from Fordham University and is certified as a master of historical fencing by the US Fencing Coaches' Association. His work includes history, fencing, introductions to works of classic literature, and other projects.