Les Misérables is a sprawling epic by Victor Hugo, the seeds of which can be found in some of his earlier, shorter works such as his novel(la) Le dernier jour d'un condamné, which also treats upon the subject of the penal system in France and includes a character that resembles what could later be called an AU-style Valjean. It was made into a very well-known musical play that has run for nearly thirty years. And that's just the beginning.