Les misrables Part 1 Fantine Author:Victor Hugo Translated by Isabel F. Hapgood. When the peasant Jean Valjean stole a loaf of bread from a bakery to feed his starving nephew, he was apprehended and imprisoned for nineteen years. Continuing a life of crime because it is the only life society will let him lead, Valjean is saved by a kindly bishop who gives him a large amount of silver with whi... more »ch to find a new life as an honest man. He changes his name and becomes the mayor of a large factory town where he is beloved by the populace. But one day, he is recognized by the police inspector Javert, who knew him during his days on a chain gang in Toulon...« less