This is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it at least once a year and it always leaves me heartbroken. Victor Hugo writes about France with a love rarely displayed by any other author and creates characters that seem as real as you or me. Each character he creates represents different levels of French society. We go from the uppercrust with the heroic but ditzy Marius to the depths of the underworld with the pitifully immoral Thenadier family. At first glance, the story seems to be about Jean Valjean's redemption, but in reality it is more than. It is a close and gritty look at France and its people. Its main focus is on the lower level of France, the convicts, the prostitutes, the abandoned, and the students. It is about how all these people have is their love for each other and for humanity. Life will beat you down, will crush you, and kill you, but in the end it is compassion that makes life worth living-and dying-for.

The main character is Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who literally sacrifices all he has for Cosette, a girl he adopted from the desperate Fantine. It is this relationship that is the heart of the book and it is the only thing that keeps Valjean pure. The mercy and love of a bishop saved him and Cosette's love keeps him saved. However their love is challenged by the coming of the student Marius. Marius is Valjean's greatest challenge and his choice will determine if he rightfully deserves the title of saint or if he really is a miserable convict. Marius decides to join his friends in the uprising of 1832 and it is up to Valjean to save him. If he lets him die, he can keep Cosette to himself and live happily ever after, but Cosette will be miserable and potentially lose her one true love. If he saves Marius, he will give his precious child the love of her life and she would be happy for the rest of her life.

The climax of the book is the Uprising which wraps everything up and is my favorite part of the story. It is also the saddest part as literally everyone dies-including one of my favorite characters Enjorlas, the student rebel leader and one of the coolest characters in the story. His death is one of the most heartrending parts of the book and stays with the reader forever. The uprising also presents Javert-the upright, law abiding, inspector-one of the greatest challenges of his life. Javert, anotehr one of my favorite characters, ruthlessly pursues Valjean, convinced that he must be brought to justice, and ends up spying on the student rebels. He is found out and is about to setnenced to death when Valjean spares him, causing him to suffer from a mental breakdown. Javert's tragedy is not his siutation, but his inability to accept love and compassion.

Overall it is an amazing book that is a fast read and well worth anyone's time.