Les Miserables

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Hope15
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Re: Les Miserables

Post by Hope15 »

My preferred book and author. Victor Hugo managed to create strong and universal characters (Jean Valjean, Javert, Bishop Myriel) who remain faithful to their values and principles of life, even during hard times. I think, personnally, that you can only see the true caracter of someone in hard times. That is what happened to Victor Hugo in his personal life, even if he was chased from France, he did not give up and continue his mission from Guernesey.

Victor Hugo, who can first see things from Jean Valjean's point of view, i.e, why he steals and thinks his actions are justified; and then Victor Hugo can rise above all crimes, to create a character like The Bishop who, by his actions of generosity alone and no blah-blah of moral lessons, shows Jean Valjean a fresh light of what's right, an action so powerful that it ultimately forces Jean Valjean to give up his crime and care for the humanity.

This is inspiring to me when an author manage to rise above the bad to make some good. He was right when he said 'what a writer writes truly reflects his or her soul'.
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Post by Nathan Klein »

A couple years ago I saw the Hugh Jackman/Anne Hattaway movie, loved it, and decided to read the book. Going through the first 60 pages, I figured out that it would be a challenging book to read. There are some dry spots in the book that last for a long time. A couple examples are in the beginning with the Bishop and the Battle of Waterloo. The complex, interesting, and emotional story throughout the book though more than makes up for these dry spots. This book took me about 6-7 weeks to read, but I'm very glad that I read it. Even with the dry spots, it's one of my favorite books I've read.
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Post by Hope15 »

In my vacation, over the last two weeks, I visited the birthplace of Victor Hugo in Besançon, his home in Paris where his children were born, and his grave in Pantheon. I also read his “Les Miserables” again, that is 21 years after I read it for the first time in my High School in France, and I was surprised to see how differently I reacted to this book.

Then I realized the book has not changed over these 21 years, but it’s me who has changed!

At the school, I was obliged to read this book as a part of our curriculum, and it came across as something heavy. But, now that I have been blazed a few times in my life, I could relate to this book a lot better, and, at times, even felt healed by it.

The aspect that struck me the most is how Victor Hugo has constructed his characters: they’re neither entirely good, nor entirely bad; they’re humane, yet extraordinary.

The police inspector Javert values his duty of keeping law and order above human beings, until he is humbled by Jean Valjean, when he saves the life of Javert, his worst enemy, during the barricade. Then Javert enters his irreconcilable internal conflict between ethics and law, that is between his moral duty to preserve a good man like Jean Valjean and his legal duty of turning him in as a fugitive, and Javert ends his life to save Jean Valjean.

This comes across as a surprise, because Victor Hugo had set up all along Javert as a man of unbending principles, yet not incredible, because we’ve also seen Javert to be a man of good heart and conscience.

Victor Hugo didn’t set up Jean Valjean as a paragon of virtue either. We can see his humane side, even after his conversion into a good man, when he enters his severe inner conflict vis-a-vis the man about to be condemned in his place, for having stolen the forty sous from Petit Gervais. You can see his temptations to evade law and save his own life; you can also see traces from his life of ex-convict when he gets angry with people, and the use of his force when his personal ethics conflict with the law. And, even for a powerful man like him, you can see his fears, his anxieties, and his insecurities about Cosette.

Even for the rogue Thenardier, Victor Hugo has made him humane, by letting him save the father of Marius in the battle of waterloo!! Hugo also gave Thenardier a realistic end, in the sense that, in spite of all his dirty tricks, he ‘succeeds’ in life, from Thenardier’s perspective of course.

Gavroche, the son of Thenardier, earns his bread by stealing, but he also steals your heart when he saves the two kids, and gives up his life at the barricade. His sister, Eponine, is another thief and manipulator, but she sacrifices her life at the barricade too, trying to save Marius, her secret love. Marius, the closest in resemblance to Victor Hugo (whose middle name is ‘Marie’ by the way), is a political idealist, yet insensitive to many in life, including Jean Valjean; you’re in love with him, and angry at him at the same time.

It’s this powerful use of contrast, in the characters and in the events of the novel, that I find absolutely fascinating in Victor Hugo’s work, particularly in Les Miserables. And, I think this is what makes his works so lifelike, because, just like in life, you can’t really put a definite label on any of his characters or story events; that’s why you can never predict anything, and you remain hooked in suspense till the end.

