One of the great classics of Western literature, Les Miserables is a magisterial work which is rich in both character portrayal and meticulous historical description. Characters such as the absurdly criminalised Valjean, the street urchin Gavroche, the rascal Thenardier, the implacable detective Javert, and the pitiful figure of the prostitute Fantine and her daughter Cosette, have entered the Pantheon of literary dramatis personae. The reader is also treated to the unforgettable descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo, Valjean's flight through the Paris sewers, and the fighting at the barricades during the July Revolution.