Discussions
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cama
I read this before seeing the musical or movie and couldn't put the book down.... an incredible story and demonstration of genuine love, grace and forgiveness....a true love story.
posted 5 years ago.
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phil m
Indeed! Genuine love, grace and forgiveness (well-spoken). Had a Bible never been written, Jean Valjean's life could have served as the ultimate role model for Christian virtue. He was not perfect, but as perfectly mature in Christian virtue as flesh and blood gets. Valjean was not "religious", but genuinely Christian.
posted 3 years ago.
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wings_in_the_moonlights
real vision of life in the 19th century,and a story of a human's life in general.....great characters,great story.....I really love that book.......
posted 5 years ago.
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Sri K
There are a large number of authors who translated this book into English. Whose version is the best?
posted 5 years ago.
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phil m
It is hard to say which Hugo novel is best because I love them all. I read Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was written when Hugo was still in his hormonal prime (late twenties), and then read Les Miserables, which Hugo wrote late in life (about sixty). Both novels had the master's touch, but "Hunchback" seemed to focus on the misery men feel when their unfulfilled desire for a woman reaches the boiling point, while Le Miz focuses on the strength and compassion that an older man developes once his own life has been rescued from misery and injustice. I've also read "Toiler's of the Sea", which could be considered vintage Hugo. In all three books, Hugo has an annoying tendency toward lengthy digressions from the plot, but his mind gave great riches to the world, and if we've gotta wade through fifty pages of digression to reap the gold, then we must. It's worth it.
posted 3 years ago.
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jyoti d
Certainly the best book I have ever read.Although the length is quite discouraging....the storyline keeps you going and going.. and going and...going...
Amazing stories of human behaviour and society.. a must read for every bookworm and if you hate reading books..well you do not know what you are missing out on... so go ahead...read this book and feel the experience of your lifetimeposted 5 years ago.
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Wamuyu
i watched the movie when i was younger.....am really looking forward to reading the book
posted 5 years ago.
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Krisha L
I didnt expect the ending....this was the book that we've read last year for our book report.!!
posted 5 years ago.
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sahar
I like this book specially the last chapter that Javer find out the true and kill him.I've read it in french and I recommend you, if you know french language, read this book in french because It so beautifull.
posted 5 years ago.
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Samaneh
An awesome book. I learned so many things from this book. I love Victor Hugo's novels.
posted 5 years ago.
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phil m
Hugo is the best! After reading Hugo, most novels seem so shallow and devoid of any real emotion. He had some annoying tendencies toward lengthy digressions, but we must remember that he wrote before there was any such thing as radio or TV, and people didn't mind being put on hold for 80 pages while Hugo narrated his opinions on the glories of Paris, or the entire history of Waterloo.
posted 3 years ago.
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santiago v
loved this book... even if it took me like 3 months to read it, i think its a master piece
posted 5 years ago.
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Naheed S
It is a very beautiful book.... but I think it should be read when the reader has reached a certain age of maturity...otherwise its essence cannot be fully appreciated...I think anyone below 18 years will not be able to appreciate it completely... also i wont recommend it to people who are trying to develop reading habit. This book can only be read by those who just LOVE reading...
posted 5 years ago.
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HemingwayHeroine
Agreed. I was given this book when I was 15 by my parents because I loved the play so much. I only ever got about 200 pages in before completely giving up. I think I've reached that 'certain age of maturity' and finally cracked the book again a couple months ago. It's slow going, but I'm halfway through, and it is fantastic.
posted 5 years ago.
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Jennifer Y
I would disagree a little bit. I'm not sure if a strict age limit should be applied to anyone. I think it is important that the reader have the reading ability, motivation, and maturity to appreciate this book and complete reading it. I read it when I was in high school, read every word, and loved it. I would also say that there are some people who are above the age of 18 who are not ready and would not appreciate this book. Some people's interest may not be in this area as well. It definitely requires maturity but I don't think a number tells us about a person's maturity level.
posted 4 years ago.
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Chris Nuevo removed this reply 4 years ago
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How old should you be before you read this book? I grew up with the musical so I know the story, but should the book have an age restriction?
posted 4 years ago.
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Enjoumaru
I read it in eighth grade, so 13. No, it shouldn't have an age restriction. What a silly thing to say. Think about when it was written for goodness' sake. It's a lengthy book, and quite sad, but if you feel you can get through it and understand it, then you can read it.
posted 4 years ago.
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HemingwayHeroine
It certainly doesn't need an age restriction. It's fairly boring no matter what age you are. Magnificent, but so bogged down in history. Just make sure you don't give yourself a time limit on it. Take your time. Allow yourself that time. It might take quite a while.
posted 4 years ago.
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Jake's Mom
nothing in it obscene but it is more adult ready because the long winded descriptions can be boring thus making the reader not want to finish reading it in my opinion
posted 4 years ago.
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Jennifer Y
I read it in high school. There is nothing content wise that I would say would be a deterrent. Someone just needs to be up to that level of reading. It has many layers of personal stories so you need to be ready for following it and it does have some lengthy descriptions. Also be prepared for the Marius/Eponine part to not to be so romatized in the book. If you really love the romance of that part then you could be disappointed by how it was originally.
posted 4 years ago.
