Here is a lavishly illustrated book detailing the long history of Les Miserables, from the time Victor Hugo began writing it in 1836 to its present-day worldwide theatrical success. Full-color photos.

Full of fantastic memorabilia from the history of the show - from film props to set designs; and includes a foreword by Cameron Mackintosh.

(Applause Books). It has been 150 years since Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables was first published. However, for the last 25 or so, the poignant saga of Jean Valjean, a villain to some but a savior to others, set in France during the early years of the 19th century, has become one of the world's most popular musicals and has become one of the must-see movies of 2013. In Les Miserables: From Stage to Screen , the reader can find out how the musical came to life the trials and tribulations of turning it from the initial concept into a thrilling musical extravaganza and how the new film version starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe and directed by the Oscar-winning Tom Hooper ( The King's Speech ) has emerged from the show that has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide. To bring this fascinating story to life, the book also contains at least 20 facsimiles that highlight key moments in the creation of Les Miserables , both on stage and on the screen, including: * Original costume sketches * Annotated scripts * Original music scores and librettos * Film screenplay extracts and anniversary mementos

The ideal companion book to the musical Les Misérables Contains more than 100 color and black-and-white photographs Follows the story of the musical from 1985 as it became an international hit Ever since its opening night on October 5, 1985, Les Misérables has been the world’s longest running and most beloved musical. Countless productions have played in 319 cities across 42 countries. It has won over 100 major theatre awards, including an Olivier, Grammy, and Tony. Approximately 70 million people have been entranced by the musical across the globe. This is the ideal partner book to this incredible musical. Over 100 color and black-and-white photographs follow the show from its inspiration in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel to the first Paris production and the developments on an international hit. Edward Behr connects firsthand interviews with the authors, producer, cast members, directors, and designers. The show, and the novel that inspired it, contains a tale of romance, fortune, war, loss, love, the French revolution, and second chances. It is a timeless story loved by many, and The Complete Book of Les Misérables chronicles its journey.

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Winner of the American Library in Paris Book Award, 2017 Les Misérables is among the most popular and enduring novels ever written. Like Inspector Javert’s dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean, its appeal has never waned, but only grown broader in its one-hundred-and-fifty-year life. Whether we encounter Victor Hugo’s story on the page, onstage, or on-screen, Les Misérables continues to captivate while also, perhaps unexpectedly, speaking to contemporary concerns. In The Novel of the Century, the acclaimed scholar and translator David Bellos tells us why. This enchanting biography of a classic of world literature is written for “Les Mis” fanatics and novices alike. Casting decades of scholarship into accessible narrative form, Bellos brings to life the extraordinary story of how Victor Hugo managed to write his novel of the downtrodden despite a revolution, a coup d’état, and political exile; how he pulled off a pathbreaking deal to get it published; and how his approach to the “social question” would define his era’s moral imagination. More than an ode to Hugo’s masterpiece, The Novel of the Century also shows that what Les Misérables has to say about poverty, history, and revolution is full of meaning today.

The first new Penguin Classics translation in forty years of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, the subject of The Novel of the Century by David Bellos—published in a stunning Deluxe edition. Winner of the French-American Foundation & Florence Gould Foundation’s 29th Annual Translation Prize in Fiction. The subject of the world’s longest-running musical and the award-winning film, Les Misérables is a genuine literary treasure. Victor Hugo’s tale of injustice, heroism, and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him, and has been a perennial favorite since it first appeared over 150 years ago. This exciting new translation with Jillian Tamaki’s brilliant cover art will be a gift both to readers who have already fallen for its timeless story and to new readers discovering it for the first time. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.