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    Les Miserables
    Les Miserables
    Les Miserables
    Ebook2,013 pages33 hours

    Les Miserables

    By Victor Hugo and Isabel F. Hapgood

    4.5/5

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    No home library is complete without the classics! Les Miserables is a keepsake to be read and treasured.

    Les Miserables is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. First published in France in 1862, it is Victor Hugo’s greatest achievement--the ultimate tale of redemption. Former prisoner Jean Valjean struggles to live virtuously after an unexpected act of forgiveness by a kindly bishop changes his life. His righteous actions change people’s lives in surprising ways and culminate in romance between two young people. Now available as part of the Word Cloud Classics series, Les Miserables is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCanterbury Classics
    Release dateApr 1, 2013
    ISBN9781607108511
    Author

    Victor Hugo

    Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet and novelist. Born in Besançon, Hugo was the son of a general who served in the Napoleonic army. Raised on the move, Hugo was taken with his family from one outpost to the next, eventually setting with his mother in Paris in 1803. In 1823, he published his first novel, launching a career that would earn him a reputation as a leading figure of French Romanticism. His Gothic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) was a bestseller throughout Europe, inspiring the French government to restore the legendary cathedral to its former glory. During the reign of King Louis-Philippe, Hugo was elected to the National Assembly of the French Second Republic, where he spoke out against the death penalty and poverty while calling for public education and universal suffrage. Exiled during the rise of Napoleon III, Hugo lived in Guernsey from 1855 to 1870. During this time, he published his literary masterpiece Les Misérables (1862), a historical novel which has been adapted countless times for theater, film, and television. Towards the end of his life, he advocated for republicanism around Europe and across the globe, cementing his reputation as a defender of the people and earning a place at Paris’ Panthéon, where his remains were interred following his death from pneumonia. His final words, written on a note only days before his death, capture the depth of his belief in humanity: “To love is to act.”

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    Reviews for Les Miserables

    4.5/5

    4,524 ratings138 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Phew - this was a long one. I downloaded a French edition to an e-reader and read it on the T. Hugo loves to digress and I found myself zoning out on the long descriptions of Waterloo and such. The man did love his language though and there are some great passages and lots of interesting words that the weak French/English dictionary installed on the reader couldn't handle. Who knew there were so many French words for hovel? The best parts of course were the adventures of Jean Valjean, the badass ex-prisoner who knew how to escape and be a loving father to the orphan Cosette.
    • 5/5
      The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness.

      It will always be Belmondo when I think of Jean Valjean in that wonky adaptation I saw at the Vogue back in the 90s. The film affected me deeply, thinking about the Occupation and questions of race and justice; the Willa Cather quote which surfaces a number of times. Beyond all that, the smoldering desire to read the novel was forged and eventually realized. I read Les Miserables here and there, with airports occupying a great deal of the effort. One drunken night in New Orleans the following year I spied someone in a pub reading the novel with obvious pleasure. I wished the man well and tripped out into the balmy night.
    • 5/5
      Triumph of the human spirit!
    • 4/5
      Wow, I knew going in that this was a beast of a book. I knew the basic plot from the movies and the musical, but I was not prepared in the least for the political and social commentary about the dregs of French society.

      The story of Jean Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette, is the heart of the book. If this is the story you are looking for, I'd recommend finding a good abridged version. If you want to know about the innumerable details of Waterloo (skewed toward the French viewpoint, of course), French monasteries and convents, the treatment of galley slaves, the lives of the thousands of homeless children in and around Paris... I could go on, but you get the point. This book is more of a treatise on the downtrodden and how the more-fortunate need to turn their attention and wealth to helping them.

      I do love this story, which is a perfect analogy of redemption and salvation. Jean Valjean, the galley slave turned mayor turned fugitive. Cosette, the young girl saved out the pit of despair and pain. It's a wonderful story, if you can get through many, many tangents that push and pull the characters.
    • 4/5
      Beautifully written, long-winded but informative. I read the Denny translation and listened to the Hopwood translation read by Homewood. Jean Valjean forever!
    • 5/5
      One volume beautiful edition. Original translation authorized by Victor Hugo himself.
    • 4/5
      I've never been married, but reading Les Miserables is what I imagine marriage would be like. I started out so excited to get into the the book, knowing that it was going to be a doozy, but knowing that it was a classic and that I liked the overall story and characters. Then around page 500, Hugo starts going on and on about nunneries and I think, "I did not sign up for this!"

