This tome was always too daunting for me to read, so instead I listened to it as an audiobook, as I could then move around and not have to sit so long. But first, I saw the movie (the 1998 version) which was excellent and helped me visualize the characters. The audiobook was quite interesting, though I gave it only 4 stars as it tended to drag at times, and it also introduced new characters rather late in the story, which were hard to follow. Regardless, the book is very worthwhile and highly recommended -- a story not to be missed! ( )

Tells the story of the peasant Jean Valjean - unjustly imprisoned, baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the police detective Javert. As Valjean struggles to redeem his past, we are thrust into the teeming underworld of Paris with all its poverty, ignorance, and suffering. Just as cruel tyranny threatens to extinguish the last vestiges of hope, rebellion sweeps over the land like wildfire, igniting a vast struggle for the democratic ideal in France.

Does Les Mis really deserve 5 stars after all the overly-long, inexcusably nationalistic info-dumping historical sections? NOPE! Am I still going to give it 5 stars anyway because reading this book was one of the most beautiful and cathartic experiences of my life? HECK YES ( )

This is a mix of fiction and nonfiction. In its fiction mode, there are many moments that make this 1000+ page worth reading; some are very sad, whilst others made me smile. Gavroche’s spirit is wonderful (for one so young he’s been through so much and yet is so free and so brave) but it’s Jean Valjean and Fantine that make the story. And though I didn’t like the ending, it was the right ending, as a whole this has left quite an impression on me. ( )

Umm, so...as with War and Peace, how the heck do you review a novel that is part of the fabric of Western society; a book that has been around so long and was written by an author so esteemed as to have a reputation that proceeds the reading? Yeah, I don't know either.

I will say that I assigned a one-star deduction (no, I am not the Russian judge, though I am definitely partial to Russian literature, but I digress) for two reasons: a) some of the commentary, while relevant to the plot, meandered longer than was interesting - in most cases - for my liking. This surprised me. I like reading history and observations of society, plus I am generally a curious cat. Somehow, Hugo wasn't holding my attention in a lot of the passages that were away from the main action of the story. Reason b) all of the coincidences used to advance the plot were hard to swallow. I will say that when I come across coincidences while I am reading fiction, it bugs the crap out of me. I mean really, really annoys me. Hugo, in using this device, managed to not wholly annoy me.

So, The main story was kick-ass and in these sections I was hard pressed to put the book down. Unlike Tolstoy, in War and Peace, I was not so riveted during the other chapters of the story. Sigh. Since Hugo is awesome - apparently that is what is says on his headstone: "Awesome" - I will take the blame for having some fault during the reading of Les Misérables. I'm still not gonna give back that deducted start, though, Hugo! ( )