One of the great classics of Western literature,Les Miserables is a magisterial work which is rich in both character portrayal and meticulous historical description. Characters such as the absurdly criminalised Valjean. the street urchin Gavroche.the rascal Thenardier. the implacable detective lavert, and the pitiful figure of the prostitute Fantine and her daughter Cosotte, have entered the pantheon of literary dramatis persoae. The reader is also treated to the unforgettable descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo and Valjean's flight through the Paris sewers.