In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including "The Miserables", "The Wretched", "The Miserable Ones", "The Poor Ones", "The Wretched Poor", "The Victims" and "The Dispossessed". Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.