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siglerbooknook's review against another edition
While I was truly enjoying the story of Jean Valjean and Cosette, there is SO much extra detail and explanation about locations, politics, the era, types of people, and characters that are important for all of a chapter that I could keep myself interested. The rabbit trails are too numerous between each small piece of the actual story. I'm glad it was written because the movie is one of my favorites, but this is not one of my favorite classics to read.
mojotbr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
123shreya's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
4.0
It’s a very dense read with many plot details. I really enjoyed it as I enjoy historical fiction, but it may not be meant for someone looking for a casual read.
dinoginger22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
jjjxjy's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
crankylibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. And I thought the musical was a masterpiece.
Like all great literature, Les Miz manages to be both completely of its time and yet eternally relevant. Whether he's describing the tender, yet fraught relationship between parents and children, or the intricacies of a small town economy, Hugo makes the everyday seem transcendent. A sharply observant critique of political, sexual, religious and social hypocrisy (I found myself pondering Hughes' criteria for justifiable revolution during the BLM protests), it is also a profound meditation on what it means to be a truly moral person.
One of the problems with the musical is that redemption comes to Jean Valjean fairly easily: one dinner with the Archbishop and bang! he's a changed man. But that's not how it works in real life and it's not how it works in the novel either. It takes another crime before Valjean begins his moral awakening, a crime that will haunt him far longer than stealing that loaf of bread. Even when he does the right thing, it's painful and difficult: when he decides to reveal his crimes to exonerate another convict, it requires a lengthy, accident and weather plagued carriage journey, giving him ample excuses to give up. But he doesn't. And after rescuing Marius from the barricades, and hours of staggering through the sewers with his daughter's boyfriend on his back, he carefully lays the boy down, cleans his wounds, and "gazed at him in that half-light with an inexpressible hatred". Being good is HARD...and a constant struggle.
Hugo was an ardent advocate of penal reform, yet he was no sentimental naif. His description of the sordid ugliness of poverty, and its degrading effect on human relations is sobering, yet his true contempt is for the casual cruelty of the rich; the scene where a middle class business man and his "well fed" child throw bread to a swan, ("because we should always be kind to animals") as opposed to a pair of starving children is chilling. He was also able to see the humanity beneath the ugliness: Fantine, after shaving her head to provide for Cosette happily sings, "I have clothed my child with my hair", while street rat Eponine spontaneously waters an old man's garden, "distributing life all around her". Even swaggering little Gavroche proves a kind and compassionate guardian to lost children.
There is so much more to say, that has already been said about this extraordinary novel: the history, the critiques of royalism and revolution, the gentle mockery of student idealists, the fascinating characters we barely see in the play: good time guy Grantaire, redeemed by his love for Enjolras; crotchety M. Guillenormand and his prideful tug of war with his rebellious grandson Marius; and the shameless, fiendishly clever Thenardier, a born survivor, able to transform at will into whatever guise will evoke the most sympathy. I'll close with a line which sums up Hugo's attitude towards the blinkered people of his own generation, and of ours:
“They deplored the age they lived in, which saved them the bother of having to understand it”.
Like all great literature, Les Miz manages to be both completely of its time and yet eternally relevant. Whether he's describing the tender, yet fraught relationship between parents and children, or the intricacies of a small town economy, Hugo makes the everyday seem transcendent. A sharply observant critique of political, sexual, religious and social hypocrisy (I found myself pondering Hughes' criteria for justifiable revolution during the BLM protests), it is also a profound meditation on what it means to be a truly moral person.
One of the problems with the musical is that redemption comes to Jean Valjean fairly easily: one dinner with the Archbishop and bang! he's a changed man. But that's not how it works in real life and it's not how it works in the novel either. It takes another crime before Valjean begins his moral awakening, a crime that will haunt him far longer than stealing that loaf of bread. Even when he does the right thing, it's painful and difficult: when he decides to reveal his crimes to exonerate another convict, it requires a lengthy, accident and weather plagued carriage journey, giving him ample excuses to give up. But he doesn't. And after rescuing Marius from the barricades, and hours of staggering through the sewers with his daughter's boyfriend on his back, he carefully lays the boy down, cleans his wounds, and "gazed at him in that half-light with an inexpressible hatred". Being good is HARD...and a constant struggle.
