15 Facts About Les Miserables

1. Les Miserables went to Toulon to visit the Bagne in 1839 and took extensive notes, though he did not start writing the book until 1845.

2. Les Miserables used a short part of his dialogue with the police when recounting Valjean's rescue of Fantine in the novel.

3. Les Miserables participated more directly in the 1848 Paris insurrection, helping to smash barricades and suppress both the popular revolt and its monarchist allies.

4. Les Miserables's begs to be released so that she can provide for her daughter, but Javert sentences her to six months in prison.

5. Les Miserables tells Valjean he realizes he was wrong, because the authorities have identified someone else as the real Jean Valjean, have him in custody, and plan to try him the next day.

6. Les Miserables finds Cosette fetching water in the woods alone and walks with her to the inn.

7. Les Miserables's leads him to Valjean's and Cosette's house on Rue Plumet, and Marius watches the house for a few days.

8. Les Miserables is feeling troubled about seeing Thenardier in the neighbourhood several times.

9. Les Miserables goes back to his house, tells Cosette they will be staying at their other house on Rue de l'Homme-Arme, and reconfirms to her that they will be moving to England.

10. Les Miserables learns Cosette's whereabouts and he writes a farewell letter to her.

11. Les Miserables sends Gavroche to deliver it to her, but Gavroche leaves it with Valjean.

12. Les Miserables feels he can no longer give Valjean up to the authorities but cannot ignore his duty to the law.

13. Les Miserables dies content and is buried beneath a blank slab in Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

14. Les Miserables complained that the characters were crude stereotypes who all "speak very well – but all in the same way".

15. Les Miserables deemed it an "infantile" effort and brought an end to Hugo's career like "the fall of a god".