Reviews tagging 'War'

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

11 reviews

iammmartina_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Death, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, War, and Police brutality

Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Blood, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Gun violence

amy14's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, War, and Death

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I know this is an international and intergenerational classic, but I can't give 5 stars to Les Misérables. Not after those nineteen Waterloo chapters. I understand the position Hugo was put in politically (that was the useful aspect of the introduction, though I was not terribly impressed with its literary analysis), but holy hell were those chapters a slog. The worst slog of the book, I dare say. Talk to me about convents and sewers any day over Waterloo.

Other than that mind-numbling digression (and a couple others like it), I deeply enjoyed this book. The five narrators of this particular version are all very talented. The story itself is much funnier than any adaptations convey it. Les Amis de l'ABC are iconic, I have the tenderest sympathies for their plight. (Combeferre's 'to be free' mic-drop is incredible.) Marius and Cosette are endearing idiots. Jean Valjean and Javert have a surprising amount of tension. What kind of tension, I could probably write a whole book of essays on. It's well-worth the read. Oh, I also feel like I absorbed a lot about 19th century French politics. Which is information I didn't necessarily need, but it helped my reread of Ellie Valsin's Virago. Over all, I would say that it's worth the insane amount of time required to read it. And this Penguin audiobook version is especially good to listen to while you work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, War, Violence, Classism, Child death, Child abuse, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Grief, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Abandonment, Racism, Xenophobia, Murder, Police brutality, and Fatphobia

Minor: Excrement, Sexual violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Cursing, and Antisemitism

Some of these content warnings are more of a side-effect of the time period the book was written rather than a deliberate choice to engage with these topics by the author, if that makes sense. Particularly for the more minor ones.

sperdutaneilibri's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, War, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, and Abandonment

Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

neviris's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

the shadow side of society in the days of the French Revolution in all of it's varieties. amazing book and writing style. historical chapters were rather boring. however, this book lead me to one of the rare occasions where I questioned my own lifestyle and habits and led me to be grateful for the way I am able to live my life. it changed me for the better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, War, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Grief, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, Child death, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide, Bullying, Stalking, Misogyny, and Excrement

theskyisthelimit's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is incredibly long, but it is so worth it! The emotions I felt are indescribable, and Victor Hugo really does a phenomenal job of creating suspense and interest (he seems to have a fondness for dramatic irony).  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide

Minor: Body shaming

shelbydm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, and War

Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content

bubblegum_or_books's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, War, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Grief and Blood

Minor: Abandonment, Violence, and Pregnancy

nicholas_ryan's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a very well written book, but it is dated. It relies on heavy gender stereotypes. The descriptions are incredible, but he goes on diatribes about various topics only loosely related to the plot. This is beneficial to some point that he gives sufficient context for a book that engages with history and politics, but too much time is spent on it. The plot is emotionally moving. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Violence, War, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent

thesaltiestlibrarian's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, War, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Violence, Suicide, and Medical content

Minor: Trafficking