Jean Val Jean is a 1935 novel by Solomon Cleaver. It is an English-language retelling of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.
Around the turn of the 20th century, Cleaver, then a young minister from Winnipeg, read through Les Misérables and would often retell it in his own words. His adaptation proved so popular that he was persuaded to write it down and publish it. The resulting novel, titled Jean Val Jean, is much shorter (about 100 pages) and uses much simpler language than Hugo's version. It remains popular, especially among young readers who do not have the patience or reading skills required to tackle Hugo's five-volume original.
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