Les Misérables (translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Victims) (1862) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo. Among the best-known novels of the 19th century, it follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty year period in the early 19th century that includes the Napoleonic wars and subsequent decades.

Principally focusing on the struggles of the protagonist—ex-convict Jean Valjean—struggling to redeem himself, the novel examines the impact of Valjean's actions as social commentary. It examines the nature of good, evil, and the law, in a sweeping story that expounds upon the history of France, architecture of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, law, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Hugo was inspired by the real-life criminal/policeman Francois Eugene Vidocq, and split the personalities into the two main characters in his novel. Les Misérables is known to many through its numerous stage and screen adaptations, of which the most famous is the stage musical of the same name, commonly known as "Les Mis" (pronounced /leɪ mɪz/).

"Les Mis" tells the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his attempts to start a new life and make the world a better place. The musical was written by the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and the librettist Alain Boublil, and opened in September 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris for a projected eight-week season — it ran for sixteen weeks, closing only because the venue was already committed to other projects after that point.

In 1982, English producer Cameron Mackintosh began work on an English language version, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The first English production, produced by Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn, opened on October 28, 1985, in the Barbican Theatre, London before moving first to the Palace Theatre and later to the Queen's Theatre. The Broadway production that opened in 1987 was nominated for twelve Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, and ran until 2003; at the time of its closing it was the second-longest running show in the history of Broadway (after Cats) and is now the third longest-running show. A fully re-orchestrated production re-opened on November 9, 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway.

"Les Mis" came first in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals" in June 2005 receiving more than 40% of the votes cast. [1] On 8 October 2006, the show celebrated its 21st anniversary and became London's longest-running musical - overtaking Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. The show - which is presently playing at London's Queen's Theatre - is currently booking to December 2007.