Reviews

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

aisleyjane's review against another edition

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5.0

I have absolutely no words. This book is an absolute masterpiece. I have never seen a character as inspiring as Jean Valjean. His continuous desire to do what is right and his constant humility had me floored. His relationship with Cosette might be my favorite literary relationship of all time. Safe to say the ending had me bawling my eyes out.

gabbybooks91's review against another edition

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5.0

He de admitir que siempre me intimidó este libro y que lo único que sabía de él era a través de las películas, sobre todo la versión de Hugh Jackman.

El leer en un principio acerca de las vivencias de Jean Valjean, sobre todo cuando salió de prisión y sentir en carne propia el rechazo hacia él me dolió y sin embargo tuvo la fortuna de conocer a Monseñor Myrel, un hombre que cambió su vida y que le dio la oportunidad de comenzar nuevamente.
Otro personaje que sin duda me marcó fue la pobre Fantine. Sin duda el ser abandonada con una bebé en brazo y sobre todo sin dar una sola explicación me partió el alma, porque es una realidad que hoy se sigue viendo al rededor del mundo. Pero su amor de madre la hizo hacer lo más difícil del mundo que fue dejar a su pequeña hija al cuidado de un par de personas sin escrúpulos, e incluso dió su vida por conseguir unas monedas para que su niña estuviera bien.
Y qué decir de Gavroche, ese pilluelo me robó el corazón desde el principio; el ser prácticamente abandonado por sus padres y vivir en la completa miseria NO fue inconveniente para que fuera feliz en en el Paris del S.XIX.

Lloré, reí, me enojé y volví a llorar con toda la historia de principio a fin.

c8_19's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.5

hassanazmi's review against another edition

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5.0

One of the best stories I’ve read
One of the best protagonists ever
Written beautifully

If it wasn’t for the random tangents this would be one of the best. Worth reading just for Valjean’s arc

mjduncan2's review against another edition

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Boring

hadeanstars's review against another edition

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4.0

A marvellous read, with that rather bleak aspect that is common to the great tragedies of this era. Enjoyable for all its darkness, the protagonist, Jean Valjean is a kind of prototypical Neptune man, a testament to the redemptive power of unconditional love. His simple compassion and integrity become his true legacy, eclipsing the bitterness of his life. I enjoyed every minute of this.

EDIT: I read this again! I'm so glad I did, it's vast but wonderful, something to get lost in.

clariseng's review against another edition

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5.0

Love and goodness struggling to exist in a world filled with evil and dissipation

reading_rat4's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

a beautiful novel that remains strikingly and depressingly relevant. Victor Hugo does not shy away from the moral, social, and physical horrors wrought by extreme poverty and marginalization. Les Misérables is a story that believes in redemption, that argues that brutality is the product of carceral systems that treat men like beasts, it explores the tragedy and promise of living in a country where the French Revolution has happened and where young radicals hope to realize its legacy.  It is a novel where to be  Christian is to be loving and to offer one’s hand to those who suffer - to see God within those who society despises and rejects. Reading Les Mis is a clarifying experience for anyone who is touched by the injustice of our current world.

erickibler4's review against another edition

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5.0

What a great story! But every 100 pages or so, Hugo interrupts it with a long digression about something intended to expand the reader's understanding or the story: Waterloo, convent life, street slang, revolutions, the sewers of Paris, etc. At the time, whenever I'd get to one of these points, I'd think, "Just get on with it, Vic!" But after finishing the book, I have to say I'm glad for the background info.

Now I can finally watch the musical. I never watched it before so as not to ruin the book for myself.

tishingtonplunk's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0