Rating: 
Summary: An extraordinarily moving story, very well told.
Review: Still, it is not without flaws. For one thing, the characterization of Jean Valjean seems somewhat erratic at the beginning of the book; apparently, Hugo believes that being converted from beastliness to benevolence increases a person's IQ by about 30 points. (Valjean goes from being a common laborer, unexceptional and unimpressive, who 19 years in the galleys have turned into a beast, to being, after his conversion to the "light side of the force", an inventor, a competent magistrate, and an expert herbalist.) But this is a fairly minor quibble, as it is one of the few flaws in characterization, among dozens of characters, and happens early enough in the book that we have well over seven hundred pages of consistent characterization of Valjean after the sudden change.Otherwise, we have a book which, if taken in the context of the accepted writing conventions of its time, is virtually flawless. Still, a modern reader is likely to find the pacing rather slow at times; what it actually is, is "symphonic". It starts slowly, and very very gradually builds to a crescendo, only to begin a new movement, again very slowly, and build very gradually to a crescendo. This happens over and over in the course of the thousand pages of the book (give or take a couple of hundred, depending on the edition that you read.) It can be very annoying at times; for instance, we're literally fifty pages into the book before we even MEET our main character (the first fifty pages being a character portrait of a man who has a very major influence on the life of said main character, but who never appears again after the first hundred pages) and then again, a bit later, after we've just finished a very exciting part of the story, and seem poised to continue in a similarly exciting vein, we take a literally fifty page digression into the history of the battle of Waterloo, which happened eight years or so previous to what was happening in the story, and while a tiny bit of this digression later becomes extremely important to the plot, truly forty-five of those fifty pages were completely irrelevant, and even the five or so that were germaine did not become so until MUCH later. Then, with "only" 200 pages left to go, a character escapes from a tight situation by fleeing into the sewers, so we must have a twelve page digression on the history, philosophy, and geography of the Parisian sewer system. This pattern is repeated constantly throughout the book, and it can be very frustrating for a reader who comes from an era in which an author is expected to stay at least marginally on-topic, but it is necessary to understand that such was considered a perfectly reasonable writing style at the time. In any case, the story is good enough to make it worth putting up with the digressions; my only other complaint is that the love interest in the story is again very typically 19th century, (two people, incidentally both young and good-looking, who don't know each other in the slightest, make eye contact across a quadrangle and are suddenly, magically, in love. But it's a spiritual love, of course, nothing of physical attraction in it at all, and the love actually survives the test of time...a concept that still survives today, mostly in bad romance novels, but it was absolutely standard in Hugo's time) but one can hardly blame the man for being a product of his times. Highly recommended, with the caveat that you must understand that it will not be an easy read. It is every bit as daunting as those thousand pages make it look.
Rating: 
Summary: a colossus of literature
Review: Hugo's books are not an easy read in a sense that they are very much emotionally involving. About 15 years ago I was pulled in by "The Man Who Laughs." The kind of emotional punch it packed was astounding. During the same year I first read "Les Miserables" - and for me Jean became a hero to look up to. But it's not only a book about one remarkable individual - it is also a book about the world we live in, just a moment's pass on eternal clock.
Hugo places the reader in the midst of dark valleys of 19th century Paris or it countryside and one can't help following Jean and Cosette with Javert hot on their heels. One reason we feel so much "inside" the story is that each character, even the non-sequential ones, are incredibly well-drawn, their faces (or mugs) are as clear as etchings. But it's not only that, otherwise it would be easily dismissed as so many works by so-called "scholars". The narrative is infused with white-hot passion. Yes, Hugo is taking a preacher-like stance on many issues, but without that the story would be simply entertaining but not involving and provocative which it remains to the present day. (After all, the villains have just changed their masks. Instead of unwashed rags they may now wear Italian business suits.)
This book cries out to its readers to take action, to ask themselves if their lives have meaning, to stop the pursuit of worldly possessions and concentrate on the pursuit of the moral ones. It is also about the second chances, about real and fake love, and about misplaced guilt and internal conflict.
