Oh, fine, so I read it a month back and just now found the time to praise it
Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) is, in my mind, the greatest book ever written. Tedious at times, yes. Long, yes. It is rather taxing in some parts, especially when Hugo goes on one of his rants, which are usually political and somewhat boring. He tends to be rather verbose when he speaks about politics as well, and there are pages that make the reader want to give up.
However, this is overshadowed by the amazing characters and plot. From the honorable Jean Valjean to the determined Javert to the amoral Thenardiers to the desperate Fantine to the lovesick Marius to the lovely Cosette to the crazy Eponine to the...
Oh, who am I kidding? All of the characters are amazing, and that is what makes this book so grand. You get to know and love them all. They all have their motivations for their actions, and they are all very human.
Perhaps what makes this book so good, however, is the fact that there really is no clear cut 'bad guy.' As I have said before, they all have their motivations, and perhaps with the exception of the Thenardiers, they are not purely evil.
Of course, I will again say that this is a long, long read. I am a very fast reader, known for my ability to go through books like candy, and it took me a full month to get through the unabridged edition. Nevertheless, it was worth the time and energy.
I do suggest that if you choose to read it, you make sure you have a lot of time to do so. You will need it
Gender:
Points: 890
Reviews: 5