      This indignant thought leads to temptation; after all, why bother time with this long-winded book when there are so many other, shorter, newer books out there? Everywhere I turn, a temptation. Every time, though, I always refrain and turn back to good ol' Les Miserables, because every time I pick it up again and become engrossed with the intricate thought processes and descriptions, I would remember why I was reading it in the first place.

      Sure, there are (as in marriage), times when I wanted to rip my hair out, and other times when things got so syrupy that I wanted to puke, but as a whole, looking back over all those pages, all that time I spent with this book...it really is stunning. Just know that if you're picking up this book with the intention of finishing it, you're entering a pretty hefty commitment. For richer or poorer, better or worse...
    • 5/5
      Les Misérables was one of the first full-length (very full length!) books I managed to read in French. I can still remember the Friday afternoon, all those years ago, when I began to read it. I didn't look up from its pages until the following Sunday evening. A truly magnificent book.
    • 5/5
      Dark pasts. Hopeful futures. Love. War. Miserable people with glorious characters. WOW!!!!!!This book is by far my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BOOK EVERRRR!!!!!!!It has all the ingredients for a perfect story. It has a lot of adventure, good vs. evil, crime, repentance, romance and ... the writing! It is sooooo AMAZING!!! Victor Hugo never fails in giving you the complete package! He really digs into detail about everything! Never thought I'd know so much about the Nepolianic Wars and ... The sewers of Paris. Okay, maybe that is not quite so pleasant, but the detail is what one always expects from Hugo; it's just the way he is.The characters are all soooo loveable! (EXCEPT the Thenardiers!!!) Jean Valjean is the greatest hero ever! Fatine's innocence in spite of her fall is beautiful! And Marius, although he's sort of the stereotype lover-boy, is also a great young man you just cannot help but love. Cosette is adorable when a child and so well portrayed when she grows up; she is portrayed with faults that seem to give her a more beautiful sketch of character. And of course Javert is one of my favorite villains of all time since he's that weird kind of villain who is sort of good, yet bad in the way that he is .... too good, as in too perfect to the point he SPOILER ALERT ***kills himself after he fails in his duty*** END OF SPOILER. Sorry. Also, Gavrouche is just the wildest, suaciest, and utterly filthy little raggamuffin that you simply have to love!!! When I learned who his parents were and what they (or rather his mother!) had done to him, I wanted to reach into the book and grab them (especially her) by the neck!!! Ugh! Disgusting people! Speaking of whom... The Thenardiers are abhorable, deplorable, disgusting, revolting, utterly malicious, and supercalifragilisticespialidocious in alll manners of evil!!! I can say with certain confidence that I HATE them! Well, not the entire family of course. I refer only to the Monsieur and Madame Thenardier. Most definately not their AMAZING daughter, Eponine. Eponine is a character that has added something wonderful to my life. No, I'm not being dramatic. I truly think she is a wonderful herione. In her filth I saw beauty; in her bad manners I saw poetry; in her sacrifice I saw a martyr. She was GREAT!!!! I sobbed and sobbed almost everytime they mentioned her after what happened at the barricades! She is my favorite character of the entire novel. All in all, they book is a GREAT read!!! I recommend it to EVERYONE!!! Perhaps there are those who believe the long passages of tedious details are boring, yet you simply cannot have Les Mis without all those rambling facts. It is how it is. Take it or leave it. But if you leave it, your missing out on something AWESOME!!! LIFE-CHANGING!
    • 3/5
      I know I read at least parts of this book many years ago and I was familiar with the story and the characters. However, I thought it would be a great book to listen to and I was able to download a copy of the audiobook from my library. The story is compelling but the narrator, David Case, practically spoiled it for me. I kept losing the thread because his voice was annoying and monotonous. He also had a very odd way of pronouncing the French names that made them almost unintelligible.Jean Valjean was convicted of theft of a loaf of bread which he stole to feed his sister's children. He spent many years in the galleys and when he was finally released he was treated as a pariah. One man, a bishop, was kind to him and gave him food and shelter for a night but Jean Valjean took the bishop's silver and fled in the night. When he was apprehended by the police he told them the bishop had given him the silver and the bishop confirmed the story. He also gave Jean the silver candlesticks. By this man's example Jean determined that he should turn over a new leaf and help others. He successfully started a business that made him a lot of money but also provided jobs with good wages which improved the region's economy. He was even appointed the mayor but one detective. Javert, realized who he was and had him arrested just as he was trying to help one of his employees dying of TB get reunited with her daughter. Although Valjean was again relegated to the galleys he managed to escape after a few years in a way that made it seem he was dead. He