:)

:)

Monday, July 4, 2011

Book Review - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo


Today I finished reading one of the classics, ‘Les Miserables’, written by the great dramatist and writer, Victor Hugo. This book has been a wonderful read. Even though it is some 600 pages long, it is very much able to keep a reader hooked.

The novel is set in France at the time around the French Revolution. The protagonist, Jean Valjean, a poor farm labourer, steals a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family but  instead gets caught and is sent to jail. He undergoes a lot of trauma, social boycott and misery in life and becomes more of an emotionless robot. After he gets out 19 years later (his sentence is increased after three failed escape attempts), he is transformed into a kind man by a noble bishop who gives his brazen soul a new lease of life. Valjean sets out to make something of himself and eventually becomes the mayor of a city. At a point of time, he faces a moral dilemma- whether to save a convict who is mistaken for Jean Valjean by disclosing his reality or to continue with his respectable and good life. Finally he takes the best decision. A parallel track also runs, that of an orphan lady called Fantine and her illegitimate child Cossette who grows up to be an integral part of the story. The plot is very well woven and is not that simple. How the lives of Valjean, Fantine and Cossette cross and what happens afterwards when Cossette falls in love with a handsome lawyer, Marius in the backdrop of the famous French Revolution form the climax of the novel. It has become one of my most favorite books from now.

Another prominent thing that you will notice is the beauty of the language and the descriptions of untold emotions. The ending made me cry and I actually felt a tiny jolt somewhere deep inside.

Les Misreables is a book worth reading!

18 comments:

  1. I would love to read it.Thanks for the nice review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks for sharing I will try at book shop
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. hii Kavita

    yes, I am very sure that you will like it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. hii Harman

    yes, u'll like it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hate myself... havent read a good one lately. Writing sans reading is not good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. hii Alka!

    ya, grab a copy of Les Miserables now!!

    hehe :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wish i had the time to read books...:(

    ReplyDelete
  8. hii mOhan!

    still you can try to manage :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great review!
    I've read Les Miserables a long time ago and loved it!

    Hope all is well!

    Margie :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. hey Margie dear!

    it is really good to see ur comment after a long time :)

    how are things?

    thanks! the book is really very good :)

    all is well, take care and keep coming!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. good review..

    i dont know if I may read it soon..
    but maybe some day..

    ReplyDelete
  12. hii sankoobaba

    thanks a lot!

    yes, u an read it, its a good book :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. sounds interesting. Would grab a copy most probably...

    ReplyDelete
  14. hii Dew

    ya, m sure u'll love it!

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Now that you're done with book. Go watch: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119683/ You won't be disappointed fosho!

    ReplyDelete
  16. hii Shakti!


    sure will watch for sure :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. To be frank, I never read any general book except a few comics or children's stories. But after meeting and knowing a lot of bloggers, I realized what I missed.
    From your review, i can make out that i can relish it to the bits. Hopefully when I find my time I'll surely try to get hold of it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. hii Asif,

    Yes i strongly recommend this book for its so touching and beautifully written..u'll never regret!

    ReplyDelete