Solomon Cleaver (1855–1939) was a

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

and storyteller best known for his adaptation of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'', published in 1935 as ''

Jean Val Jean ''Jean Val Jean'' is a 1935 novel by Solomon Cleaver. It is a much abbreviated retelling in English of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. According to the publisher's preface, around the turn of the 20th century, Cleaver, a young mini ...

''. Cleaver was a well-known

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14th ...

; and actor

Raymond Massey Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor, known for his commanding, stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Amo ...

is said to have practiced Cleaver's sermons as a child.

Jean Val Jean

According to the publisher's preface, around the turn of the 20th century, Cleaver, a young

from

, read through ''Les Misérables'' and often retold it in his own words. His oral adaptation proved so popular that he was persuaded to write it down and publish it. The resulting novel, titled ''Jean Val Jean'', is less than one-tenth the length of the original novel, and uses much simpler language than the original. It remains popular, especially among young readers who do not have the patience or reading skills for Hugo's five-volume original.

References

1855 births 1939 deaths 20th-century Christian clergy 20th-century Canadian novelists 20th-century Canadian male writers Writers from Winnipeg Canadian male novelists Canadian storytellers Canadian Christian clergy {{Canada-writer-stub