Short Synopsis
The definitive biography of the world's most popular novel.

Full Synopsis
Putting a century of scholarship on one of the world's most enduring popular novels into accessible, narrative form, this new approach to a classic of world literature is written for a wide general readership. Packed full of information about the book's origins and later career on stage and screen, The Novel of the Century brings to life the extraordinary story of how Victor Hugo managed to write his novel of the downtrodden despite a revolution, a coup d'état, and political exile; how he pulled off the deal of the century to get it published; and how he set it on course to become the novel that epitomizes the grand sweep of history in the nineteenth century. This biography of a masterpiece also shows how and why the moral and social messages of Les Misérables are full of meaning for our time.

"Impeccably researched and pithily written." ---New York Times

"The astonishing story of a story." ---Booklist Starred Review

"Accessible--even breezy--but well researched and informative, The Novel of the Century is a treat for fans of Hugo's masterwork." ---Shelf Awareness

"Anyone who loves Hugo, France, and the French language will revel in this delightful book that explains all the intimacies of 19th-century French life." ---Kirkus Starred Review

"As Bellos, a translator of French literature, proves here, the story of how Victor Hugo’s classic novel came to life is a challenging, complex, and utterly engrossing epic all its own." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Booklist Review

Kirkus Review

Publishers Weekly Review