Les Miserables

Author: Victor Hugo

Published 1862

Genre: Novel of people in the early 1800’s in France

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Most people I have talked with won’t read Les Miserables because they think it will be depressing.  They look at the cover illustration by Emile Bayard and imagine a story about children being abused but the fact is the child is one of the uplifting portion of the story.  Now I won’t lie, this isn’t a book of inspirational quotes and there are depressing moments but only in a manner to move the story ahead.  They are conflicts found in any novel and eventually overcome by the main characters.  There are though inspirational moments especially in the internal drive of Jean Valjean to do what is right and good.  These transformations are not immediate though, some take many chapters which is much more realistic.

I like to think of Les Miserables as similar to a television series with apparent independent episodes that eventually interweave and become the entire story.  Unlike many, probably most, classics the chapters appear to be wandering ideas of the author that may or may not have a real meaning.  This isn’t the case here.  You will learn more about the history of France in the early 1800’s then soon see how this knowledge works in the overall story and in fact is intricate to it.  In short, don’t skip passages as you may have done reading some of the works of people like Cervantes.  Hugo continually presents meaningful background that enhances your understanding of the story and its conclusion.

Hugo reports on a violent portion of French history, moral philosophy, justice, romantic and familial love.  He explores the dictates of preconceived beliefs as they relate to laws, position, and general life.  As the reader you will find yourself pleasantly involved with several ideas but not in a way of rejecting them.

Now don’t expect a story of people stumbling along the road of life then seeing the “light”, being saved, and living happily ever after because that isn’t going to happen.  Not every character lives, not every character enjoys divine intervention, and some make life altering mistakes but this makes the story more realistic.

The characters are easy to follow if you pay attention.  Those who appear in a background chapter will appear again later but that isn’t a difficulty.  Again, like a good television series, the character is semi-developed in one chapter then further developed later and becomes integral to the novel.

I won’t call Les Miserables a quick read because it isn’t.  It doesn’t drag by any means but is so interesting that you will want to take your time.  I won’t suggest it as a vacation novel either because if you are going to the beach then you want something that enhances the enjoyment of your trip but it is good during periods where distractions should be ignored.  You know, when the TV is showing old re-runs or NBA games.  I read it during the Presidential election campaign when the ads were so repetitious that I had to turn off the tube.

Les Miserables is definitely worth your time and attention and I recommend it.  It isn’t what you though or heard it would be.  When finished I am sure you will agree with Upton Sinclair who wrote that Les Miserables was “one of the half-dozen greatest novels of the world.”