4.08k reviews for:

Les Misérables

Victor Hugo

4.16 AVERAGE

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Magnificent
adventurous challenging emotional informative slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

miserable slog. 

Tác phẩm viết cách đây 2 thế kỷ mà vẫn hay. Tuy nhiên nhiều chỗ viết về lịch sử và chính trị Pháp nhiều quá, mình ko có hiểu nên hay skip phần này.
adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
slow-paced

2.5. DNF at page 935 of 1,304. Very disappointed! This started out so promising. I really enjoyed the first 2 sections but once I got to Marius' sections it got verrryyy slow. For a book touted about a revolution, there was more talk about the 1789 revolution and discussion about the philosophy of revolutions than the actual events of the 1830s revolution, which I expected this to be about. It was a lot of talk building up to a revolution that still hadn't happened at page 935!! Honestly, I started skimming once I got to Gavroche's section in Part 4. I couldn't stand the relationship between Cosette and Marius and found the majority of their sections unnecessary. Hugo unfortunately bogs the novel down with superfluous details. My interest waned to the point where I decided to just read a plot synopsis of the ending (sacrilege, I know). (I had seen the Liam Neeson film in 9th grade so vaguely remembered the overall plot and ending). This could have been so much better if Hugo had edited this down. I enjoyed the social commentary a lot in the first 2 sections, but it became repetitive and annoying the further it went. Hugo just stuffed too many themes and events into this one novel. I can say I tried. Life is too short to force yourself to read a dense 1300 page classic.

It's books like this that make me further appreciate Thomas Hardy's ability to not only write beautifully AND comment on society, but that he was also able to get his point across effortlessly in a 1/3 of the size of Hugo's beast and didn't needlessly bloat his stories for profit. (Hardy was also paid by installment)! Choose smartly. Instead of Hugo, choose [a:Thomas Hardy|15905|Thomas Hardy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1429946281p2/15905.jpg].
emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

"So long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless."

This massive book has been sitting on my shelf for nearly five years, and I've been so frightened to attempt it. But in 3 days, I've devoured it. All 5 parts, 48 books, 1064 pages. It's been an honour. (Also, June 6th being an important date in this book and me starting this book on the same date sounds like perfect divine timing)

For a book that's over a thousand pages, I couldn't put this down. I spent hours and hours poring over the pages. Victor Hugo had such a lovely way with writing, that you can't help but feel like you're standing out in the cold night air.

He wrote about humanity in such a way that you feel like you're looking into their hearts. Of love (whether it's romantic or familial), of suffering, of devotion, of surviving. It was beautiful.

And I really liked how Shakespeare influenced a lot in this book. It's like a lovely little cross-over.

The last two pages made my heart squeeze painfully. After a whole journey, I feel like I've lived so many years with these characters. That I've grown with them, through all the sweat and tears, their trials and tribulations. It was such a bittersweet ending.

To see each character influencing and affecting one another, in good and bad ways, chasing like cat and mouse, it was a constant race. This has got to be one of the most important work of classics I've ever read, and despite its size (or rather, because of its size), you need to read this. In all its splendid glory.