Les Miserables: Amazon.ca: Victor Hugo: Books

Product Description

Ingram

A magnificent story set against the political upheaval in France during the post-Napoleonic era.

Tag this product

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

44 Reviews

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (44 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars ugh, ever hear of overdoing something?, April 27 2004

By	C. Wilcox "warthog1" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Don't read it, it's crap. It's 520 pages of mumbo-jumbo. If you can understand half of what is said I must say you belong at oxford teaching a literature class.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely memorable, Dec 13 2002

By	Neil Cotiaux (North Canton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At mid-life, why did I finally read "Les Mis"? Because of the "buzz" - something I rarely subscribe to - and because a canvass of the great works of world literature dictated I do so.

I expected to confront a somewhat labored and overly drawn melodrama, and I did - but one, I found, whose characters are burned into your memory forever. A tremendous story of redemption and commitment, "Les Mis" resonates with anyone who loves, or has loved, deeply. Hugo is a storyteller of the first rank. Long after this read is over, you're willing to forgive some contrived coincidences and broad characterizations. Subtle, it isn't; grand, by all means. So I ended up making a leap of faith.

And maybe, that's what Hugo had in mind all along with this masterpiece.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest classics of all time, Nov 16 2001

By	Ritesh Laud (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 44 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book Yet
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. Read more

Published on Oct 18 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars A work of greatness - Read a contemporary 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. Read more

Published on Oct 11 2001 by Leigh Munro

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for a strong reader!
I recently read this book in preperation for a trip to London where I would see the musical version of this book. Read more

Published on Aug 22 2001 by RachelF2

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book In The Enitre Universe
I just have to say that I love this book more then anything in the world. I've read it six times, three in English, three in French, and I'm working on my seventh time as we... Read more

Published on Jun 27 2001 by Jen