Les Misérables (Signet Classics) by Victor Hugo
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Book Reviews of Les Misérables (Signet Classics)
Book Review: Unabridged and Magnificent
Summary: 5 Stars
LEs MISERABLES came out in 1862 and was received well by the public, but not kindly by many influential critics. Hugo's fame in France still rests mainly as a poet, although in England and America he is better known for his 2 novels. LES MISERABLES starts with a quote that ends "..so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, there should be a need for books such as this". LES MISERABLES is a wakeup call to the conscience of society, and a call to action by those who have the power to effect change.
Anyone who intends to read an abridged version of LES MISERABLES should save their money, and their time, and just see the theatrical production or one of the filmed versions. If you insist on doing it, you will be doing Victor Hugo a grave disservice. I understand that the complete version is almost 1500 pages long, and that the central story , with such marvelous characters, and high morals, can stand on it's own. Many have a problem with the digressions, and fault Hugo for creating a monstrosity where a streamlined narrative would have sufficed. But Hugo intended this work to be more than a simple moral tale, and Valjean, Javert, Cosette, and Marius are part of a much greater plot, and occupy a much larger canvas. The story doesn't require a detailed retelling of Waterloo, and post Napoleonic French history, or a history of French convents and the Paris sewers, or an explanation of argot (underworld street lingo), and Paris class structure, but the intimate knowledge of these things help us understand why characters are the way they are, and act the way they do, and force us to confront the reality behind the fiction, giving it the quality of an epic, a legend, even a myth, but a myth peopled with real flesh and blood characters, not cartoons or stick figures. Even the secondary characters, like Fantine, Thenardier, Gavroche, Eponine, Enjolras, and the student rebels, have their stories fleshed out instead of curtailed or eliminated. Each can be main subjects of their own novels. It is such a rich tapestry.
This is the version to read. The complete LES MISERABLES is one of the most powerful novels ever written. Tears came to my eyes at it's conclusion, and I was quite literally overwhelmed by Hugo's masterwork.
Book Review: Les Miserables
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the perfect book for a calm summer morning, rocking on the wrap around porch of an old Southern style Victorian house deep in the heart of Kentucky. The book could be compared to a tootsie-pop. It takes approximately 1, 192 licks to get to the chocolately, chewy center. Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo begins slowly, but if you can endure it, you can slowly "lick" your way to the exciting center of the book.
Victor Hugo connects easily with the reader by telling them directly why events occur and what their significances are in the story. He has uniquely accomplished including history in this old tale by putting real historical events into the book and including his own fictional characters into the events so that the reader can relate. It is somewhat of a hard read, like the tough candy outer shell of the lolli-pop, because Hugo describes everything down to the smallest detail and the least emotion. At times, the reading becomes confusing due to the old French style writing combined with the French language.
The story describes the mysterious life of an escaped convict who encounters many troubles along the way to finding his place in the world and trying to accomplish his destiny. His only real goal in life is to live peacefully and be left alone to do what he pleases with the people he cares for. If you are looking for a book of mystery, suspense, trickery, deceit, un-dying love, a dash of success, and a pinch poverty, this is the book for you. This is not a book that you can just "bite into." The reader must take their precious time to "lick" their way to the end. You will not be able to set the book down until you finally devour the chewy center of the saga of the very misunderstood Jean Valjean.
Jean starts life off as a poor child born to an unfortunate family in old time Europe. Most of his kin dies off and he is left to care for his sister and all of her starving children. One night, desperately trying to feed the kids, he is caught steeling bread from a local bakery. He spends most of his life in jail but manages to escape several times. Upon starting a new life he is able to redeem himself but his past always lingers behind to haunt him.