Of course, there are his big philosophical discourses about life and love, but, if you focus on the core drama of this novel, it’s just absolutely gripping. The way he details the inner landscape of the characters, and the values of the society he touches upon, are as universal today, as they were during his time. It’s because those details are so unique and specific that they no longer remain individual; they become us, the universal.

This evening I’m going to see the grave of Juliette Drouet, who was the muse of Victor Hugo, for fifty years!! As a woman, I wonder what was there in her spirit that could inspire a writer like Victor Hugo, for so long.

Have you read this book ? What do you think ?
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Post by brancook »

One of my favourite books! I read it unabridged in the Modern Library translation by Julie Rose. I have not read any other translations but Rose's maintained a marvelous cadence which I found positively enrapturing.

In my mind, there is no other way to read this book than to read it wholly. The thing is, of course, massive, but if you pick it apart for the juicy scraps you will be doing yourself an injustice. When Jean Valjean descends with Marius into the sewers, no one wants to devote the next two hours to reading about a history of the Parisian sewer complexes. But read it you must. You will find that the slowed pace builds in your mind a wondrous anticipation. Also, all of the mundanities that Hugo loves to waffle on about will allow your mind time to dwell on and better process the action. Take two months or so and let the book enfold you like a shroud. The length will help you--you will be buried but you will emerge purified.
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Post by Hope15 »

Absolutely agree with you, Brancook ! Victor Hugo knew how to write, for sure .. and inspirational writing with that ..
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Post by the_all_night_reader »

I just LOVED it!! When I finished the book, I started researching the french revolution and now I'm obsessed!
Hope15
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Post by Hope15 »

Glad to know that ! It is a good obsession ... I think :)
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Post by Rachel1019 »

I loved the movie and the abridged version that I read in high school. When I found the time, I was finally able to read the full unabridged version of this story and found myself loving it even more. The backstory and the side stories that come out in the full version are my favorite part. Of course the usual characters are absolute favorites. But I loved finding out more about Fantine in the full book. She has one of the most heartbreaking and loving stories in the whole book. And she is almost completely left out in the abridged version and the movie. While this is an incredibly long book, it is totally worth it in the end. When you get to the end, and everything has been settled, then it is such a rewarding feeling. It feels like you lived with the characters for such a long time. Because of this book, I started reading a lot more French literature from the same time period. And now I am truly in love with all of Hugo's books. I highly recommend this for anyone who has the time and determination to make it through a couple thousand pages.
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Post by BookLover451 »

Les Miserable primary follows the story of an escaped prisoner named Jean Valjean and his adopted daughter, Cosette prior to and during the events of the June Revolution in Paris. After Jean Valjean escapes from prison and experiences the compassion of a bishop, Valjean attempts to atone for his sins and to live a life worthy of the compassion he received by providing a comfortable life for his adopted daughter.

For anyone who has seen either of the Les Miserables movies, I recommend reading the book. Victor Hugo did a good job at tying in the historical context as his story unfolds by including chapters that describe the historic events during that time period. It allows the reader to better imagine the conflict and background that the characters are experiencing.
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Post by fabulasaule »

I enjoyed the book. I have to confess that I skiped some places with long descriptions about Bonaparte and the course of some fights. But in general I loved the humanistic spirit of the book.
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Ashley 1820
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Post by Ashley 1820 »

I haven't read the book yet...but I watched the movie.....can't narrate the feeling..... just splendid.... touched my heart from the core... I even had goosebumps!just amazing! and I remember how much I cried :cry:.... I still remember the song....."red is the colour of an angry man........"
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Post by lily_kh87 »

This is one of the longest book I've ever read but one of the most I ever enjoyed. I could not stop reading and I learned a lot about the French history. I thought it was better than reading a book about the French revolution.
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Post by Rachel1019 »

It has been a very long time since I have read this book, but it still is one of the best books that I have read. I read the abridged version of the book for a high school English class. It got me interested enough to read the full book. I loved the part about Fantine. She is one of my favorite characters. Her story is so tragic and beautiful.
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Post by curious_daisy »

I've read the Macedonian translation and loved it to pieces :D it's pretty amazing :D
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Post by booknerd8283 »

I thought the book was stunning and beautifully written. I have also seen the movie and the play and they both compliment the book nicely.
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