Anand
05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
I read Les Mis, the book. Its taken me nearly 4-5 months with many pauses in between. The book has a lot of digressions and sometimes the long speeches are hard to digest. A lot of things seem too difficult to imagine, like the number of coincidences and how characters keep meeting each other again. One has to excuse Victor Hugo for being so romantic.<br> But then, there are somethings of Hugo which one doesn't get from any other writer. Jean Valjean taking the child Cosette from Montfermeil and their subsequent living together until they reach the Convent is some of the best writing I've ever seen. Some ideal characters are excellently described by Hugo. I can never forget Enjolras or the Bishop.<br> Some of Hugo's digressions make very interesting reading. I liked the description of life in a convent. His description of the child on the street(the gamin) was lovely and thought provoking.<br> I would say, the book is definitely worth reading, but it isn't easy reading throughout.