Hugo was an ardent advocate of penal reform, yet he was no sentimental naif. His description of the sordid ugliness of poverty, and its degrading effect on human relations is sobering, yet his true contempt is for the casual cruelty of the rich; the scene where a middle class business man and his "well fed" child throw bread to a swan, ("because we should always be kind to animals") as opposed to a pair of starving children is chilling. He was also able to see the humanity beneath the ugliness: Fantine, after shaving her head to provide for Cosette happily sings, "I have clothed my child with my hair", while street rat Eponine spontaneously waters an old man's garden, "distributing life all around her". Even swaggering little Gavroche proves a kind and compassionate guardian to lost children.
There is so much more to say, that has already been said about this extraordinary novel: the history, the critiques of royalism and revolution, the gentle mockery of student idealists, the fascinating characters we barely see in the play: good time guy Grantaire, redeemed by his love for Enjolras; crotchety M. Guillenormand and his prideful tug of war with his rebellious grandson Marius; and the shameless, fiendishly clever Thenardier, a born survivor, able to transform at will into whatever guise will evoke the most sympathy. I'll close with a line which sums up Hugo's attitude towards the blinkered people of his own generation, and of ours:
“They deplored the age they lived in, which saved them the bother of having to understand it”.
aisleyjane's review against another edition
5.0
I have absolutely no words. This book is an absolute masterpiece. I have never seen a character as inspiring as Jean Valjean. His continuous desire to do what is right and his constant humility had me floored. His relationship with Cosette might be my favorite literary relationship of all time. Safe to say the ending had me bawling my eyes out.
gabbybooks91's review against another edition
5.0
He de admitir que siempre me intimidó este libro y que lo único que sabía de él era a través de las películas, sobre todo la versión de Hugh Jackman.
El leer en un principio acerca de las vivencias de Jean Valjean, sobre todo cuando salió de prisión y sentir en carne propia el rechazo hacia él me dolió y sin embargo tuvo la fortuna de conocer a Monseñor Myrel, un hombre que cambió su vida y que le dio la oportunidad de comenzar nuevamente.
Otro personaje que sin duda me marcó fue la pobre Fantine. Sin duda el ser abandonada con una bebé en brazo y sobre todo sin dar una sola explicación me partió el alma, porque es una realidad que hoy se sigue viendo al rededor del mundo. Pero su amor de madre la hizo hacer lo más difícil del mundo que fue dejar a su pequeña hija al cuidado de un par de personas sin escrúpulos, e incluso dió su vida por conseguir unas monedas para que su niña estuviera bien.
Y qué decir de Gavroche, ese pilluelo me robó el corazón desde el principio; el ser prácticamente abandonado por sus padres y vivir en la completa miseria NO fue inconveniente para que fuera feliz en en el Paris del S.XIX.
Lloré, reí, me enojé y volví a llorar con toda la historia de principio a fin.
El leer en un principio acerca de las vivencias de Jean Valjean, sobre todo cuando salió de prisión y sentir en carne propia el rechazo hacia él me dolió y sin embargo tuvo la fortuna de conocer a Monseñor Myrel, un hombre que cambió su vida y que le dio la oportunidad de comenzar nuevamente.
Otro personaje que sin duda me marcó fue la pobre Fantine. Sin duda el ser abandonada con una bebé en brazo y sobre todo sin dar una sola explicación me partió el alma, porque es una realidad que hoy se sigue viendo al rededor del mundo. Pero su amor de madre la hizo hacer lo más difícil del mundo que fue dejar a su pequeña hija al cuidado de un par de personas sin escrúpulos, e incluso dió su vida por conseguir unas monedas para que su niña estuviera bien.
Y qué decir de Gavroche, ese pilluelo me robó el corazón desde el principio; el ser prácticamente abandonado por sus padres y vivir en la completa miseria NO fue inconveniente para que fuera feliz en en el Paris del S.XIX.
Lloré, reí, me enojé y volví a llorar con toda la historia de principio a fin.