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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a tour de force of a novel. I’ll admit to not knowing a whole lot about the revolutionary time of France, aside from some light school history about the time period. But to read a novel where the author, who lived through the height and resolution of these times, gave me more knowledge and insight into this time than imagined there was in this book. Then to weave it together with a hopeful story about the ability to turn from wickedness to righteousness, the preservation of innocence, and all the while acknowledging the systemic shortcomings of society and government to put people into these positions. It’s fascinating and heart breaking that the issues Hugo wrote about hundreds of years ago persist in our post-enlightenment society. Hugo would rail against the state of the world, and demand the world and it’s people be better, as he did in his political days.
Back to the book, the story of Jean Valjean, Javert, Cosette and Marius was inspiring. You feel the changes and growth over the book, and the slide-backs that are natural to any person looking to improve themselves. The characters felt more real than metaphors for their struggle, and you never feel like you are spending too much time with a single view.
Now, there are quite a few sections that just dragged. Unlike most, I didn’t find the sewer digressions too long, but man the whole sections about slang drove me up a wall. And yet, the entire digression about his view on Waterloo and the historical importance of Napoleons defeat was some of the most inspired and beautiful writing in the whole book. You take the good and the bad I suppose.
Overall, I’m so happy I read this book. My trip to France inspired me to read more French history and fiction, and I’m so glad I started here. And I’m baffled who read this and thought “a musical can cover this easily”.
Back to the book, the story of Jean Valjean, Javert, Cosette and Marius was inspiring. You feel the changes and growth over the book, and the slide-backs that are natural to any person looking to improve themselves. The characters felt more real than metaphors for their struggle, and you never feel like you are spending too much time with a single view.
Now, there are quite a few sections that just dragged. Unlike most, I didn’t find the sewer digressions too long, but man the whole sections about slang drove me up a wall. And yet, the entire digression about his view on Waterloo and the historical importance of Napoleons defeat was some of the most inspired and beautiful writing in the whole book. You take the good and the bad I suppose.
Overall, I’m so happy I read this book. My trip to France inspired me to read more French history and fiction, and I’m so glad I started here. And I’m baffled who read this and thought “a musical can cover this easily”.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book!! Jean Valjean is an amazing character, and I think the story is very accurate to life....there are moments of great beauty, joy, and justice interspersed always and forever between tragedy and sadness. Victor Hugo brought many social issues up and was fair in his portrayal of different groups of people.
The first book in almost a decade that I couldn't finish reading. It was simply too BORING. 1,800 pages of partly interesting but partly very insignificant hubbub about this and that. I made it to page 1200-something and finally gave up. It was the most relieving decision for a while as this book has temporarily sucked out my passion for reading.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the book and even though it was really long I enjoyed reading it. But it became a little bit repetitive from the second book (the one abt Cosette)
I've seen as a cartoon, a movie, a series, and now read the book.. and guess what? I still cry every single time. Some stories never lose their magic.
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes