Les Miserables a New Unabridged Translation (Signet Classics)

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Summary: Perhaps the greatest of all classical journey novels.
Review: Take a character, study it to the most minute details, build an entire plot around him and send him on a journey to redefine himself. A very popular theme for 19th century french novels, and the theme for Hugo's masterpiece.

Hugo's takes Valjean to a journey toward his ultimate redemption through an amazing panorama of early 19th century frace. You can feel Valjean's character evolves and develop as the plot advance. Every character is importent, every subplot is critical. Hugo's book have no flat supporting actors. The characters are deeply detailed, and the reader is brought to tears as Eponine dies in the hands of Marius not because of cheap sentimental tricks, but because he came to know her character so well.

The historical research is top-notch, the chapter detailing the Waterloo battle (dropped in most abridged versions) brings back to life Napoleon's cavaliers as they charged across the plains. Hugo gives the reader a full report on the Paris sewege system, hence he sends his characters down there. Another chapter dropped in many abridged version is the opennig one, do yourself a favor and avoid skipping it. You will understand the importance of that chapter toward the last pages.

This novel is a must have in every library, the translation is fluent and easily read, and every single page is geting you closer to the amazing catharsis at the end. And even though the popular musical (which I had the chance to watch live on stage) is great, it is but a pale shadow of the original.

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Summary: One Of The Greatest Books Ever Written-The COMPLETE Novel.
Review: Victor Hugo's classic "Les Miserables" is finally available in its original form as it appeared in 1862. The story is so familiar that I'll only give you a brief summary: Jean Valjean, an ex-convict tries to redeem himself while being hunted by the relentless bloodhound of a lawman, Inspector Javert. As he struggles to free himself from his dark past, Hugo throws us head on into the violent underworld of Paris, seething with the fire of imminent revolution. This novel is very good. It's intense, dramatic and romantic all in one. The story is vast in scope, taking us through the nefarious underworld that is Paris. The novel has a little more than 1,000 pages, which would probably make anyone who detests reading (as I did until I was five) throw the book down and look for something else to read. I have the abridged edition, so I'll review it here as well. That version keeps over 95% of the story intact, only cutting out the very long sections (the history of a Catholic monastery, the author's "eyewitness" account of the battle of Waterloo, which marked the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's reign as Emperor of France, the historical significance of the uprising of 1832, a linguistic examination of the secret languages of thieves and the darkest part of the sewers in which Jean Valjean-I won't spoil it; read it for yourself). Anyway, that edition cut out only those sections (there's a "Note On The Abridgement" in the book before the start of the novel, so correct me if I'm wrong), which is very good, for those who despise reading long books and just like the main idea of the story (Sir Laurence Olivier's classic 1948 film version of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is a perfect example of movies adapted from plays that have been shortened to a considerable length of 2/1/2 hours or so, that is, if you're searching for a short version of a play or book; that would be the one I would absolutely recommend). Some entire chapters and opening sections of chapters (which have brief summaries) have been cut, so as to make the novel more readable without having to read all of Victor Hugo's subplots and side remarks (the majority of which are intact). The list of books that have been cut are enclosed in brackets in pages 5-6. Aside from the original theatrical trailer (the preface), the additional material was supplied by Laurence Porter (the translator and editor) and Fine Creative Media, Inc. Read the unabridged translation first, then read the abridged one and decide which you like best. For me, both were very good, but I prefer the edition which has been slimmed down a little bit. Rated PG-13 for intense thematic elements, brief scenes of domestic conflict/abuse and some war violence.

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Summary: The Most Moving Novel That I Have Ever Read!
Review: I will never forget the first time that I read this incredible book. It was 5 in the morning, and I needed to be in bed. Instead, I was sobbing, holding Les Miserables to my chest. I am a great lover of classic literature. Dickens, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky. But no novel has EVER reduced me to such a sobbing mess as Les Mis. I remember refusing to read another book for months. I couldn't. I needed to savor Les Mis.

Trust me...read it!

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Summary: One of the best books ever written
Review: This is a powerful and moving story. It has been called the greatest story ever written that does not appear in holy scripture. Even if you've seen the movies and the musical, you should read the unabridged version of this book. It contains so much more depth and power than the muscial does. Hugo's masterpiece shows Valjean's struggle to continue to do right and how Valjean is given opportunity after opportunity to change back into the wretched man that he was and how Valjean stays true to what the Bishop of Digne wanted him to do. Don't be afraid of the length of this book. It does take a long time to read, and you may have to take breaks, but this is one of the few books I've ever read that is worth reading again. Reading Hugo's "Les Miserables" will enrich your life and make it better simply by reading it.

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Summary: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
Review: I have read or watched various versions of Les Misérables over the years. As a teenager in the 1950s, I read what I believed what was an unabridged translation, which may or may not have been true. I later acquired this paperback version, which in effect is certified as unabridged. I committed myself to read all 1400+ pages within the month of August 1990. And I succeeded.

I will have to rate this as my number one novel of all time. I could barely put the book down in that August. The basic story has been redone in many forms, but there are details throughout that enhance the excitement and emotional experience.

I regret that my French is not good enough to enjoy Les Misérables in the original. But I am extremely pleased that Signet has again made available this unabridged English version. I have seen other translators who left out parts, trying to justify this by saying that those details have little or no meaning now, if ever. That I would like to decide for myself. My rule of thumb is always to seek out an unabridged original or translation. This edition is worth its 5+ stars.

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Summary: An inspirational novel by Hugo
Review: LES MISÉRABLES is an epic novel set in the years post the French Revolution. Hugo examines the social injustices of the time, including the plight of women, the forcing of women into prostitution in order to survive, the lack of education for those who cannot afford it, the plight of orphans, and how the victims are punished instead of those who inflict the harm. It shows the hypocrisy of society in that the laws were way too strict and actually turned people into animals instead of reforming them. Jean Valjean's nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving sister and her children is an example of the harshness of the justice system. Javert is another example because Javert follows the law to every last detail and ends up oppressing people. He sees people only in black and white and there is no gray area; therefore he feels that Valjean makes a mockery out of justice by escaping and makes it his goal to capture him. Fantine is a symbol of the oppressed woman and the plight of prostitution. Marius and his grandfather show how differing political views can destroy a family, and the revoltution at the barricades shows how terrible conditions were. It is a social justice novel, and I highly recommend it!

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Summary: The human race
Review: This is a fabulous book. It's a tale about the human race that applies to all people, places, and time-periods that really touches your heart and makes you think. It's an incredible peice of literature. Read it!

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Summary: the best
Review: Skip the musical and the movies and read the real thing. Victor Hugo is my new literary hero. Yes, the book looks imposing and thick but it is well worth the effort. After reading many great novels, this one will always rank at the top. The Bishop has done for me in many ways what he did for Valjean. Follow this novel with one each from Balzac, Dumas and Flaubert to hang on to that French Romanticism. Hugo remains a philosophical genius.
This particular translation seemed a little flawed but it was very easy to read. The Wordsworth Classics edition is preferable due to superior translation and annotations. However, my copy only contained half the novel.