Les misérables. Translated from the French by Isabel F. Hapgood. Part 1. Fantine

Equally renowned as a poet, playwright, and novelist, Victor Hugo nearly lost the manuscript of his most famous work, Les Miserables, during a stormy ocean crossing. (Portions of that novel are based on Hugo's own experiences as a poor student in Paris.) Remembered fondly for his creation of such memorable characters as Jean Valjean and Quasimodo, Hugo also wrote the play Le Roi s'amuse - which was later adapted into the opera Rigoletto.