Get your thrashing hands (or which ever limbs you prefer) ready

[Megs]

I thought that your comments were very intrestings, even though they did upset me a bit since Les Miserables is my favorate book. Just out of curiousity which version of the book did you read and how old are you. And did you have to read this book for english class or something. I'm sorry for being nosey but if want to could you tell me. I just think it would be intresting to know. Well anyways maybe take another stab at this book later, and hopefully you'll find it as good as I did.

[still remaining unknown]

It was the unabridged version - very long, a little on the tedious side... My age? If it interests you that much, I will let you know. I am 27 this year. I tried reading it a couple of years ago, for a project. <br><br>I will consider it, yes, but actually trying to read that novel again, I'm not sure. Maybe someday I'll have nothing better to do, though lately I have been very busy, so it's a little doubtful.<br><br>But, maybe...

[yorgos]

Yes, it's a hard novel to take for today's audience: long digressions on all sorts of things, sweeping generalizations, lots of philosophy, high romantic style, pathos, minute detail in descriptions. But I suspect that 140 years of success with young people, and the smash hit of the musical are not a coincidence. I think it's the idealism, the attack on the brutality of society to weaker groups (convicts, the poor, women, children), the idea of redemption through suffering, the possibility of changing one human being's life and soul, the moral dilemmas Valjean, Javert and Marius face, plus the finely drawn characters and evocation of early 19th-century France. Not for everyone, though. It helps being young, idealistic, and patient. Whether it's all worth it is a matter of personal taste!

[Megs (again)]

Thank you for actually replying. As much as I hate to do so I have to admit that Les Miserables is probably not a book for everyone. I just think that the story, the themes, and the characters are so wonderful that I was kindof hoping everyone would like it. Ya I know thats pretty dumb. I just find the story so touching that i'd like everybody to see how great this book is. And I also think people should realise how important the issues that are adressed in this book are, even today. So like I've said a few hundred times I love this book, (even though I will admit that the history in it can be incredably boring) but I guess it isn't for everyone. Oh ya and just to clear it up I was just wondering your age just to see if it had anything to do with your not likeing this book, ( like for example if you were eight you might only make it to page ten and decide you hated it.) and also to see if you were forced against your will to read it for some junior high school book report, that can make anyone hate a book.

[Unregistered]

Honor, self-sacrifice, unconditional love . . . boring??? How sad! Les Miserables has endured because of a timeless moral message of virtue and honor against all odds.

[Jim]

I agree that this novel is extremely long and detailed. That is what makes it such a great piece of literature, though. The intricacy of the story, the detail of each character, paints a picture that you can not only see, but feel as though you are a part of. (i know, preposition at the end of a sentence...) The size of the unabridged version is rather intimidating, and for some the book is dry. Like yorgos said, it is merely a matter of personal taste. Just as Hugo was seen by his followers and critics, his novels were often either loved or hated. His style is good for some, not for others, and I totally respect your feelings on this book, just as I did not appreciate Toni Morrison's "Song of Solomon." Like I (and yorgos) said, it's all a matter of personal taste.

[A.C (sixth grader)]

It is okay to express your fellings and tell how you like the book. I doesn't matter to anyone but you. You shouldn't care about angry fans. I wouldn't care about them.

[Justin]

I've just begun reading les mis about a month ago. I'm 23, a full time student, and try my best to throw in half an hour here or an hour there to get through it. I'm reading it purely for my own interest because i heard it was "so good" and i've heard so much about Hugo as an author. <br>To be honest, i never cared much for literature... and although i may have been able to get through a 1200-ish page Tale of Genji book in an asian literature class, to read 1500-ish page book of Hugo's on my own... so far has been an very difficult, yet enlightening experience. <br>To Mr/Ms. Unknown. If you really want to give it a try... i'd recommend tearing the book into pieces, literally. break it up into quarters... and tape it up. It doesnt change the story at all, but it does wonders to your psychy. Don't rush through it. Take it easy, and realize, like life, good literature is going to cause you to struggle sometimes... but just keep moving forward. (in reference to the Waterloo section...it took me a while to get through that)Its definately worth while.<br><br>Justin

