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Rating: 
Summary: Curl up with one of the all-time best novels in history!
Review: What I most like about this inspiring story is the way Victor Hugo is able to capture human nature in a wide spectrum of character types. There is Jean Valjean- hardened ex-con. There is the Bishop- a figure reminiscent of Saint Francis the reformed playboy. Then there is Jean Valjean again- cleansed of bitterness by the experience of pure grace. There is Javert: Mr. By-the -book, letter of the law, unrelenting exactor of merciless judgement, pursuing Valjean to the ends of the earth. We also have Thenardier (not sure of sp. as I loaned the book to a good friend). We first meet him at night on the battlefield of Waterloo as he is robbing the dead and near-dead of their possesions. A vulture among men. As Javert's judgement is the antithesis of the Bishop's compassionate grace, so Thenardier's grasping greediness is the antithesis of Valjean's openhanded generosity and sensitivity to the needs of others. In this book we find the story of a hunted man (the original Fugitive), the mis-placed fervor of young revolutionaries, the joy of romance and the cutting pain of unrequited love. Those who enjoyed the Musical will love the book, finding that it fills in a number of gaps. Those who have a love of history will find more than enough in Hugo's often rambling excursions. Don't expect to finish this book in a weekend. It is a weighty tome. But the investment of time will be richly repaid in the enjoyment of a great story and insight into the human condition. Enjoy!
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