Love As Divine Spark | Excerpt From “Les Misérables”

Love As Divine Spark | Excerpt From “Les Misérables”

Les Misérables , a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. While many areas including politics, progress, religion, morals are discussed in this lengthy work, the story as we all know is the story of Jean Val Jean, a victim of human injustice.

Val Jean is an unorthodox hero – a social outcast. Through his story, Hugo brings to life the immense suffering the underprivileged class goes through. His compassion for them flows through his heart-touching writing. One shouldn’t, however, think that Les Misérables is only about misery and suffering. There is also ocean of love and happiness. There is fatherly love between Val Jean and Cosette, and love and perfect bliss between Cosette and Marius. These happy relations pour sunshine to the story amidst the heavy, dark clouds. Hugo’s writing is beautifully descriptive, poetic, passionate, dramatic and emotion arousing. In the following short excerpt from ” Les Misérables”, Hugo asserts that love and compassion are the most important gifts one person can give another and why these qualities should be the most important goal in life.