• Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, roughly translated as The Miserable Ones, was one of the most prominent novels of the 19th century. Les Mis, as it is commonly referred, revolves around a cast of characters who are struggling to find redemption and revolution in 19th Century France. In the 1980s, the novel was adapted into a successful musical.

  In April 2009, Scotswoman Susan Boyle became an internet sensation when she performed "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables for her audition as a contestant on Britian's Got Talent.Huffington Post: Reasons Susan Boyle Means So Much to Us (April 16, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Author: Victor Hugo
  2. Original Language: French
  3. Published: 1862
  4. Pronunciation: /le mi ze 'raHb/
  5. At the time, the novel was one of the most popular books in history of publishingLes Miserables The Musical: About the Author
  6. The novel was advertised throughout Paris with "giant sketched portraits of Cosette, Fantine, Marius and Jean Valjean"Les Miserables The Musical: About the Author
  7. 1980: Claude-Michel Schonberg, a French composer wrote the Tony award-winningLes Mis: Fact and Figures
  8. The libretto was written by Alain BoublilLes Mis: Fact and Figures
  9. 1985: A musical theater production of the novel debuted in London, England with English lyrics by Herbert KretzmerLes Miserables The Musical: About the Author
  10. October 8, 2006: Celebrated its 21st anniversary, making it the longest-running West End musical in history.Les Mis: Fact and Figures
  11. The musical has been performed on Broadway and in theaters around the worldLes Mis: Fact and Figures
  12. Susan Boyle's performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" became one of the top 50 best sellers on iTunesHuffington Post: Reasons Susan Boyle Means So Much to Us (April 16, 2009)

• Susan Boyle "Dreamed a Dream"

  • Broadway legend Patti LuPone spoke with Susan Boyle during the April 16, 2009 episode of CBS's Morning Show. LuPone had originated the performance of the Les Miserables song on the London stage and called to praise Boyle's rendition of technically difficult song, "I Dreamed a Dream". Zap2it: Susan Boyle Talks with Patti LuPone (April 16, 2009)

• Les Miserables Inspiration

  • Although Victor Hugo first began contemplating the story for Le Miserables as early as 1829, it wasn't until Hugo witnessed a specific incident in 1845 that he was truly inspired. He saw an attractive carriage pull up alongside an impoverished man. Inside the carriage a woman dressed in warm velvet played with a child who was hidden under furs and ribbons. While the man was being arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, the woman in the carriage was completely oblivious to the man's plight. To Hugo, the improvised man represented "the spectre of misery, the ghostly forewarning in full light of day, in the sunshine, of the revolution still plunged in the shadows of darkness, but emerging from them. The moment he become aware of her existence, while she remained unaware of his, a catastrophe was inevitable."Les Miserables The Musical: About the Author

• Author Quote

  • "I don't know if it will be read by everyone, but it is meant for everyone. It addresses England as well as Spain, Italy as well as France, Germany as well as Ireland, the republics that harbour slaves as well as empires that have serfs. Social problems go beyond frontiers..."—Victor HugoLes Miserables The Musical: About the Author

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Patti LuPone | Susan Boyle | CBS | Les Miserables (Musical) | Victor Hugo | Hunchback of Notre Dame | France | History of France | French Revolution | Jamie Pugh

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