The Novel Of The Century - The Extraordinary Adventure Of Les Miserables

Episode

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20170123

20170124 (R4)

David Bellos explores why Les Miserables is 'France's greatest gift'. He reveals its inspirations and its resonance now, while describing Victor Hugo's life as he penned his epic.

There has never been a book like it. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Victor Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own?

Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century.

Reader: Daniel Weyman

Abridged by Eileen Horne

20170124

20170125 (R4)

While narrating Victor Hugo's fall from grace in France, David Bellos begins to decode his epic, exploring the meaning of colours and money in the context of Hugo's time.

Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century.

Reader: Daniel Weyman

Abridged by Eileen Horne

While narrating Hugo's fall from grace in France, Bellos begins to decode Les Miserables.

20170125

20170126 (R4)

Victor Hugo finds himself in exile in the Channel Islands and returns to the manuscript he had begun more than a decade earlier - a novel of the poor, with a working title of Les Mis耀res.

There has never been a book like it. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own?

Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century.

Reader: Daniel Weyman

Abridged by Eileen Horne

In exile in Guernsey, Hugo returns to the manuscript he began more than a decade earlier.

20170126

20170127 (R4)

Still exiled on Guernsey, as the author Victor Hugo tries to reconstruct Paris from memory, distance also complicates the revision and delivery of his final manuscript to Brussels.

Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century.

Reader: Daniel Weyman

Abridged by Eileen Horne

In exile in Guernsey, Victor Hugo tries to reconstruct a Paris he has not seen for years.

05 LAST

20170127

20170128 (R4)

As Victor Hugo finishes the book and it is launched to huge acclaim, David Bellos offers insights into the politics and morality of the novel - as serious and complex as it is perennially popular.

War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Victor Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own?

Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century.

Reader: Daniel Weyman

Abridged by Eileen Horne

Just what makes Les Miserables one of the world's most popular books?

Episodes

Episode	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	20170123	20170124 (R4)	David Bellos explores why Les Miserables is 'France's greatest gift'. He reveals its inspirations and its resonance now, while describing Victor Hugo's life as he penned his epic. There has never been a book like it. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Victor Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own? Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century. Reader: Daniel Weyman Abridged by Eileen Horne
02	20170124	20170125 (R4)	While narrating Victor Hugo's fall from grace in France, David Bellos begins to decode his epic, exploring the meaning of colours and money in the context of Hugo's time. There has never been a book like it. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Victor Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own? Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century. Reader: Daniel Weyman Abridged by Eileen Horne While narrating Hugo's fall from grace in France, Bellos begins to decode Les Miserables.
03	20170125	20170126 (R4)	Victor Hugo finds himself in exile in the Channel Islands and returns to the manuscript he had begun more than a decade earlier - a novel of the poor, with a working title of Les Mis耀res. There has never been a book like it. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own? Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century. Reader: Daniel Weyman Abridged by Eileen Horne In exile in Guernsey, Hugo returns to the manuscript he began more than a decade earlier.
04	20170126	20170127 (R4)	Still exiled on Guernsey, as the author Victor Hugo tries to reconstruct Paris from memory, distance also complicates the revision and delivery of his final manuscript to Brussels. There has never been a book like it. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Victor Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own? Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century. Reader: Daniel Weyman Abridged by Eileen Horne In exile in Guernsey, Victor Hugo tries to reconstruct a Paris he has not seen for years.
05 LAST	20170127	20170128 (R4)	As Victor Hugo finishes the book and it is launched to huge acclaim, David Bellos offers insights into the politics and morality of the novel - as serious and complex as it is perennially popular. War and Peace, Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment were all published in the same decade, yet only Les Mis退rables can stand as the novel of the nineteenth century. How did Victor Hugo's epic work come to be the most widely read and frequently adapted story of all time? And why is its message just as important for our century as it was for his own? Author David Bellos tells the compelling story of The Novel of the Century. Reader: Daniel Weyman Abridged by Eileen Horne Just what makes Les Miserables one of the world's most popular books?