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Karen G
I've always loved the play and the story in general. I started reading and haven't been able to put it down. It is hard to get through the long historical regressions, but for me it's almost like reading two books. There's the story, and then there's the history. At times I'm tempted to just skip the history, but in reality I love that as much as the story. And you're right WOW, what an amazing writer. It's almost 140 years old and yet I feel as though he's making statements about today's social, economic, political and religious states. I want every politician to read it!
posted 4 years ago.
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phil m
I agree with all you say about this book. Hugo, in all his writing, did have an annoying tendency towards lengthy digressions into histories that were superfluous to the storyline. Yet his stories were so amazing that it is worth wading through his digressions.
posted 3 years ago.
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Diane C
I began reading this book several years ago. I liked it then, but I put it down and haven't picked it up again until now. I look forward to reading it.
posted 4 years ago.
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Scott C
Have you seen the play? Caught it on Broadway when I lived in NY. Now my favorite. I've seen it probably 10 times and it never gets old.
posted 3 years ago.
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KayLee F
I really enjoyed this book. I normally don't like books that are sad, but I loved this one.
posted 3 years ago.
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Anna K
I think the musical glamourized the role of Eponine and made her far more popular. However, her character adds a great amount of emotion to the social and revolutionary commentary and is an amazing foil to Cosette. I cried during her death scene.
posted 3 years ago.
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Rowland Bismark Fernando
The different politics of the Gillenormand and Pontmercy households represent the political trends dividing France in Hugo’s time. Gillenormand, Pontmercy, and Marius each symbolize the major political trends of their respective generations. Gillenormand, the eldest of the three men, is a staunch supporter of the kings who ruled France in the centuries prior to the French Revolution of 1789. Pontmercy, on the other hand, is an ardent follower of Napoléon, who inherited the legacy of the 1789 revolution and acted as emperor of France until his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. After 1815, the royal family, the Bourbons, returned to power. To ensure that belief in the Napoléonic tradition is not passed down from father to son, Gillenormand intentionally isolates Marius from Pontmercy, raising him to support the Bourbons and oppose Napoléon. When Marius discovers that his father secretly loved him, however, he becomes more receptive to his father’s beliefs and begins to examine them without prejudice. As a result of his research, Marius radically changes his political beliefs, which ultimately creates a rift between him and his grandfather. The split between Marius and Gillenormand, along with Marius’s embrace of Napoléon, symbolizes the younger generation’s rediscovery of the Napoléonic values and the principles of democracy.
While the Thénardiers’ values have remained much the same, their move to Paris is a comment on the uprooted and debased nature of the French middle class following the restoration of the monarchy. Since leaving their inn in Montfermeil, the Thénardiers have become much poorer, and their greedy misbehavior has degenerated into serious con artistry and fraud. The Thénardiers’ debased status is largely due to their obsession with money. Despite—or perhaps because of—their singular pursuit of francs, the Thénardiers are now worse off than they were in Montfermeil, since all of them are now packed into a wretched one-room tenement. Regardless of the cause of their misfortunes, however, the Thénardiers are a warning of what happens when one social class loses so much so quickly. Early on, the Thénardiers are petty swindlers, but their increasing poverty has made them so desperate and selfish that they go so far as to throw their youngest son, Gavroche, out onto the streets.
Gavroche exemplifies Hugo’s belief that material wealth is unnecessary for—and can even impede—true happiness. Although Gavroche is the Thénardier who possesses the least, he is the happiest and most generous of the lot. He is less driven by the need for wealth and possessions, which makes him freer than the other Thénardiers to pursue his more authentic desires. Gavroche’s carefree existence stands in striking contrast to the Thénardiers’ home life, which consists of sitting idly in a cold, dark room all day, waiting for money from one of their schemes to come in. The difference between Gavroche and the rest of his family shows the misery that can accompany an obsession with money, as opposed to the happiness that can come with freedom.posted 2 years ago.
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Sara Murtagh Mellark Aybara Pippin de Weasley
WOW, discribing this book in words is impossible, it simply amazing a must read BEFORE u diE such a thing!
I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!! I enjoyed every moment, victor hugo is amazing!
does any one know any other "good" books rly worth reading for victor hugo pls?posted 2 years ago.
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SCOTT LASSITER
I would recommend The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Make sure you do not get the abridged version though, it only saves you about 100 pages and actually crops out important scenes that completely change the meaning of the book. I remember I wrote a paper on that a LOOOOONG time ago.
posted 1 year ago.
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Grace H
The writing is food for the soul. I absolutely loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anybody else want their own marius? or thought cosette got a tiny bit annoying towards the end?
posted 1 year ago.
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#1 Javert Fan
Ohhhhhh myyyyy goooosssshhhhh, this book is just so FLIPPIING amazing!!!!!! I love the plot and everything about it!!!! (especially that tall lil' Inspector... :D)!!!!!!!! TEAM JAVERT!!!!!!!
posted 1 year ago.