I really hope the teachers don't make this book a "requirement" or that the students read abridged versions of it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest classics of all time
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Les Miserables--excellent!
Review: Yes, this book is long, but it sure is worth the read! Don't be bogged down in the battle scenes, but push through to the end. An adventure, a mystery, and a love story in one. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book Yet
Review: i beleive that les mis was the best book that i had ever read in my whole entire life. the story of jean valjean was a very sad thing. it is unfortunate that he had been run down all his life for stealing a piece of bread that wasnt even for himself. also, i think that javert needs to get his facts straight before he makes life difficult for another person. i think that the ending for marius and costee is very romantic.
Rating:
Summary: A work of greatness - Read a contemporary review
Review: The story of Jean Valjean is a classic tragedy, reminiscent in his fate of other great characters such as Oedipus or any of Thomas Hardy's heros. It is also wonderfully French - and despite the gargantuan size of the book, one never gets lost in the tale but is absorbed in the story. I came across an original review of Les Miserables at The Atlantic Monthly's website. The article is interesting because the reviewer clearly felt that "Les Mis" was a kind of pulp fiction and that a con trick was being played on the general public to encourage them in the belief that they should read this book if they wanted the kudos of their pals - Hugo as a 19th century Stephen Hawking, in other words. However, the author noted that "few who take the book up will leave it until they have read it through". This seems to be the general consensus, even today. Unfortunately I am not permitted to type in the whole web address so that you could more easily find the T.A.M. review, but if you are interested, go to The Atlantic Monthly's website and under the section entitled "Books and Critics" type in "lesmisfa.htm" at the search engine. The review itself was written in July 1862.
Rating:
Summary: Consider the Penguin edition!
Review: I won't attempt to extensively review this classic, except to say that it's one of the most readable, involving, uplifting books you'll ever read, *if* you enjoy the kind of long, detailled 19th century novel that you really can immerse yourself in. I'd like to point out some positives of the Penguin edition, since editions can differ greatly in attributes. The Penguin is almost unabridged, but not quite (in case the low price had you wondering). It still checks in at a hefty 1232 pages, and has been trimmed by the translator only of some [here are his words]: "passages of mediocrity and banality....which may cause the reader to lose all patience.... The translator can, I maintain, do something to remedy these defects without falsifying the book." So it won't please absolute purists, but it is very much more complete than are some of the smaller mass market editions. It's a larger format ("trade") paperback. This 1976 translation is by Norman Denny, and I love it. It's warm and readable, and he spells out place names instead of keeping to the old convention of calling Myriel the "Bishop of D----." I highly recommend this edition.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!
Review: I saw the musical version of Les Mis and it prompted me to find out more about this fascinating story. All of my expectaitions were met. How do you really say how great a book is that has been around for 300 years?? This truly is a tremendous book and I reccomend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: "Les Miserables" : Victor Hugo's grestest achievement
Review: If you are the kind of person thirsting for the image of Man as a being to whom nothing is impossible - and to whom everything great is possible, then "Les Miserables" is the novel for you.
With a few exceptions, such as Ayn Rand, there is no writer in world literature who has portrayed such a grand, noble, sublime and inspiring image of man as Victor Hugo.
In "Les Miserables", Hugo has given the best expression that his genius could to this element.
