A long time ago, a man wrote a story. It was about life, and how miserable it can be. He wrote about a man, a convict who didn't deserve what he got. He wrote about how this man turned himself around, and the woman he helped. He wrote about the beauty of the woman's child who grew into a woman herself, and fell in love. He wrote about the boy whom this woman came to love, and the friends he had. He wrote about those friends, and the battle they fought. He wrote about the evil ones, the ones who thought only of themselves. He wrote about the girl caught in the middle of thieves and love. And lastly, he wrote about the man who saw all of this in hatred. He wrote about the man who upheld the law, and did so until his death.
Who would have ever thought a story like this could come true, more than a century later? The times have not changed, we still fight for what we believe in. We still love what can't be ours. We still look down on those lower than us. And we still can become good in the end.
It is present day, a little outside New York City. It is a in a prison where our stories begin, where thieves, murderers, gang members, drug dealers, and honest men caught in the act are mixed. It is where we begin the story of John.
John Valjean.