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highly recommended |
Perhaps the greatest of all classical journey novels. 
Take a character, study it to the most minute details, build an entire plot around him and send him on a journey to redefine himself. A very popular theme for 19th century french novels, and the theme for Hugo's masterpiece.
Hugo's takes Valjean to a journey toward his ultimate redemption through an amazing panorama of early 19th century frace. You can feel Valjean's character evolves and develop as the plot advance. Every character is importent, every subplot is critical. Hugo's book have no flat supporting actors. The characters are deeply detailed, and the reader is brought to tears as Eponine dies in the hands of Marius not because of cheap sentimental tricks, but because he came to know her character so well.
The historical research is top-notch, the chapter detailing the Waterloo battle (dropped in most abridged versions) brings back to life Napoleon's cavaliers as they charged across the plains. Hugo gives the reader a full report on the Paris sewege system, hence he sends his characters down there. Another chapter dropped in many abridged version is the opennig one, do yourself a favor and avoid skipping it. You will understand the importance of that chapter toward the last pages.
This novel is a must have in every library, the translation is fluent and easily read, and every single page is geting you closer to the amazing catharsis at the end. And even though the popular musical (which I had the chance to watch live on stage) is great, it is but a pale shadow of the original.
One of the best books ever written
This is a powerful and moving story. It has been called the greatest story ever written that does not appear in holy scripture. Even if you've seen the movies and the musical, you should read the unabridged version of this book. It contains so much more depth and power than the muscial does. Hugo's masterpiece shows Valjean's struggle to continue to do right and how Valjean is given opportunity after opportunity to change back into the wretched man that he was and how Valjean stays true to what the Bishop of Digne wanted him to do. Don't be afraid of the length of this book. It does take a long time to read, and you may have to take breaks, but this is one of the few books I've ever read that is worth reading again. Reading Hugo's "Les Miserables" will enrich your life and make it better simply by reading it.
One Of The Greatest Books Ever Written-The COMPLETE Novel.
Victor Hugo's classic "Les Miserables" is finally available in its original form as it appeared in 1862. The story is so familiar that I'll only give you a brief summary: Jean Valjean, an ex-convict tries to redeem himself while being hunted by the relentless bloodhound of a lawman, Inspector Javert. As he struggles to free himself from his dark past, Hugo throws us head on into the violent underworld of Paris, seething with the fire of imminent revolution. This novel is very good. It's intense, dramatic and romantic all in one. The story is vast in scope, taking us through the nefarious underworld that is Paris. The novel has a little more than 1,000 pages, which would probably make anyone who detests reading (as I did until I was five) throw the book down and look for something else to read. I have the abridged edition, so I'll review it here as well. That version keeps over 95% of the story intact, only cutting out the very long sections (the history of a Catholic monastery, the author's "eyewitness" account of the battle of Waterloo, which marked the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's reign as Emperor of France, the historical significance of the uprising of 1832, a linguistic examination of the secret languages of thieves and the darkest part of the sewers in which Jean Valjean-I won't spoil it; read it for yourself). Anyway, that edition cut out only those sections (there's a "Note On The Abridgement" in the book before the start of the novel, so correct me if I'm wrong), which is very good, for those who despise reading long books and just like the main idea of the story (Sir Laurence Olivier's classic 1948 film version of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is a perfect example of movies adapted from plays that have been shortened to a considerable length of 2/1/2 hours or so, that is, if you're searching for a short version of a play or book; that would be the one I would absolutely recommend). Some entire chapters and opening sections of chapters (which have brief summaries) have been cut, so as to make the novel more readable without having to read all of Victor Hugo's subplots and side remarks (the majority of which are intact). The list of books that have been cut are enclosed in brackets in pages 5-6. Aside from the original theatrical trailer (the preface), the additional material was supplied by Laurence Porter (the translator and editor) and Fine Creative Media, Inc. Read the unabridged translation first, then read the abridged one and decide which you like best. For me, both were very good, but I prefer the edition which has been slimmed down a little bit. Rated PG-13 for intense thematic elements, brief scenes of domestic conflict/abuse and some war violence.
The Most Moving Novel That I Have Ever Read!
I will never forget the first time that I read this incredible book. It was 5 in the morning, and I needed to be in bed. Instead, I was sobbing, holding Les Miserables to my chest. I am a great lover of classic literature. Dickens, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky. But no novel has EVER reduced me to such a sobbing mess as Les Mis. I remember refusing to read another book for months. I couldn't. I needed to savor Les Mis.
Trust me...read it!
A Romantic Masterpiece on Two Levels
Victor Hugo was one of Ayn Rand's favorite writers because the foundation of his work is the purposeful expression of ideals. The plot might be implausable, filled with incredible coincidences, and the characters a bit cartoonish, but this is Hugo's way of distilling to the essence a conflict of good (Valjean), evil (Thernadier) and thoughtless conformity (Javert). Hugo's anti-royalist, pro-revolutionary political ideals are masterfully woven in as well.
The book is also very romantic in the superficial, sensual way, an evocative portrayal of a time and place: France -- especially Paris, in the first half of the nineteenth century. I often found myself balancing a map of Paris in one hand and this thick volume in the other, sleuthing with only partial success for particular streets and landmarks more than 150 years after the fact. The famous description of the Paris sewer system is fascinating but a much smaller part of the story than I expected. The vivid narrative of the Battle of Waterloo is one of many lengthy digressions responsible for the abridgement. To cut corners like this is a shame, symbolic of the chasm between Hugo's time and ours. Works like this were meant to unfold slowly and be savored. More discipline is required today, but reader who employs it will be rewarded with the most complete sense of the place and purpose of this novel in its time.
reviews: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, page 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
les miserables, miserables
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