The theme of this masterpiece is : "The projection and glorification of a moral-spiritual force based on Love, Compassion and above all Conscience, aimed at overthrowing the existing order of human existence and establish a new world where these cardinal values will guide human life." Such an important, profound and philosophical theme could only have been selected by a visionary such as Victor Hugo - whom I consider the greatest novelist of the 19th Century. Other than Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" I do not know any single novel in world literature which seeks to present a unique philosophy to change the world and give a new direction to human existence. According to me, the plot-theme is : "The step-by-step purification of a man's soul and his achievement of spiritual perfection." Jean Valjean is the hero of the novel. The best years of his life have been wasted because of the iniquities and injustice of the prevailing social order. Emerging from prison after 19 years, his soul is immersed in anger, bitterness, hatred and a feeling of vengeance against society. How he acieves spiritual perfection, as viewed by Hugo, is what the story is all about. However, this point has not been recognised by many. While most say that the theme is : "The injustice of society towards the lower classes", Hugo's intention was to dramatise "Man's struggle against the laws of society". Keeping this in view, the accepted plot theme is (as best defined by Ayn Rand) : "The lifelong flight of an ex-convict from a ruthless representative of the law", this representative being Javert. However, the struggle of Jean Valjean continues long after his conflict with Javert is resolved.
Victor Hugo is not just showing that Conscience is above Law, but this: what is the highest level of selflessness and self-sacrifice a man is capable of and what makes it possible.
As far as I can see, the accepted plot-theme has been identified the way it has been, because it defines a specific purpose(i.e., Javert's pursuit of Jean Valjean). Perhaps critcs would dismiss my point of view because neither is it Jean Valjean's explicit goal to become perfect nor does he set himself an objective which would symbolize his attainment of perfection.
But I look at the plot to have been construsted in a manner which inevitably leads Jean Valjean to perfection. Bishop Myriel is the guiding image for Jean Valjean:his role represents how love and compassion can resurrect a man's conscience.
Fantine is the symbol of the woman and Cossette is the symbol of the child who are the victims of social evils. Javert-the implaccable, ruthless and awe-inspiring policeman who shall never compromise on his values - is the symbol of blind conformity to the existing legal and social order. One of the greatest achievements of "Les Miserables" is its sweeping sense of drama. What I love most about Hugo is the superb dramatic situations - suspenseful, thrilling, emotionally intense - he creates.
The scenes are so breathtakingly grandiose and mind-blowing that one can only think : "How did he get such a brilliant idea??!!"
The best part of the novel is the fighting at the barricades during the July Revolution in Paris - led by, perhaps the most admirable hero in 19th Century Romantic fiction - Enjolras.
Enjolras - despite a minor role - made a greater impact on me than the two central characters - Jean Valjean and Marius. One also cannot forget the lovable, heroic, 12 year old Gavroche. The greatest drawback of "Les Miserables" is the plethore of esssays on various social, historical, religious and other issues, which are exasperatingly long, which interrupt the plot, make the novel cumbersome and the reader impatient.
However, they give the reader a picture of the world which Hugo had in mind (and which he wanted to revolutionize-and how) while writing the book.
They may not be directly related to the plot, but are certainly related to the meaning of the novel. Further, the plot tends to become loose at times. The coincidences are rather naive and force the reader to conclude that they are meant solely to bring coherence in the story or to present a particular aspect of Hugo's philosophy.
Some may find the descriptions unnecessarily meticulous, though in poetic terms they are stunningly beautiful. However, all this seems irrelevant if we concentrate on the profound pschycological analysis of the value-conflicts of Jean Valjean (and Javert) rarely matched in world literature; the scope and intellectual value of the novel; its immense social and philosophical significance and its wonderful portrayal of man as a heroic being. But above all is the unsurpassable dramatic treatment rendered by Hugo's genius : the sheer artistry, the incomparable ingenuity, the soulful emotional content, the startling originality and compelling suspense-there is NO OTHER SINGLE WRITER IN THE WORLD who has equalled Hugo in this aspect-make, in addition to its numerous merits, "Les Miserables" one of the greatest achievements of the human mind.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing---totally worth the long read
Review: I finished this book very recently. It was worth the 1400 pages. Hugo has this marvelous way of creating each character in such a way that you can relate and understand them. If you ever plan on seeing the musical, or have seen the musical-- I would like to encourage you to READ THIS BOOK! You will never be the same. Hugo pulls you into France and lets you look into the lives of the characters in such a complete way. This book is unparalleled. I have never read another that creates such well-rounded, insightful characters! Really READ THIS! My words do not do it justice.
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