Les Miserables: Genre 1 key example

Given that the novel was published in 1862 but focuses on the political tumult in France between 1815 and 1832, it can also be considered historical fiction. Though the characters and their backgrounds are fictional, they live in a French society inspired by Hugo's own sentiments and experiences during the time. Though Hugo wrote the novel in the second half of the 19th century, it is clear by his comments on French society and his sympathy for the working class that he strongly disapproved of the way things were. 

The novel was also written in the style of French Romanticism, a literary period inspired by the fervor of the French Revolution, which focused on drama and heroism. Hugo's writing predated the more realistic tales of Balzac and Zola, which depicted the world without exaggeration, focusing on ordinary people and mundane lives. In contrast to stories of Realism, Les Misérables bursts with intrigue and emotion, demonstrating the passion of artists, writers, and insurrectionists alike in 19th-century France.