The book by Victor Hugo was transformed into a musical that has taken the world by storm.

Performed around the world in numerous languages, Les Miserables is the heartwrenching story of a man, Jean Valjean, who spends a number of years imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread.  When he is finally paroled, he finds his life outside of prison isn't much better than it was inside of prison.

Through the generousity of a priest, he is given a large amount of silver, which he converts into money and becomes a good honorable man.  Becoming the mayor of a small town, he because a good businessman.  One day, the foreman of one of his factories turns out a young woman who is trying to support the daughter she had out of wedlock.  She turns to prostitution to try and get money, and gets sick.  She runs into Valjean in the street, and begs him to save her daughter, Cosette.  When she dies, Valjean travels to the inn where Cosette is being raised by some shady characters, the Thenardiers. 

They move to Paris, and we flash ahead to Cosette as a young, very protected young woman.  Once day, she catches the attention of young Marius, a revolutionary thinker who hangs out with a group of young men who want to change the lives of Frenchmen.  They start a riot, barracading themselves in the street.  The French Army fights back, killing almost everyone.  Valjean manages to infiltrate the barracade where Marius is, and rescues him. 

Throughout the story Valjean is stalked by Javert, a police inspector who had worked at the prison where he was kept for so long, and Javert and Valjean square off numerous times during the story.

In the end, Javert kills himself, Valjean dies of old age, Marius and Cosette marry and live happily ever after.

That's the VERY short version - the musical had to cut a lot of the book out to get a show that didn't take 24 hours to tell the story.  Even the condensed version is amazingly powerful, and should be enjoyed by everyone.