Les Miserables a New Unabridged Translation (Signet Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: No description can adequately capture the majestic beauty and scope of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I would give it seven stars if I could. It is indeed the best book I have read. However, I must warn you that the abridged version does not remotely do justice to Hugo's masterpiece. One of the most endearing characters is young Gavroche, and although just a minor character, he is described down to the most minute detail and given depth not seen in many major characters of today's novels. Society is forever in Hugo's debt.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book
Review: This was one of my favorite books of all time. It is a story of a undesirable man who turns his life around and becomes almost like a Saint. From beginning to end I found no part boring or slow, it was all full of adventure. I would also recommend "The Count of Monte Cristo" if you are interested in reading "Les Miserables" or if you read it and enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Novels Ever Written
Review: I agree with the other reviewers that this book should be read by all people. Hugo delves into human nature, love, justice, and mercy in this book. It is also a great story. My favorite aspect of this story is Redemption, and Mercy. Along with Tolstoy's "War and Peace," I consider this my favorite novel ever.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST VOOK EVER
Review: It's very rare to find a book like this one. Every page and every chapter is a delight to the reader. the Charicters are the best. Fantine and her stugle to afford housing; Valjean escaping prison and getting freedom again; Javert trying to capture Valjean to put him back into prison and the Barricade students trying to overthrogh louis XIV and his horrible rule over france. Every minute of the book is worth it. I swear you'd NEVER read a facinating book like this one

Rating:
Summary: It Should Be A Crime NOT to Read This
Review: Anyone who has not read Hugo's mammoth masterpiece is missing out on a jewel of world literature. Easily the best novel ever written in history, beating out such heavyweights as Faulkner, Hemingway, Joyce, Bronte, Austen, and a dozen others. The characters are so real, so full of substance. When Marius falls in love with Cosette so do you. When Valjean goes through his crisis of conscience the reader goes right along with him. Never have I been so swept up in a novel before. The size of the book (Signet's edition is around 1450pp.) is intimidating at first, but believe me, if you stick with the story you will find yourself at the end of 1450 plus pages wishing there was more to read. This is truly the best of the best as far as novels go. However, I do have a warning, AVOID THE MOVIE. It does injustice to a great masterpiece. The movie will not spoil the novel but if you read the novel and then watch the movie (or vica versa) you will be sorely disappointed with the movie because of how badly it butchers the novel. If you want to experience love and passion and intrigue and miracles READ THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Coming from a LesMisfit
Review: I read the book, saw the play, and watched the movies. I am definitely a LesMisfit (anyone who frequents the LM site more than is probably needed) and must say that this book is beyond the expectations anyone can have. It's brilliance cannot be matched and the fact that it is really a satire makes it just even more special. There is nothing in this book that can not be loved. Stick through the first chapter, those fifty pages are the slow part of the book. The characters are enlightening and cliffnotes cannot get across the importance of these lives and convey the emotion that Hugo puts into this. This book honestly changed my life, in a positive way and once you read it you will want to read it again and again, whereas if you watch the movie first I feel bad for you because you have no idea what you are missing. The movies are seriously lacking in certain areas that are potentially crucial to the plot. I read this book for the first time when I was twelve and have read it numerous times since. It is a book that should not be missed by anyone who can read.

Rating:
Summary: Les Miserables
Review: Victor Hugo's _Les Miserables_ is truely what everyone makes it out to be. It is a literary masterpiece and a work of art. I am a high school senior who was reading the book because of a manditory project, but ended up finishing the book because of enjoyment. Some people critisize different versions that were translated from French, but they all have basically the same effect. The main differences are the abbridged versions from the unabbridged version of the book. The unabbridged version has a lot of French histroy about their revolution and the days of Napoleon. The history ties in with the book and makes the effect of the book more real and dramatic, but reading the story itself is just as enjoying. If you want the story itslef, just about the characters and their lives, then the abbridged version may be more suitable to you. So which ever version of Les Miserables you decide to pick up, you're most likely going to enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest achievements of the human mind
Review: Reading this magnificent story of human life and human nature is undoubtedly one of the best things I have ever done till now. The Signet Classics version ( translated by Fahnestock e.a. ) is simply wonderful and is as near to being perfect as possible. To any of you who have not read this book, donot be afraid of the number of pages, please do read it; you will be grateful for it!

Rating:
Summary: SIMPLY MARVELOUS
Review: Read it the first time for the famous story, read it the second time for the history and read it again just for fun! This book does it all. It brings you into France and into the lives of Fantine, Marius, Val Jean, Cosette, and many more unforgetable characters. It takes you inside the story like no musical or movie can ever hope to do. It is here that you learn about the connections between teh characters that make them act he way that they do. It is only in these books that upi can relive famous battles. Victor Hugo was an amazing artist and Les Miserables is a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: This is it, folks. This is perhaps the best book ever written, by anyone, anywhere, at any time. Victor Hugo's work, Les Miserables, is the book I compare other books to, just as the musical is what I compare other musicals to. Hugo has a great sense of humanity and emotion, and does a breath-taking job of putting down on paper and describing it to the reader. I can't even imagine how good the original French manuscript probably is.