This tells the main story of Jean val Jean, imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread, and Fantine, the single mother of Cosette, almost forced into prostitution in her desperate struggle to support her child. While its main theme is poverty and poverty's effects, it is also a profoundly spiritual novel. With his many characters, Hugo is able to show many different sub-plots, as well as minor themes in this, his Great Work which showcases his major message to humanity: Love. Compassion. Forgiveness. Hugo is shining a light in the darkness.

It all begins with the benevolence of a good Bishop who ignites the spark of goodness into Jean val Jean's tortured soul.

The backdrop to the main stories is French history--the French Revolution, the Battle for Waterloo and how the characters are effected by their government, their religion, the prevalence of crime, the monetary system, the banks, avoiding debt. Fantine is a good example of how debt can grow, and become a monster in your life, as well as how one innocent love affair caused an out of wedlock pregnancy which destroyed her life. For the time, Hugo shows great sympathy towards this character who is shunned by society and gives an example of how you could see her innocence.

Hugo is a master of plot and the right balance of conflict, and although lengthy, the story moves well. The major characters (particularly Marius, Jean, Javert) show not just outer conflict, but also inner conflict. They each wrestle with their consciences. Hugo is pointing the way to spiritual development (not merely religious instruction).

The massive structure of this book can seem daunting, but it all flows together seamlessly with no weak plot points or loose ends and only a few technical errors ( in the timeline.) With an extra touch of flair, it has been discovered by one of Hugo's biographers that he didn't number them but there are exactly 365 chapters, allowing the reader to easily read one chapter a day (which would be hard to do because Hugo's writing flows so well.)

This is a beloved book of mine and will always have a place in my heart. Hugo artfully weaves within its vast tapestry details, embellishments into even the most minor characters, which lets you take away something new each reading. Every sentence is filled with his greatness. Hugo is as much a genius as Shakespeare. ( )

This tome was always too daunting for me to read, so instead I listened to it as an audiobook, as I could then move around and not have to sit so long. But first, I saw the movie (the 1998 version) which was excellent and helped me visualize the characters. The audiobook was quite interesting, though I gave it only 4 stars as it tended to drag at times, and it also introduced new characters rather late in the story, which were hard to follow. Regardless, the book is very worthwhile and highly recommended -- a story not to be missed! ( )

Tells the story of the peasant Jean Valjean - unjustly imprisoned, baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the police detective Javert. As Valjean struggles to redeem his past, we are thrust into the teeming underworld of Paris with all its poverty, ignorance, and suffering. Just as cruel tyranny threatens to extinguish the last vestiges of hope, rebellion sweeps over the land like wildfire, igniting a vast struggle for the democratic ideal in France.

Does Les Mis really deserve 5 stars after all the overly-long, inexcusably nationalistic info-dumping historical sections? NOPE! Am I still going to give it 5 stars anyway because reading this book was one of the most beautiful and cathartic experiences of my life? HECK YES ( )

This is a mix of fiction and nonfiction. In its fiction mode, there are many moments that make this 1000+ page worth reading; some are very sad, whilst others made me smile. Gavroche’s spirit is wonderful (for one so young he’s been through so much and yet is so free and so brave) but it’s Jean Valjean and Fantine that make the story. And though I didn’t like the ending, it was the right ending, as a whole this has left quite an impression on me. ( )

Umm, so...as with War and Peace, how the heck do you review a novel that is part of the fabric of Western society; a book that has been around so long and was written by an author so esteemed as to have a reputation that proceeds the reading? Yeah, I don't know either.

I will say that I assigned a one-star deduction (no, I am not the Russian judge, though I am definitely partial to Russian literature, but I digress) for two reasons: a) some of the commentary, while relevant to the plot, meandered longer than was interesting - in most cases - for my liking. This surprised me. I like reading history and observations of society, plus I am generally a curious cat. Somehow, Hugo wasn't holding my attention in a lot of the passages that were away from the main action of the story. Reason b) all of the coincidences used to advance the plot were hard to swallow. I will say that when I come across coincidences while I am reading fiction, it bugs the crap out of me. I mean really, really annoys me. Hugo, in using this device, managed to not wholly annoy me.

