ates ▁upon ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁France , ▁the ▁architecture ▁and ▁urban ▁design ▁of ▁Paris , ▁politics , ▁moral ▁philosophy , ▁ant imon arch ism , ▁justice , ▁religion , ▁and ▁the ▁types ▁and ▁nature ▁of ▁rom antic ▁and ▁famil ial ▁love . ▁Les ▁M isé rab les ▁has ▁been ▁popular ized ▁through ▁numerous ▁adapt ations ▁for ▁film , ▁television ▁and ▁the ▁stage , ▁including ▁a ▁musical . ▁ ▁Nov el ▁form ▁ ▁U pton ▁S inc la ir ▁described ▁the ▁novel ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁half - do zen ▁greatest ▁nov els ▁of ▁the ▁world ", ▁and ▁remarked ▁that ▁Hugo ▁set ▁forth ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁Les ▁M isé rab les ▁in ▁the ▁Pref ace : ▁▁ ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁Hugo ▁explains ▁the ▁work ' s ▁over arch ing ▁structure : ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁contains ▁various ▁sub plots , ▁but ▁the ▁main ▁thread ▁is ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁ex - conv ict ▁Jean ▁Val je an , ▁who ▁becomes ▁a ▁force ▁for ▁good ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁but ▁cannot ▁escape ▁his ▁criminal ▁past . ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁five ▁volumes , ▁each ▁volume ▁divided ▁into ▁several ▁books , ▁and ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁chap ters , ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 4 8 ▁books ▁and ▁ 3 6 5 ▁chap ters . ▁Each ▁chapter ▁is ▁relatively ▁short , ▁commonly ▁no ▁longer ▁than ▁a ▁few ▁pages . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁longest ▁ever ▁written , ▁with ▁ 6 5 5 , 4 7 8