found his employee's daughter, Cosette, and adopts her, moving to Paris and changing his name again. When Cosette is grown a young man, Marius, sees her in the Gardens of Luxembourg and falls in love. Javert has again found Valjean and Valjean has determined that he and Cosette should leave for England. Marius and Cosette wanted to marry so Cosette writes a letter to Marius to tell him of this plan. Marius gets caught up in the students' revolution and Valjean saves him from certain death by spiriting him away through the sewers of Paris. When Marius recovers he marries Cosette but he is appalled when Valjean discloses his past. He banishes Valjean from their house but when he realizes that Valjean is the man who rescued him he and Cosette go to Valjean and are reconciled before Valjean dies.It's quite a convoluted plot and relies extensively on coincidence and synchronicitiy. Nevertheless Valjean comes across as a heroic figure and the reader can't help but feel sorry for him.
    • 3/5
      This got so much better towards the end. 3.5 stars is a better fit.
    • 5/5
      Great book, but man it was long.
    • 4/5
      Very Moving!
    • 3/5
      Formidabel epos, maar zeer heterogeen samengesteld met soms wervelende of aandoenlijke stukken, soms saaie beschouwingen. Vooral de figuur van Jean Valjean overheerst het geheel, imponerend, maar overdreven donker-dreigend. Typisch stijlprocédé: beschrijving van een actie of karakter, daarna opengetrokken naar algemene beschouwing over kleine of grote zaken. Zeer zwakke vrouwenfiguren. Marius is de enige figuur die echt een evolutie doormaakt en menselijke trekken vertoont.
    • 5/5
      Probably my favorite novel of all time.
    • 5/5
      A story about the French Revolution, following Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who broke parol to start a new life. When he becomes the mayor of a town, he is presented with many problems, including escaping the ever persistant Officer Javert, and granting the last wish of the prostitute, Fantine, to care for her daughter, Cosette. It follows his life from his release from prison, to his death after Cosette's marriage Marius.Though a slightly taxing read, because it is a classic, it is quite fascinating. It explores the ideas of 'right' and 'wrong' and all the different shades in between. Most of the characters, Valjean of course standing out the most, have conflicts on whether what they do is correct or not, and which descion is for the greater good.It was a worthwhile read, but not one for light readers. Being a classic, it contains complex language, and ideals not of this century. Perhaps I would reccomend this to those used to reading these kinds of books, or those who want to further study the story that the musical of the same name is based on.
    • 5/5
      It's always a daunting task to write a review of a book not only widely read but also extremely popular. Especially after one read of the primary text (and no knowledge whatsoever of the musical, aside from the minute or so of the previews shown for the upcoming release). So rather than wax poetic about Hugo's insanely thorough, beautiful writing as many others have done, let me simply give you my impression of Les Misérables.The first 10% or so of the Kindle edition that I read dealt primarily with a description of Bishop Myriel. About 5% in I was a bit confused, wondering why all this information was necessary for a character that, admitted by Hugo, was not an integral part of the book. However, I managed to fall in love with that sacrificing Bishop and felt I knew him so intimately that by the time Jean Valjean arrived on the scene, I could predict the good Bishops movements. And aside here, the letter and actions of the Bishops sister and housekeeper had me laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself, mostly because I, as an unmarried woman in today's society, would never have been able to so meekly assist my brother in that way.Jean Valjean - such a character. 19 years spent in horrific conditions all because he stole some bread. After his run-in with the Bishop, his encounter with Petit Gervais, and his arrival in Montreuil-sur-Mer I began to get an idea of why the Bishop was such an important character to begin the book with. It was a beautiful thing to see the changes being wrought in Valjean.And then there comes Fantine. Honestly, I think Fantine is my second favorite character of the book (second to Bishop Myriel, I really did love that old man). She is the perfect tragic figure: mother to a beautiful child, abandoned by her lover, trust-worthy to a fault, abused, neglected, self-sacrificing, and all of it unrewarded until she lay on her deathbed... but even then happiness is denied to her. As miserable as Valjeans life was throughout the book, I think Fantine's situation is what really gives weight to the title that Hugo chose.And from Fantine there comes Cosette. Although there is plenty in the book about the girl, and then the young woman Cosette, I came away with less of an impression of her than of the other characters. In fact, I felt more connected to Marius than Cosette - although that might have been simply because Cosette comes off as a bit of a wimp, not due to anything that Hugo does, necessarily. It's just strange to read about her passive behavior from a 21st century perspective.The only other main character I want to touch on is Javert. Javert was the epitome of fear to me. He had a nasty habit of always showing up in a city filled with people, leaving