So, The main story was kick-ass and in these sections I was hard pressed to put the book down. Unlike Tolstoy, in War and Peace, I was not so riveted during the other chapters of the story. Sigh. Since Hugo is awesome - apparently that is what is says on his headstone: "Awesome" - I will take the blame for having some fault during the reading of Les Misérables. I'm still not gonna give back that deducted start, though, Hugo! ( )

I read les misérables when I was fifteen and I adored it and have maintained ever since that it is one of my favourite books - but does that mean anything anymore? I actually remember a lot about it, I even remember entire passages, a couple of the ones about religion; and I remember how I felt when I was reading it. but there must be an renewal date on an opinion about a book - how long can I go on assuming that what I thought when I was a teenager still holds true? I’m not saying this out of disrespect towards my fifteen-year-old self, I think she was discerning and had good taste and was probably smarter than me: it’s more about years passing. I know that when I am thirty I will still want to say that les misérables is one of my favourite books, but what will that mean, fifteen years after reading it? I don’t know when or even if I will read it again - it is so long and there are so many other books to read, but I know I would get more from it than from five other random novels. this isn’t really a review, I’m just preoccupied with the relentless passage of time. fwiw, still one of my favourites. ( )

Book 17
Les Miserables.
Victor Hugo.
I read this book when I was 23 and declared it one of the top 3 books I have ever read right up to now. I started it again on the Thailand trip on 2/1/18 and that's why we really recently rewatched the film.
I enjoy the story but struggled more I think with his long winded distractions. I remember going on at 23 about the 50 page Paris sewer description but I found many more times I was frustrated to get back to the main characters and what I called "the story". Yes, I am impatient, but with age I am less able to cope with distraction in general.
9/10
2/100 books that changed the world.
Nick Wannan here it is book 17 ( )

I decided it was high time to read this reknowned and beloved classic finally. My expectations were high. But it turned out this was a hard back for me to get through. I stuck with it and finally completed it, but only through a stubborn persistence. It dragged on, and on, and on until I felt that it would never end. There are many places throughout the book where the author digresses in what I would term rambling. These soliliquoys were the author's opinion on sundry subjects from recounting battles to many social issues of the time and even including lengthy discourses on the city of Paris' sewer system leading up to a section of the story that transpires there. Victor Hugo certainly had vociferous opinions, but I tended to disagree with his analyses on many occasions, particularly having to do with social issues. In fact this tendency to have multiple chapters of these ramblings seemed to divide the book into two separate tomes. Or perhaps it should have been divided up thusly. Each time it would take off on one of these diversions, it took away from the story for me.

Of course, throughout the book, we do pick up the famous, beloved story of Fontine, Cosette and Jean Valjean; which is naturally why I was reading this book. And though it was like pulling teeth, eventually, and bit by excruciating bit, it came out piece by piece. In the ending chapters particularly the story became way too melodramatic for my liking. Only after I finally finished the book, could I appreciate the greatness of this classic and finally embrace and fully sympathize with the main characters. I always believe so much is lost in translation when reading a book outside of its original language. So many nuances and little plays on words have to be lost, just by virtue of the differences in languages. So I realize that likely had a big effect on my impression of this novel. ( )

This book had been on my unread shelf for a really long time -- a decade! Out of curiosity and need for encouragement, I created a GoodReads poll asking which unread book (I named seven) should I read next, in 2024. Les Misérables received the most, with 1/3 of the votes.

Staying true to the results, I began reading Les Misérables on January 1, and also discovered and joined a Les Miz read-along via Instagram. Unfortunately, I did not utilize the read-along, and quickly my expedition became a read-alone. And unlike the group, I was reading an abridged version. Given the size of the abridged, I was not about to exchange it for the unabridged.

