The author must have showed up late to the movie. At the beginning of the movie, Jean Valjean, the guy this author is talking about, got his fresh start in the world by stealing the Bishop's silverware. In the novel, Valjean went on to steal money from a small boy.
“The author must have showed up late to the movie.”
And you must have read only the excerpt, skipping the rest of the article. So I guess you are even.