Les Misérables Paperback – May 16, 2020

This is quite the tome, and at times what seemed to be a digression we actually furthering the story. So what do I mean by three books in one. Well there is the story of Jean Valjean and his life after being freed from the galleys. The musical and movies are certainly based on the storyline that was presented. If that was the extent of this book Hugo could have written it in less than half of the words he used. This book is also a cultural and historical telling of the times between Napoleon and 1840. This was one of the most unsettled periods of French history and the storyline as well as Hugo's commentary reflects this. Finally this book is a polemic about the inequities of income distribution and privilege and more than once do the story's chapters talk about future times and how to overcome poverty and class differences to enter a French vision of utopia.The characters are well drawn and complex. Although there is certainly a distinction of good and evil, Hugo does not fallback on archetypes to bring his characters to life. One thing I did notice is that when a character is introduced they are certain to play a role in the continuing storyline and often what is a digression, such as the lengthy discussion of the battle of Waterloo, ends up being necessary to flesh out the motivations and drive of the story's characters.All in all, well worth the effort it takes to read and I am certainly glad that i devoted the time and energy it took to read and digest this book

The book is long. Several chapters of history are superfluous to the underlying story of crime and punishment, grace and forgiveness, and a life spent in service and love. By far one of the best books ever written.

I didn’t like how long it was and how there were chapters devoted only to descriptions of the setting. However this book also pulled me in and I couldn’t stop and needed to read what happened next. I liked the historical aspect of it. I am glad I finished it.

This book is a guide to humanity. It displays the worst and the best of humanity, good vs evil. It challenges the law with common sense. This book is the start of a discussion on what is reality and how it should change. It is a lesson on critical thinking!

If you're on the fence about taking up the task of reading this gigantic book I beg you to please do it. It took me two weeks to read, but every single hour was worth it. This is the kind of book I wish was required to read in school. Cause if everyone were to read Les Miserables and truly understand what Hugo is trying to relay to us through this story, human suffering would be one step closer to being solved. I could go on and on with adjectives to describe this book, but trust me you won't get just how much of a masterpiece it is until you read it yourself. If your coming from watching the movie, you're in for an entirely different experience. It will start off slow but trust Hugo and stick with it, and by the end you'll be breathless.

Arrived with dents and cosmetic blemishes. Pages are SO thin and cheap. Not worth the price…The font size and book size were good, which is tricky with Les Misérables bc it’s so big. But those two positives aren’t enough to make me want to keep this

I have seen the Broadway show, and the movies. I'm familiar with the beautiful, soul searching music, the passion of the story, and the relentless pursuit of blind justice. But I wanted to get the full story as told by Victor Hugo and I'm so glad I did. I learned many things that I did not get from performances I'd seen and I came to admire the character of Jean Valjean at an even deeper level than I had. Outstanding read!

Les Miserables is one the great books of all time. It is 1,220 pages long in this addition, however it is more than worth it. Victor Hugo was a literary genius and the story he constructs here is full of amazing and unforgettable moments. Anyone who loves the Broadway musical will love this book. The book, naturally, goes into greater depth than a musical can, however reading it can show you how faithful the musical is and bring more detail to the great characters that Hugo has created. Buy it now, you will be glad you did.