the correct impression that he and Valjean were connected in a way that could never be broken. I appreciated Hugo's treatment of the torment that filled Javert at the end of the book and thought that his story ended in a most fitting manner.Hugo spends time not telling the stories of these main characters by elaborating on everything from an incredibly detailed description of the Battle of Waterloo (of which I now know more information than I know how to deal with), slang, the street urchin or gamin, the sewers of Paris, religious orders, and politics. Of these I found Waterloo, the religious order description, and the information on slang to be the most interesting. I read the Hapgood translation of the book for Kindle, and was rewarded with a lengthy introduction and beautiful illustrations throughout the book that enhanced the reading. I laughed, cried, felt sympathy, and completely immersed myself in this story and came away from it feeling richer - and that feeling is how I know I just read something incredible.
    • 4/5
      The story of the results of forgiveness and grace is powerful. I really grew to love, hate, pity, and otherwise empathize with the characters in this book. At times the writing was amazingly beautiful, at others the insights were hilarious or profound. All in all an excellent, mostly terribly sad book. However, reading the entirety of this unabridged version has really opened my eyes to the potential benefit of an abridged version of this, or other massive classic works. There were hundreds of pages in this book that could have been omitted without detriment to the story, in fact, not having to trudge through these parts may have made it more powerful by not losing the emotional pull of the story as we wade through 70+ pages on how nuns lived in certain convents (which convent I believe was given fewer pages of story than the historical exposition). I'd be afraid to have a child read the unabridged, lest I destroyed his love of books. :/
    • 4/5
      In this epic tale of 19th century France, Jean Valjean is an ex-convict mercilessly hunted by the police inspector, Javert. Over the course of nearly twenty years, Valjean continuously attempts to better himself and move beyond his past and in the course of his journey touches the lives of several individuals enveloped in the vicissitudes of poverty.A hefty tome, Victor Hugo's novel is rightfully a classic. His exploration of the character of Jean Valjean and the individuals who surround him is a fascinating read. France in the early 19th century is brilliantly evoked and Hugo is highly capable of writing beautiful prose and a riveting narrative. And some of his asides on society and humanity are an intriguing reflection of the conflict between the ideals of Romanticism and the influx of realism and humanism that emerged during the Industrial Revolution. That being said, the novel does have a few weaknesses. First, is the female characters whose moments of superficiality and stupidity, with Hugo rhapsodizing on the innocence and childlike nature of women, is enough to make you long for a Dickensian heroine. The other major flaw for a modern reader are the regular tangents that break up the flow of the narrative. An in-depth description of the battle of Waterloo and a brief history of the Paris sewers are significant offenders I could have done without. But these two flaws aside, which are signs of the novel's age, Les Misérables is a classic that should be experienced at least once.
    • 5/5
      I got my copy of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" when I was in high school (more than 20 years ago) after seeing the musical. I know I tackled reading it, as there are pen marks in some of the margins, but I'm not terribly sure I ever finished it. With the release of the new (and excellent) movie, I thought this was the time to give it a reread. I'm ever so glad I did.... and I had no trouble finishing it this time. In fact, it was hard to put down.What you can you say about Hugo's epic that hasn't already been said? It's beautifully written with characters that leap off the page. The novel encompasses a huge amount of period French history, putting the characters in the thick of the action of some important (and unimportant events.) It is a story of redemption, of love, of suffering. The only criticism I can lodge is that some of Hugo's tangents go on a bit long... (I now know more than I ever need to about Waterloo, for example) and pull away from the story. At times I wondered if we were ever going to get back to Jean Valjean's story. Still, I can't help giving this five stars because I just loved the book enough to overlook that minor quibble. This is truly just a great book.
    • 3/5
      At the heart of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo lies an endearing, larger-than-life tale about the redemption of a fallen man, but good luck soldiering through everything else. The main story, the one directly related to our protagonist, Jean Valjean, by way of characters Fantine, Javert, Cosette or Marius, is buried deep under the biggest heap of literary filler I have ever encountered in a book. I'm talking hundreds of pages of backstory for minor characters, places, military battles and cultural commentary. Hundreds. Of pages. Overall, Les Mis is very readable and elegant. It's like listening to a beloved professor's lecturing voice, never mind the content. Still, I'm not sure what to call all this unnecessary padding. Expositional stalling?
    • 5/5
