Les Miserables (Enriched Classics)

I'm not sure how anyone who's read through this book can rate it at less than five stars, unless he doesn't enjoy classic literature or perhaps read a poor translation. Hugo's general knowledge and genius are stupendous. He delivers coherent digressionary essays on all manner of deep topics external to the main plot of the novel: the human psyche and motivation, spirituality, convents and monasteries, human rights, love. He weaves all this in with his solid grasp of history, warfare and battle tactics, politics, and even sewer construction. Not to mention an enthralling story that was considered robust enough to make into a recent high-budget Hollywood film.

I just finished the Penguin (Denny) translation last night after about two years of working on this ~1250 page beast (I took breaks of, oh, around four months every now and then). I read 600 pages in the last three months or so in a rather determined effort to finish it up. I found Denny's translation generally outstanding. Very readable and never bogged me down. He moved a couple of the lengthier digressions to separate appendices at the back of the book. I read those too; they were worth it!

The plot itself is intricate but involves a relatively small set of characters considering the length of the book. Somehow, through various coincidences, the characters' actions affect each other throughout the entire novel. The hero Jean Valjean, the inflexible Javert, and the evil Thenardier are present through most of the story and their individual aims and goals are what keep the story moving. Hugo also successfully superimposes this plot on the turbulent political atmosphere of the time and the characters are each directly affected by events outside their control.

Les Miserables is simply one of the greatest works produced by the human mind in all of recorded history. You owe it to yourself to take the time to work through it at some point in your life. You'll be a better person for it. And I think that Valjean is a good model for the right and honorable way to try to live our lives.

I am a high school English teacher who teaches this novel. I have found this particular edition to be the most usable form of the novel so far. It is not so abridged that some of the more poetic passages have been excluded or glossed over, and students are not overwhelmed by it. I recently accidently began re-reading the novel in the edition that is most popular now--with the movie photos in it--and realized fairly early on that some of the passages that I wanted to mark were not there! So, having lost my first copy of this edition, I am on my second one now. Including all of the different times I have bought the novel in a variety of abridgement forms, this is, I think, my fifth copy. This is the version that I love.

Even though I have my complaints about "Les Miserables" it is really impossible to give it less than five stars. You know it is a classic when you are reading it. Somehow, inherently, you know it is the work of a true genius. The basic plot has become somewhat mainstream and familiar. The story of Jean Valjean and how he steals a loaf of bread, spends 20 years in prison, and dedicates the rest of his life to helping the downtrodden, particularly the orphaned Cosette is what comprises most of the movie adaptations and the famous broadway musical. However, this basic plot is just the tip of the iceberg. As with Dostoyevsky and Ben Jonjak, the plot is just an outline from which to hang a plethora of abstract discussions on all manner of topics ranging from morality to the state of the sewers of Paris. Though Hugo doesn't give as much credibility to the more pragmatic side of his moralistic arguments as Dostoevsky and Jonjak do, it is entertaining and somewhat rewarding to see the spirit of true altruism presented so diligently. By reading the whole novel, instead of just focusing on the broadway or film productions, you get a much larger comment on human nature. The novel offers a unique assessment of the human condition that cannot quite be obtained from any other writer than Hugo. If you consider yourself a person of letters, this is a must read.

The translation and the older language style make this a tough read, but no other novel commands your emotions and passions like Les Miserables. Victor Hugo plays the reader's soul like a violin. My literary goal is to actually finish reading an entire unabridged version

Les Miserables is one of the best books ever written. It contains all the elements of a superior novel; fantastic character descriptions, an unpredictable plot, internal and exterior character struggles, and a myriad of intricate details that lead to a happy ending. The reader finds themself swept away in Jean Valjean escaped from Javert and Cossette's beauty and good humor triumphing over her unhappy circumstances. Alone, each character's story is intriguing, but when Hugo contects the lifes of these character, the novel becomes mermizing. The overlapping details and intricacy of novel leave the reader with an insatiable hunger for more. I could not put this book down. The reader is constantly wonder how the next plot twist will effect the characters and the book's final outcome. I throughly enjoy this book and have read it more than once. With each time I re-read it, I learn more about the connections of the characters and I obtain a deeper understanding of the novel. Hugo captures the essence of 19 th century France and allows the reader to be transported into Jean ValJean and Cossette's world. Even though the size of the book can be daunting, I highly recommend reading and re-reading this book.