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dustyshell 's review for:
Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I really want a gold star, participation trophy, or at least a Starbucks gift card for finishing this! Feels like a massive feat!
I have loved the play & movie for years, but had never taken the time to read the book that began it all. 2024 was the year! I have to say, for a 1000+ page book/60+ hour audio, I expected to find more drudgery than was present. However, I still could have lived without a great deal of the elongated descriptors of Waterloo, sewers, street urchins, slang, and more.
As I've worked through reading several classics over the last few years, I've learned that I can handle depth, but I still want the meat of the story at the frontlines most of the time to stay engaged. The historical context sections, while necessary for full effect, could certainly have been abbreviated.
But-the story---I love this overarching view on humanity and how at the heart of us all is the capacity for truth and dishonesty, good and evil. Circumstances often teeter us on the precipice of both sides and small choices can make us plummet over the edge either way.
Overall, I'm glad I finally took the dive into this tome.
I have loved the play & movie for years, but had never taken the time to read the book that began it all. 2024 was the year! I have to say, for a 1000+ page book/60+ hour audio, I expected to find more drudgery than was present. However, I still could have lived without a great deal of the elongated descriptors of Waterloo, sewers, street urchins, slang, and more.
As I've worked through reading several classics over the last few years, I've learned that I can handle depth, but I still want the meat of the story at the frontlines most of the time to stay engaged. The historical context sections, while necessary for full effect, could certainly have been abbreviated.
But-the story---I love this overarching view on humanity and how at the heart of us all is the capacity for truth and dishonesty, good and evil. Circumstances often teeter us on the precipice of both sides and small choices can make us plummet over the edge either way.
Overall, I'm glad I finally took the dive into this tome.