Book Review: A classic novel, a modern masterpiece.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've seen the musical. I'd watch it every day of my life if I could. ( Well, maybe every day for a year. ) Then I must own the soundtrack, right? Wrong: I own every soundtrack. I have the Broadway version, the London version, the 10th Anniversary version, the complete and unabridged, empty-your-pocketbook version, and even the "Highlights From...." I have the poster acquired at Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theater hanging, dry-mounted and framed in glass, this last untinted so it shines forth proudly on an otherwise stark white wall. ( That is, except for the tickets, third row center, orchestra level, laminated and mounted alongside. ) My God, I even have the bag they gave me in which to tote that poster home and the program I was handed as I entered the theater for the performance that is etched in my mind like "2 + 2 = 4" and "Every Good Boy Does Fine." But, of all the silly memoirs I hold dear, none is closer to my heart than the one that started it all: my torn, trampled, water-stained from long excursions in a Calgon-treated bathtub, rubber-banded, paperback copy of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables." I began this book my freshman year of college and continued it over a 3500 hundred mile trek from New York City to Washington State. I think it took me two weeks to reach my destination thanks to that book; I had to pull to the side of the road each afternoon for hours while I recuperated from a sleepless night spent turning magic pages in my hotel room. My advice: don't read the abridged copy. Read the rich narrative about the man whose heart changed the life of protaganist, Jean ValJean; immerse yourself in Napolean Bonaparte's grueling battle at Waterloo; feel the author's horror when describing the underground septic tunnels of Paris and the world that had grown up within them. These aren't expendible chapters woven around the story; rather, they are an integral part of the novel, immersing the reader in the world of ValJean and, by extension, of Victor Hugo himself. Read the entire, glorious novel. Maybe then I won't seem like such a nut case to you. ( Well, that's a little much to expect, but you will love the experience, anyway.Book Review: A giant in every sense
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great classic novel that have got what it takes to becomes a great piece of universal literature
In Les Miserables it is possible to find merged various aspects related to France at the turn of the 19th century, on one hand the political events related to the internal strife between Napoleonic and forces loyal to the Monarchy and on the other the social economic situation of the French society at that time.
The story was divided into 5 great sections, that can be read together in one unabridged book or separated, as all of them are linked by the main character, Jean Valjean, the former starving poor convict, turned into an affluent righteous man, who happens to adopt and raise a ravenous little girl, Cosette (the destitute), who had been given up for adoption by her dirt-poor mother to a ruthless, devious couple
Even though very long, almost 1500 pages (I am referring to the unabriged version), the story runs smoothly, without bumps, and puts its focus in two historical events, one, the battle of Waterloo and the other the barricades, erected in Paris during the uprising generated in the French revolution, in these two events too many unnecessary details are uncovered, and I just have found this a little boring. Fortunately this is less than 10 % percent of the unabridged version.
To make up for that, the author, has deftly developed an array of very colorful characters of different social classes who represent the society of France of that time.
The end does not disappoint, however, the novel was not planned to makee the reader craving for the resolution of the ending but for making him delve on the events, and situations, in order to find the scattered rich gems of wisdom, the author, dropped in most of the chapters and to learn a bit about the French History
Victor Hugo, showed that he despised the explotaition of the destitute and the poor masses by the rich and also that exercised a powerful ethical thinking coupled with a deep religious conviction.
Book Review: Amazing Read - More than a book
Summary: 5 Stars
There is an excellent reason why Les Miserables has been rated as one of the best books to be ever written and the writer deserves every bit of credit he has received.
Les Miserables is more than a read; it's a life experience. It gives the reader the pleasure of digging deep into what life can and does offer to people living in different conditions, though it tends to focus on those who face abject poverty. There are so many complicated thoughts expressed in the book, it'll be difficult for you to perceive the material for a train of philosophical thoughts. Philosophy has debate written all over it, meaning that 'you're never wrong as long as you argue correctly'; 'there are two sides to every coin'. But, after reading this book, you'll be surged with ideas that will be incontestable to the very last page.
Victor Hugo has an intimate understanding of human nature and his writing reflects that in the best way possible. You'll be amazed as to why you kept yourself from reading this book before. A note to those who like their read to be precise :: you know the saying "patience is virtue"...this is where it'll be worth working on that phrase. I am not sure how the abridged format of this book fares, but one thing is for sure and it's that the unabridged version will definitely not disappoint you. At the end of the read, I found myself comprehending this "If people like Jean Valjean exist, I hope I will be fortunate enough to realize when I meet such a person"....I believe that good thoughts/ideas usually are inspired by events from the past, so I'm sure there is some basis to where this story comes from. I have thoroughly enjoyed the authors style of writing and will highly recommend this book to a novice as well as a regular reader. Every great book leaves it's reader with a joy of learning something valuable and Les Miserables hits the mark splendidly. So, get hold of your copy soon and experience the great feeling which people all over the world share on this book. Enjoy!