[It'd please me best to remain unknown]

Ugh. Tried to read it, but found it most astoundingly boring! I'm sure I'll get a great kick for that.<br><br>I mean, seriously, how many pages long does it have to be?? I know it's apparently a great work of literature, and a huge broadway success, but my question is: why? Why on earth is this novel such a huge deal? I guess I sound like I don't have that much respect for literature, I do, it's just this particular novel that gets my head spinning rapidly into the great disease: boredom!<br><br>Sorry if I offend anyone, I'm sure loads of angry fans are going to seriously hate me, but I just wanted to give my opinion, as 'disgraceful' it may be.<br>

[Archibald]

You just need the mindset for it I guess; Hugo's a lot like Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy in that, if you want a concise, quick to the point bit of a good read then you're digging in all the wrong holes. All the classical Russian and romantic French writers loved their words, a lot, which is why you'll find so damn many of them in their novels. Hugo's digressions can get really, really tedious sometimes (at least a whole book on Napoleon? Really Hugo, really?), but his little tangents and wanderings do have a huge effect on the story and the setting; they set the scene and create the characters backgrounds for you. And anyway, why change it at all? You couldn't get a more beautiful and varied picture of all the social aspects and locales of France from any other book or writer.

[odysseus]

a book like that coincides with life. You identify with the characters. such a sad book. you talk about marginalized groups- convicts, the poor, women, children. who does that leave that are not victimes? Men who have decent paying work I guess.

well everyone has had to fight to be free

poverty can be a blessing- and poverty comes in many forms. Money only solves financial poverty, which the having of, temporarily, can open the mind in different ways, so that itself can be a blessing

this is how I think positively.

next book- war and peace.

maybe

[kiki1982]

I am reading it for the second time... first a translation and now the real thing. And I am 25, just become. I read it the first time in translation when I was 17; And I loved it!
I can understand that some people don't like it because it is miserable (hence the name!), very describing and it goes very deep as far as philosophy goes... If you read other French authors of the time like Dumas, they are a lot easier to read because they have a lot of dialogue in it. Whereas Hugo puts all the talking in descriptions of the conversations, so it can become long and drawn out. Yet for me it doesn't at all become boring. I guess some people just don't like romantic literature...

Still the message is still very true today, so that's obviously why it stayed popular through time. It is a universal work that will even be very accurate in 200 years.
And of course just the story is very well constructed as well. Just for that it is a masterpiece.

You see I am biased. I have always liked French literature and films. Revenge for something that hapened 20 years ago, people that keep following other people because they have done something earlier... I love it :D. My husband hates it though. He doesn't get the complex plot and starts to be confused about who is who and who did what :rolleyes:. You can't please everyone... :bawling:

[Mortis Anarchy]

The first time I tried reading it I was 13...I'm 18 this year...by the way. I think I had just turned 12. It was disappointing that I couldn't finish it because I had just finished The Iliad and another difficult read...I haven't tried reading it since then, because I'm afraid that I won't like it again. But I do want to like it...

[wtwt5237]

Too many coincidences harm the novel a little. But on the whole, the plot or message as kiki1982 mentioned is still very true.

[kiki1982]

Too many coincidences harm the novel a little.

That 's something of French literature, those 'coincidences'... Apparently they like that kind of stuff in France. If you whatch their films, they also are built on that principle...

[Etienne]

That 's something of French literature, those 'coincidences'... Apparently they like that kind of stuff in France. If you whatch their films, they also are built on that principle...

I really don't see hos it's "something of french literature" but more of a particular literary style which has swept much broader cultural and geographical area than France, Russia being a good example.

[Dori]

I read Les Miserables just this past summer. However, I read an abridged version. I liked it so much that I'm contemplating buying a hardcover unabridged version! I'm rather young (16), but I finished it in three weeks.