Before starting, I had limited knowledge of the plot and characters, which I had obtained over the years through various children's versions, musical theater, and the 25th Anniversary concert at the O2 Arena in London (which is awesome). Naturally, reading the abridged novel filled in missing information, connected relationships, and introduced me to countless new characters.

Usually, with a tome like this, I prefer to write about my reading experience, rather than give a long review since readers have either already read it and know everything there is to know, or readers have not read it and do not want to be exposed to spoilers. This post is about how I did not fan over Les Misérables, yet, why I gave it four stars anyway.

Firstly, I rated it four stars because I did value some of the background features about characters, history, and places, which demonstrated depth and thoroughness to detail. Obviously, this was an important work to Hugo, and he took great care to write this novel.

Secondly, Hugo touched on all the major emotional themes of humanity: injustice, poverty, misery, compassion, sacrifice, selflessness, grace, redemption, forgiveness, love, hope, mercy, empathy, and morality. Engaged readers may find themselves cheering for particular characters and burning with retribution for others.

And thirdly, a major part of Les Misérables displayed the good side of humankind, that which warms hearts and produces hope. Maybe it even inspires readers to do what is good and right.

But now about why I did not fan over this novel.

For one, I was not overall moved while reading this. I read through it, not lived through it. While I recognized the scope, weight, and worth of the novel, as explained above, personally, it was more of a three-star experience.

As I have explained, it was excessively drawn out in places, and while I have not complained about long and drawn out works in the past, lately I no longer have a desire to peruse a long book. Does anyone else feel this way too? I say lately because this is new with me, in these last few years. When I look at the remaining tomes on my unread shelf, I know I am avoiding them, partly because I am not interested in the commitment. I only made myself read Les Miz because it was time. Unfortunately, I endured through the extensive storytelling as unimportant and grumbled as it veered off in tangents that I did not care about.

Now, a second and more concerning matter is that the Christian gospel message seemed obscured. I know, I know! An author is not required to share the gospel message, but my pet peeve is when the gospel message is rescinded by or equated with doing good works. While some point to the bishop showing grace toward Jean Valjean as the moment he gave his life to Christ -- I understood this as the Bishop "bought [Valjean's] life for God," and it was not explicit that Valjean made the personal decision to get right with God because of what Christ did for him. The bishop gave Valjean a second chance, a challenge, to live for God from now on or, what appeared for the remainder of the story, to do good works indefinitely. But I do not recall a time when Valjean recognized his depravity and corruption, the pending wrath of God, his need for a Savior, then, his repentance, and finally, a turning to Christ as his Lord and Savior for what Jesus did on the cross.

I was a definitely exasperated by Valjean's excessive, obsessive, bizarre behavior to continuously do good and right, to the point where he was often in mental peril and conflict; this novel felt like another one of those that placed good works on the same plane as the Christian gospel. Maybe I missed the gospel spelled out, but all I remember is Valjean's continuous striving for doing good. Of course, in the end, he wins the prize, which was obvious. But let it not be because he did good. This would be false promotion.

Maybe I am being legalistic or grumpy (like Javert, the law follower). Valjean obeyed the law of Christ moreso, to love one's neighbor as himself. He sacrificed for others and put others above himself. That is not arguable. Nonetheless, I was uncomfortable to think that maybe Hugo was making him a representation of Christ because of his ongoing sacrificial works. If Hugo meant to exploit good works and overshadow the reason we need the gospel message of Christ's sacrifice, then I am struggling with the story. But if I missed the clear gospel message that we are not good and therefore need a Savior, and that our good works are not to earn salvation but out of our graciousness for what Christ did for us, then I stand corrected.

And that is really all I have to say about it. I probably will never read it again. However, I will always watch the 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena, over and over again, because if nothing else, Les Misérables makes an poignant musical.

