With an Introduction & Notes by Roger Clark University of Kent at Canterbury Translation by Charles E Wilbour (1862) One of the great classics of western literature Les Miserables is a magisterial work which is rich in both character portrayal & meticulous historical description Characters such as the absurdly criminalised Valjean the street urchin Gavroche the rascal Thenardier the implacable detective Javert & the pitiful figure of the prostitute Fantine & her daughter Cosette have entered the pantheon of literary dramatis personae The reader is also treated to the unforgettable descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo & Valjean's flight through the Paris sewers Volume 1 of 2