      Where do I begin? Maybe I should start with this: I love epic novels. There are not many therapies quite as effective as books with the ability to transport you out of your problems and into fictional ones. This book came at just the right time; half of it was read during a tumultous two week period in which my family moved slightly abruptly; the second half was devoured last month, while I recovered from some unexpected goodbye's. I started Les Miserables with high expectations, and was not disappointed. Victor Hugo is champion of the touching moment. He will spend chapter after chapter setting up every tiny detail for the perfect moment. I found myself having to stop multiple times, I could read no more because I was crying too hard. Please do not be intimidated by this. The title is "The Miserable," and Hugo isn't afraid to bring you down to the level of the lowest to show you what must be the depths of despair. But woven into these troubles and woes are themes of hope and redemption. Thus, the tears and sorrow I felt were of the most satisfying variety. It was those sweet little moments that make this novel so great. Victor Hugo is not afraid of spending adequate time to set things up for a devestating paragraph or shocking sentence. Victor Hugo is certainly not concerned about wasting your time. For example - he spends over four chapters describing the history of the sewer systems of Paris. Was it really necessary? Maybe some of us enjoy having this random bit of history to share with our naughty nerd friends. I wasn't quite so enthusiastic. I attempted to immerse myself in the quality of his writing, and forgive the putrid subject matter. We must allow these great novel writers some lee-way in this area. They spend so much time and thought masking their genius behind characters and intricate story plots. The greatest epic novels tend to have the longest diversions; if we take advantage of the treasure they have handed us, we must also submit ourselves to the occasional ramble. And when you realize exactly how smart this man is, you shan't mind submitting yourself to a (maybe) unnecessary diatribe. So we plow through the history of Parisian sewers and find ourselves in a climax worthy of the highest accolades. For those of you worried about the time and stamina it takes to make it through a 1000+ page novel, have no fear. The book is constantly progressing, becoming more and more beautiful with each succuesive chapter. Before I finish this perhaps conservative and certainly not over-exaggerated praise, I must mention the characters. To me, the characters are the most important element of any novel or work of prose. Hugo's characters were interesting. Although a few bordered cliche, they each had their fair share of peculiarities and were (to some extent) relatable. They certainly had not the four dimensional reality of Tolstoy, neither were they the caricatures of Dickens. Hugo found a lovely middle ground. Although his characters are life-like, they also seem to embody themes, ideas, and philosophies that play and interact within the story - creating a suprisingly interesting philosophical thought box. Kudos to the man- for creating a novel that will outlive every rebellion and continue to reach the multitude with a message of the existence of undying love.
    • 4/5
      I started this book with a little trepidation, I have to admit, as it is such an enormous book in every sense of the word! It was quite daunting knowing this is one of those great classics written so long ago, in such an old, fashioned style, that I wasn't sure what to expect!And I have to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. There was a huge amount of french historical information and at times I did find this quite hard going as the author went off in a tangent at some length, but once I got used to that I found the actual story really good, miserable though it was!! The traumers and misery that the characters encountered were at times unbelievably heartbreaking, but I really did enjoy it.I can see quite easily why it has been such a successful film and musical.As I said before not an easy book to get through but well worth the effort.
    • 5/5
      Read this is high school. Made quite an impression, as I still remember it as a true classic.
    • 5/5
      Les Miserables is one of those books that is perpetually on the shelf of books that should be read when you have spare time. At 1300 pages - that's a LOT of spare time. Is it worth picking up? If you've seen the amazing Broadway musical, then you already know the story of Jean Valjean, a convict who seeks redemption through good acts during his life. Does the book really add more? Yes! Les Miserables is more than the story of a single man. It is a social commentary about class structure in 19th century France and the inability of the poor to receive justice. It is a story about how a person can change - starting as a convict and ending as a saint. It is the story of heroism - people giving their lives for a cause. It is a story about love and the sacrifices people make for love. It is an amazing masterpiece worth every one of those pages.
    • 5/5
      This translation reportedly is loose and in more casual language that will date rapidly rather than true to the original's tone. That does matter to me but what matters more is that it's an audio book -- and slang sounds better aloud than it reads silently -- and audio is the only medium in which I can read this. Especially when narrated by George Guidall.