* * * ( )

My favourite book in the entire world, I love it so much. ( )

Les Misérables is a remarkable book significant for its well-crafted characters and moral vision that is still relevant even today. However, it's not an easy read as it is full of tangents. Even for those who frequently read 19th-century literature, Les Misérables can be quite challenging. Some chapters are composed of obscure references that may not be easily comprehensible to Les Misérables is an exceptional book known for its well-crafted characters and a moral vision that is still relevant today. However, it's not an easy read as it is full of tangents. Even for those who frequently read 19th-century literature, Les Misérables can be quite challenging. Some of the chapters contain obscure references that may not be easily understandable to modern readers. Nevertheless, these tangents are not necessarily a bad thing. Some readers may find them interesting, while others may find them dull, depending on their interests. The chapters on Waterloo and the Parisian sewer system are among the most intriguing ones. In summary, Les Misérables is a worthwhile but challenging read, filled with memorable characters and a moral vision that should be common sense.modern readers, but they are not essential to the story. Nevertheless, the tangents are not necessarily a bad thing. Some readers may find them interesting, while others may find them dull, depending on their interests. For instance, the chapters on Waterloo and the Parisian sewer system are among the most intriguing ones.Les Misérables is a good book and an important one, filled with memorable characters and a moral vision that should have (and should be) common sense. It is equally full of tangents. Les Miserable is a very worthwhile read, but it's not always an easy read. Even for those who often read 19th-century literature, Les Mis is on another level. Entire chapters composed of obscure references may be nearly incomprehensible to modern readers, but these chapters are not critical to the story.

The tangents aren't necessarily bad--you'll probably like some and be bored by some depending on your interests; some people are partial to Waterloo and or the Parisian sewer system. ( )

A Book More Than 100 Years Old

Although there were several times I was tempted to throw this book across the room in frustration, particularly in the interminable scene of Marius watching through the hole in the wall and "agonizing" whether he should interfere in a possible murder, this was a satisfying read. I did find the repeated coincidental encounters between characters far-fetched in a city the size of Paris (e.g. Valjean and Marius' encounter with Thenadier at the Seine with Javert lying in wait) but Hugo wouldn't have a story without these encounters. And until the very end I was uncertain whether this was a story of redemption or a tragedy. At 1,400+ pages, you have to be invested in the story and characters to get past Hugo's ambling detours, but it's well worth the effort. ( )

Uma roleta russa de emoções. Me fez chorar.
Esse livro é nota 10. Simplesmente fantástico.
Enredo lindo e comovente do início ao fim, com personagens cativantes e um rico fundo histórico retratado de maneira grandiosa. É praticamente uma aula de história sobre a revolução francesa e as agitações que ocorreram na França no século XIX, abordando a dura realidade da miséria humana e da injustiça, sem deixar de revelar, no entanto, a beleza, a generosidade e a compaixão que podem surgir nas mais variadas situações. ( )

4,5 estrelas

Obra grandiosa, bem escrita, com ótima trama e leitura leve.

Pontos negativos foram os excessos de divagação e digressão histórica, e de referências literárias em obras antigas.

Vale uma segunda leitura após estudar a fundo os grandes clássicos greco-romanos ( )

First of all: I highly recommend reading The Count of Monte-Cristo before this. There are an absurd number of parallels that make the books worth thinking about together, and they juxtapose main characters with different solutions to similar problems.

I spent a year reading one chapter per day with /r/AYearofLesMiserables (which just started again for those who want to join). It is the second long, 19th-century novel I read in the original French. I had read most of it before and knew the whole story from the musical. Because of that, I wasn't as gripped by the story as I would have been with a fresh experience, but there were still moments when Hugo got me, times I thought somehow there was still a possibility of a different outcome.

Les Misérables is a good book and an important one, filled with memorable characters and a moral vision that should have (and should be) common sense. It is equally full of tangents. It's worthwhile read, but it's not always an easy read. Even for those who often read 19th-century literature, Les Mis is on another level. Entire chapters composed of obscure references may be nearly incomprehensible to modern readers, but these chapters are not critical to the story.

