Les Misérables (Signet Classics)
by Victor Hugo

List Price: $7.95
Our Price: $4.40
You Save: $3.55 (45%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.37 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

• ISBN13: 9780451525260
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Book Reviews of Les Misérables (Signet Classics)

Book Review: The word "masterpiece" does not do this book justice
Summary: 5 Stars

Clearly, the book was written in a bygone era: the "Show, don't tell" rule was assuredly not in vogue at the time. Every time a new character is introduced, Hugo gives a mini-biography of them, these sometimes being 20-50 pages long. Ditto for every new scene that is introduced: Hugo spends many pages and many words painting extremely precise, very detailed pictures of the surrounding landscape. Not only do we know where the Bishop lives, we know how many chairs he has in his house, where they are located, and each item of cutlery that goes on his dining table. This is the first such account given in the book; many more follow later. These expository passages are what make the book unique. Several of them, such as the lengthy and famous book on the Battle of Waterloo, have little to do with the basic plot of the book itself, only tying in toward the end. Given the length of these sections, and the sometimes hardly-apparent connection to the rest of the book, they are sometimes laborious to read. With that said, the reader who makes it through them is richly rewarded: it makes the following pages that involve the people and/or locales just described that much more vivid and realistic. While reading through these sections, the reader need not worry: every one of them ties into the story, eventually -- and enriches it, at that -- no matter how loosely they seem to relate to the plot at the time. Also, Hugo periodically stops to make philosophical and ideological points on the matters being described. This is a technique that we rarely see in fiction, and one that may sound like a cumbersome idea that takes away from the story's realism, Hugo makes great use of it. It enlivens and enriches the subjects he is exploring, serving to set the book up on another level. Indeed, this book can hardly be called mere fiction: it encompasses philosophy, sociology, psychology, ethics, and just about everything thing else ever besides, while also managing to be a great drama, an engaging and emotional story, and a suspenseful masterpiece. Indeed, the heart of the book's greatness lies in the contrast between these long expository passages and the dramatic action, which is some of the most suspenseful ever found in literature. It is obvious that subsequent fiction has mined the treasure chest of Les Miserables to the extent that it is not hyperbolic to say that every writer, and every piece of fiction or drama of any kind, that has come since, owes a debt, often a huge one, to this book and to Hugo.

The other important part of this book is, of course, its characters. Hugo, even more than Charles Dickens, painted vibrant, lifelike, realistic characters that live and breathe, love and hate, and change as their surroundings and situations change -- and, indeed, they are full of contradictions and inconsistencies, just like real human beings. Hugo, who draws their portraits at length, draws them so well and so realistically that they almost seem real. It is hard to believe that the drama played out in this did not really happen and that the characters do not really exist; indeed, after the reader is done with the book, he or she has, no doubt, expended an emotional load. With these wonderful and believable characters and the dramatic story, Hugo guides the reader through the entire catalog of human emotions: love, hate, pity, sadness, melancholy, hope -- and everything else besides. Yes, the story is certainly melodramatic, and the reader's credulity is often stretched by its series of coincidences, but the story never fails to be engaging, vibrant, and, above all, absolutely masterful. Hugo tugs at our heartstrings. Tears flowed from my eyes at several different points while I was reading this book, particularly near the end. Few books have hit me with the totality of emotional impact that this masterful work of literature did. Quite simply put, if this book does not move you, you have no soul.

A good knowledge of French history is necessary in order to fully appreciate the book: events from the Revolution of 1789 onward are continually referred to, and the political and social contexts that underlie the dramatic events of the book are essential to understand. It often blurs the line between fiction and non-fiction by vividly describing actual events and then placing the books characters squarely in the middle of them. The book is rich and complex, and the plot twists and twists and becomes endlessly entangled. So many characters are introduced that it is often hard to keep track of them all. To me, it is incredible that a human mind could come up with all of this -- the huge cast of characters, the convoluted plot, the tangle of emotions and themes. Hugo, a major political presence in his day, used this book as a canvas for his criticism of the French social order and prison system. A humanitarian in the noblest sense of the word, he was appalled at the plight of those on society's fringe, and he used this book to shining a light on their condition, and, hopefully, to help them out a little. In so doing, he created a true masterpiece that went above and beyond his intentions. It is a huge, sprawling, epic work that encompasses so many themes and emotions that a thousand-word review can never even hope to do it justice. It is a true testament to the power of the human mind.

Summary of Les Misérables (Signet Classics)

Classics Books

• Books > Subjects > Literature & Fiction
• Literary