Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16147 in Books
• Published on: 1982-03-25
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1232 pages

Synopsis
Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty. A compelling and compassionate view of the victims of early nineteenth-century French society, "Les Miserables" is a novel on an epic scale.

Customer Reviews

'Citizens, our nineteenth century is great, but the twentieth century will be happy'
Not the greatest prediction in history perhaps, but Victor Hugo's monumental Romantic epic still remains one of the best known and most popular works of the nineteenth century. A vast panorama of Parisian life during the first half of that century, Les Miserables seems to contain the author's entire world view and knowledge base, everything but the kitchen sink. Yes, when viewed through twenty-first century eyes it suffers from all the peculiarities associated with novels of that era: twists and turns born out of wildly improbable coincidences, a tendency to sentimentality and melodrama, familiar caricatures (misers, prostitutes, street urchins), odd attachments to unrelated children, and loose ends neatly tied up. But, like War and Peace it is a great sweep of life, like Moby Dick it is juxtaposed with digressions and immensely detailed descriptions (Waterloo, the Paris sewers), like Dickens's works the characters live and breathe even though they are flat and behave stereotypically. In sum, it is a magnificent slice of social history, teeming with life and detail, sometimes funny, often moving, always compassionate.
The story is basically simple. It revolves around peasant Jean Valjean who is sentenced to five years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family and then to 19 years in the galleys for an escape attempt. He becomes a recidivist criminal on release until he sees the error of his ways after being befriended by a saintly priest. Then, making a stupid mistake on the spur of the moment, he is discovered and compelled to return to prison. However, escaping again, he spends the rest of his life seeking redemption, firstly by becoming a wealthy and respectable citizen and then by rescuing a young girl from abuse. Les Miserables is a morality tale which seeks to demonstrate the virtual impossibility of escape from poverty and injustice at a time and in a system where the less fortunate are excluded. Among a great canvas of characters many are memorable: Valjean himself, the obsessive policeman Javert, the ill-fated Fantine, the malevolent Thenardier couple, and the irrepressible urchin Gavroche. The numerous stage and film interpretations of Hugo's masterpiece are a testimony to its enduring popularity and its place in the pantheon of great European literature.

The best book I've read thus far.
For those intimidated by the length and epic scale of Hugo's magnum opus, you need not be afraid. Whilst reading Les Misérables I was pleasantly surprised by the fluidity and pace of the narrative. It took me no longer than a month to finish the novel, and I became completely engrossed and enamoured by the story. A story covering a wide array of important social issues as well as those issues that lie close to the heart - love, death, hope, redemption and tolerance. All of these are apparent throughout the tale, and told with wonderful style and enormous beauty from that great master of romanticism - Victor Hugo. Some may find his unapologetically florid, overtly poetical language overbearing, I, personally, found it refreshing and a joy to read. Les Misérables is a book you will not find a chore to finish (save for the lengthy Waterloo - only the last part is worth reading - and convent digressions, which some may find interesting, but I found tiresome). You will feel France as you move from Provence at the beginning of the book, to the city of Paris towards the latter half of the book, and will feel a certain connection to the characters as if they were real people - Jean Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius and countless others are truly unforgettable characters, creative inventions few other authors, both past and present, could match. The fact they are 'real' characters and not idealised in any way, but awash with both flaws and qualities, adds to the beauty of Les Misérables - a tale both heartrending and humorous, zealously exciting and quaintly pleasant. You will not be disappointed. I promise, and I urge you read Norman Denny's translation, which retains the style and beauty of the original.

a lifetime marsterpiece
I read this book for the first time after being told about the story by a teacher, when I was 13. None of my family thought I would comprehend such a huge and intense book at such a young age. Victor Hugo's style, however, was so good that I quickly fell in love with the book. I am now 29 and it is still the most amazing book I ever read. This is one of those books that you can lose yourself in time and time again...Victor Hugo is a genius!