[kiki1982]

I really don't see hos it's "something of french literature" but more of a particular literary style which has swept much broader cultural and geographical area than France, Russia being a good example.

Maybe that was indeed a rash comment... I haven't read so much Russian literature, as my first try had to be Dostoyevski and I couldn't even get the first 30 pages finished. I thought it depicted the boredom and uselessness of poor people in Russian society back then very well. So well that I decided to stop reading it, as the first book to be granted that honour. My university professor adored Russian literature though, so I got biassed and never tried anything else. Maybe I should try some of someone else...
However this coincidence-thing is not very big in Dutch literature for example, and not so hot in German either I believe. Then again English has more of it.
What I wanted to say is actually that not only then they loved it, but they still do now.

[Bramblefox]

I'm a junior in highschool, having read Les Mis several times (different versions) in the past six months or so. What got me interested in it was the fact that I am on this art website and some of my favorite artists use character from Les Mis on a regular basis. THerefore I thought I'd better read up and look it up and stuff...well let's just say I've been driving my family nuts with this new obsession. Between the book and the musical I might get myself driven out of the house...

[andave_ya]

I'm 17, reading it for the first time. Charles E. Wilbour's translation.

[jakobmuller]

I just read the Count of monte cristo, and started on three musketeers. Les Mis is up next on the horizon. So the impression i'm getting from this book and the people who have read it is that if you hang tough and tackle the whole book, you're probably gonna love it; kinda like accomplishing a huge goal.

Anyone confirm or deny that? opinions?

ps, I bought the signet classics version the other day and it is a pretty formidable looking book to say the least, and I read my fair share of books lol

[kiki1982]

There are a few pretty boring parts in there; but they all provide background for the philosophy of Hugo about society.

If there is advise that can be given: by all means continue reading, even if you think that it is boring (which can bo on for 100 pages...).

Get yourself some explanation on Hugo and this thoughts, even wikipedia or other encyclopedias you can find that, because the things that happen make more sense that way.

Hope you enjoy it.

Do we see you on the Dumas-forum next? :)

[jakobmuller]

There are a few pretty boring parts in there; but they all provide background for the philosophy of Hugo about society.

If there is advise that can be given: by all means continue reading, even if you think that it is boring (which can bo on for 100 pages...).

Get yourself some explanation on Hugo and this thoughts, even wikipedia or other encyclopedias you can find that, because the things that happen make more sense that way.

Hope you enjoy it.

Do we see you on the Dumas-forum next? :)

I am looking forward to it quite a bit; i just hope i don't hype it up too much in my head beforehand lol

[kiki1982]

I consider Les Misérables as a fairly slow read.

To compare with Dumas, of whom you know the style: Dumas always has something going on. The Count of Monte Cristo is a little slower than The Three Musketeers, which stands never still, but still in The Count there is something in the background that is always there. (In Dumas' other books as well).

In Hugo that is not really the case. It can be about thoughts, history, whatever, and that is very interesting, but is radically different from Dumas who does not dwell on thoughts, but makes that clear through other means (very itelligently). Hugo has an admirable style, though, so those passages are well worth reading, but not strictly for the story of Jean Valjean, but for the story of teh misérables in general...

[jakobmuller]

I consider Les Misérables as a fairly slow read.

To compare with Dumas, of whom you know the style: Dumas always has something going on. The Count of Monte Cristo is a little slower than The Three Musketeers, which stands never still, but still in The Count there is something in the background that is always there. (In Dumas' other books as well).

In Hugo that is not really the case. It can be about thoughts, history, whatever, and that is very interesting, but is radically different from Dumas who does not dwell on thoughts, but makes that clear through other means (very itelligently). Hugo has an admirable style, though, so those passages are well worth reading, but not strictly for the story of Jean Valjean, but for the story of teh misérables in general...

yes i have noticed that with 3 musketeers, it has more action and also it seems wittier than monte cristo, or at least a lighter atmosphere with more funny parts and the like. it definitely makes for a quicker read so far