Les Misérables
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Product Description
Jeanette Winterson, The Times
'God is in the detail, and Julie Rose has returned all the detail...rich and gorgeous. This is the one to read'
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Adam Gopnik
'This translation...marvelously removes the yellowed varnish from Hugo's prose and gives us the racy, breathless, and passionate intelligence of the original'
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
IN THE year 1815 Monseigneur Charles-Francois-Bienvenu Myriel was Bishop of Digne. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
IN THE year 1815 Monseigneur Charles-Francois-Bienvenu Myriel was Bishop of Digne. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
81 of 82 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having seen several film versions, and the stage show, you could say I was already a fan of this story. However, I was always puzzled by the unexplained bits - how did Jean Valjean enter Paris over the city walls ? What exactly was the circumstance surrounding his initial arrest ? 19 Years for stealing a loaf was excessive even for pre-revolution France, and lots, lots more.
All of the detail and explanations are here.
The book is fascinating as it is a marvellous social history of France, but the author/translator has also provided references for each chapter which very helpfully inform the reader. You can read and enjoy the book without referring to these, but I found they enhanced the story.
As for Victor Hugo's tale itself, it is a masterpiece. The storytelling is exquisite, and it certainly reads as a modern tale, but the language is rich and well put together.
At over a 1,000 pages, this is no beachside escapist book - what it is, is a return to fantastic, richly woven storytelling, with a message about life, that hits you hard in the guts, and makes you sit up and want more.
It is compelling, wretched, miserable, heartening and uplifting by turns.
I defy any reader who is tired of the pap that often passes as literature today, not to be excited by this magnificent book.
All of the detail and explanations are here.
The book is fascinating as it is a marvellous social history of France, but the author/translator has also provided references for each chapter which very helpfully inform the reader. You can read and enjoy the book without referring to these, but I found they enhanced the story.
As for Victor Hugo's tale itself, it is a masterpiece. The storytelling is exquisite, and it certainly reads as a modern tale, but the language is rich and well put together.
At over a 1,000 pages, this is no beachside escapist book - what it is, is a return to fantastic, richly woven storytelling, with a message about life, that hits you hard in the guts, and makes you sit up and want more.
It is compelling, wretched, miserable, heartening and uplifting by turns.
I defy any reader who is tired of the pap that often passes as literature today, not to be excited by this magnificent book.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Les Miserables is justifiably known as a great literary masterpiece. However, I had hitherto neither read the book nor seen the show. I am now so pleased that I have read the book before seeing the show and I am sure that I will enjoy the latter so much more through having enjoyed so greatly the former. This edition, translated by Norman Denny, runs to more than 1,200 pages and Mr Denny makes the point in his introduction that Victor Hugo's original contains 'digressions,' meaning that, to some readers at least, certain sections of the book, maybe some 100 pages or more in total, may appear to 'digress' from the principal 'plot.' But even the 'digressions' are valuable, for they give to the less knowledgeable - such as myself - a fine lesson in French history, as does the 'plot' itself. Victor Hugo takes the reader through some of France's most turbulent times, from before the Revolution of 1789, through the Empire of the first Napoleon, and to and beyond the further Revolution of 1848. If one were wanting to be flippant, it would appear that the French were for ever revolting and for ever at the barricades. I do not wish to be flippant, however, and this great tome charts the progress or otherwise of French affairs through the late eighteenth and early to mid-nineteenth centuries with inimitable flair and profound knowledge, for the author lived through most of it, even suffering temporary exile from France when he crossed the authorities of Napoleon III. It is against the background of such ongoing turbulence (which explains so much of later French history) that the immensely moving and complicated tales of Jean Valjean and Cosette and Marius and all of the other larger-than-life characters are told. To those readers with the willingness to spend more than the average time on a tremendous and unforgettable work, this is for you. Read it and then see the show!
59 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is 'Les Mis' in all its full glory. The translation is by Isabel F Hopgood, and there is an active table of contents. On its first publication it has to be admitted that this particular book wasn't that popular with the critics, but was immensely popular with the reading public, it was already being translated throughout Europe by the end of the year.
It is highly unlikely that you are not aware of the basic story as it has been filmed many times, is a musical and in other formats. You may have read the abridged version before, which personally I hate, but if you have never read the complete version before I should warn you that this isn't perfect. The story does get bogged down at times with things that are not germane to the main plot line. However this is still a book that is very well worth reading and I am glad that I now have it on my kindle. I won't have to go out and buy any more editions when my latest copy falls to bits, and also as it is a very large book it is nice to have it in just a file format.
It is highly unlikely that you are not aware of the basic story as it has been filmed many times, is a musical and in other formats. You may have read the abridged version before, which personally I hate, but if you have never read the complete version before I should warn you that this isn't perfect. The story does get bogged down at times with things that are not germane to the main plot line. However this is still a book that is very well worth reading and I am glad that I now have it on my kindle. I won't have to go out and buy any more editions when my latest copy falls to bits, and also as it is a very large book it is nice to have it in just a file format.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Beautiful
This is, quite simply, the most beautifully written book I've ever read. I can't believe how a book that was written hundreds of years ago can have such an appeal. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Mrs. S. Collier
another dumbed down translation published by Vintage
Vintage, once a good publisher, is now in the business of launching new, dumbed down translations of classics. Read more
Published 18 days ago by lucas
The best book ever
This book is the one I'd take to a desert island, I've read it 4 or 5 times now and always discover more each re-read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Miss Wells
timsnan
Love the story,find it quite hard going but cannot put it down, I just love the way the author brings all the characters together after long and very detailed descriptions of the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by phyllis
What Would Jean Valjean do?
I read this book for the first time last summer; having booked to see the stage show in November I thought it necessary to read the book before I went. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Madame Thenadier
Les Mis
Tried very hard to read this book as one of the classics - but found it very difficult and hard going - so gave up.
Published 2 months ago by greet
Les Mis a Miss
I thought I'd read this book having seen the musical many times. I just could not get into the book, I tried many times but found it hard work and I eventually gave up. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Peter Jones
Latest Book
Victor Hugo does not need any boost from me even if he was still around! The real pleasure is the ease of down loading a book to my kindle and I still am amazed at the speed of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by George Brand
Wow
This book is amazing! since we're doing the musical at school, i thought it would be a good idea to read the book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Caaat.
Les Misrables
I am working my way through this tome ( meant in a positive way ) and re-discovering this truely epic story. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. WALSHE
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