Chances are you already know the broad outline of Les Misérables from seeing a live
performance of the musical, or maybe a movie version. The convict Jean
Valjean repents and finds redemption in loving the orphan Cosette.
Relentless police inspector Javert, however, keeps him on the run.
French society, rife with poverty and inequality, is erupting.
At more than 1,400 pages in some editions, Victor Hugo’s 1862
masterpiece contains so much more than that bare outline, with many
characters and both a personal story of redemption and a denunciation
of early-19th-century social ills. Les
Mis encompasses such a vast sweep — love, evil, forgiveness,
oppression, second chances, compassion, intransigence, collective
effort, endurance, saintliness, meanness, courage, self-sacrifice —
that it can be said to be about all of life. It is inspiring, moving,
and even suspenseful.
If the length intimidates you, know that Hugo went off on digressions
that you can skip without losing anything essential to the plot. If
you’re still intimidated, try an abridged version. Julie Rose’s 1996
abridgement (only 336 pages!) gets good reviews on Amazon.
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