      Abut halfway through: I think Hugo read too much Dickens. These coincidences of who recognizes whom and who lives where are making my eyes roll right out of my head and making me wonder if there was more than one police officer in the whole of France, since just the one roams from the Mediterranean to the English Channel and knows everyone in Paris by sight.

      Afterward: I really enjoyed the narration, which I do not credit Hugo for but which affected my rating. I enjoyed Hugo's musings on Napoleon, sewers, the Seine, and all the rest, but I'm glad I got to listen to them instead of having to read them. If I had read, I might have skimmed and felt guilty, but this way my attention could wander at will. The story itself was, as I said above, Dickensian, beggaring belief that Gavrotte happened to help his little brothers or to be on the spot to assist his father, that Thénardier and Javert were both everywhere at once. Dickens managed his coincidences better. The only thing I really couldn't fathom was anyone's love of Cosette. Okay, I understand Valjean's, because he was angelic and had rescued her from indenture and raised her from a child, and I understand Marius's initial admiration of a pretty, modest young woman, but her subsequent simperings and willingness to forget Valjean tried my last nerve.
    • 5/5
      The book, the play, the film, the story can't be beat. HOwever, Hugo's original version, which I read in college French was a handful. 
    • 4/5
      Victor Hugo's classic Les Misérables is a good story bogged down by many digressions. It's probably what anyone should expect from the era. Authors of the time did frequently step away from the narrative and give their opinions about this matter or that, then tell you about the historical context (Hugo departed from his opinions occasionally to tell the story). More than once, Hugo wrote, “The following is an authentic incident which, although it has no bearing on our story...” “Although it has no bearing on our story”--this is a problem. Half the book could be eliminated and you'd still have the same story. Fortunately, the tale that is the backbone of Les Misérables is memorable enough than the reader still recalls the story by the time Hugo finishes his thirty or forty page rant.So I will say flat out that Hugo was not a great novelist as we think of it today. Not only did he try to lure the reader into a book of philosophy, political theory, and whatever other train of thought Hugo wanted to follow, but he tried (unsuccessfully, I believe) to trick the reader with moments of suspense. He played this game where he tried to suspend the revelation for several chapters. Maybe it's effective the first couple times, but it becomes clear too early that it is a gimmick. This man, the man you've been reading about for the past thirty pages, is really...All that thrown to the streets and left to beg, Hugo was a wonderful storyteller. The tales of Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius, et al are epic. They may only be loosely connected to one another, but their bulk is comprised of one theme. Parallels can certainly be made to the Bible when viewed as a work of literature. Both are filled with tragedy, history, love, and enough digressions to reinterpret and make a religion out of. But the stories that many people remember from the Bible—Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers, Moses and the exodus, the birth of Jesus, the prodigal son, Paul on the road to Damascus, et cetera—these stories carry much of the same love, jealousy, anger, and hope that the stories in Les Misérables impart on the reader. And when you take a step back, look at the story in its full context, try not to let your annoyances or biases get in the way, you'll find a story of redemption. That is the Bible. And that is Les Misérables.
    • 5/5
      A masterpiece of realism and humanity, like only a French author could have ever written. The scope is huge, the story incredibly powerful and beautiful.
    • 5/5
      This is the biggest book I've ever read and one of the best. I like how it goes through Jean Valjean's entire life, from being a prisoner, to a good man, to his death. I like how everything worked together in the end, and how Marius realized Valjean wasn't bad after all. I also liked the digressions that Victor Hugo goes into. They were all very interesting.

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    Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

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