Paris court OKs 'Les Miserables' sequels

PARIS, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The Paris High Court says two books deemed sequels to the novel "Les Miserables" don't threaten the French classic's integrity.

The French appellate judges found that "Cosette and the Time of Illusions" and "Marius or The Fugitive" by novelist Francois Ceresa were not insulting to Victor Hugo's literary classic as alleged by the writer's surviving family, the BBC reported Saturday.

"Francois Ceresa, who does not pretend to have Victor Hugo's talent, is free to pursue his own personal expression, which does not necessarily act on all the levels that Victor Hugo was able to access," the judges said in Friday's ruling.

"We can't criticize the author of this sequel ... not to have respected the learned construction of the primary work, which functions on many levels through philosophical and historical asides."

The BBC said key among the complaints filed by Hugo's family was Ceresa's decision to resurrect police Inspector Javert, a character who drowned in Hugo's novel.