Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

4 reviews

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.

alaskan_bull_worm's review

emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

A long book in which bad things happen to good people.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Child death, Death, Confinement, Excrement, and Sexual content

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

linnylionheart's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Abandonment, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexism, Slavery, Death, Gun violence, and Child death

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Animal death, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Racial slurs