The tangents aren't necessarily bad--you'll probably like some and be bored by some depending on your interests (I'm partial to Waterloo and the Parisian sewer system).
( )

Long, but worth it. I’ve known the plot for years, but it was great to sink into the language and enjoy it as it slowly unfolded. ( )

Una novela muy buena, aunque a veces se hace largo que en lugar de describir a los personajes, los muestre actuando en tantas situaciones que no afectan a la historia (por ejemplo todos los capítulos que hay sobre el obispo, que tan solo muestran su bondad, pero no son parte de la historia). ( )

Far, far too long. Constantly off-topic, but flashes of brilliance so bright it’s well worth it. ( )

Book title and author: Les Miserables Paperback – Unabridged, March 3, 1987. reviewed 8-4-23

Why I picked this book up: I’ve had this version in my library, saw it in the movies and wanted to read Hugo’s masterpiece

Thoughts: this is a great story of a man’s redemption. Overall this book took me a lot of time and I found a lot of it boring that made it difficult for me but the good parts were very good. There were a lot of religious, political and philosophical aspects that built this book and the contrast in characters were powerful.

Why I finished this read: this one with a huge part, not seeming needed to me (but now I sort of see gives background) could have, in my view, been left out. I got past that and the patience I had, I was able to finish and I don’t know if I would recommend it for everyone.

Stars rating: given the boring part, drawn out sections but combined with powerful aspects I would fall in the middle at 3.5 of 5 stars ( )

Let me start by saying I couldn't finish this book. There were definitely great parts, when the action was pumping and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, but mostly it was BORING. I got about halfway through, but found myself dreading any free time because it meant that I should be reading it. ( )

The novel's most significant theme is metamorphosis, both in terms of the individual and society. The main character, Jean Valjean, changes from a misogynistic and possibly violent ex-con to a man capable of heroic love and self-sacrifice. Love is the power that changes him. The bishop of Digne shows Valjean unwavering affection, confiding in him with his life and doing everything in his power. Valjean is inspired by this example to start a completely new life. He experiences moral tests, such as sacrificing his life to save Marius, who loves Cosette and whom Valjean despises, and learns to put others before himself as he raises Cosette as his own daughter. Generally speaking, the employees and students on the are admirable. This is a classic that bears reading and rereading. Among the top favorites of literature in translation in my library. ( )

I briefly toyed with taking off a half star for all of the lengthy tangents Hugo employs, most of which do little or nothing to advance the story, but damn, the book is so so so good anyway, I just couldn't do it. It took me 2 and 1/2 months to read it, but I was barreling through the last few hundred pages as Hugo brought all of the different threads together and created a crescendo so compelling and beautiful that it was virtually impossible to put down. There are a number of classics that I do not like because they lack coherent plots or have zero likeable characters. That was not the case with this one. I ached for Jean Valjean and everything he went through. The characters were so rich ... the internal dialogue of Javert at the end was a masterclass in and of itself ... and the plot was literally sublime. I am not a religious person, but I could still appreciate the religious overtones in the book and not feel preached at. Just so so so so so good. ( )

Listened to the audiobook version of this classic novel and it took me quite a while to get through the entire book. I was fascinated by the descriptions of society still grappling with its recent history of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, but there's a lot more to this novel. I think I need to return to this book again, but to actually read the print version, as the audiobook didn't really work for me in this particular case. ( )

The language is gorgeous, if at times dark:

"Fairy tales all: Goblins for children; God for men. No, our tomorrow is night. Beyond the grave, all are only equal nothings.”

“This book is a drama whose first character is the Infinite. Man is the second.”

“Being in possession of the false aim of life, happiness, how we forget the true aim, duty!” (Though the novel is immensely quotable, this line is probably my favorite.) ( )