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48th out of 170 books
—
29 voters
Les Miserables
by
Victor Hugo,
Monica Kulling (Goodreads Author)
Paperback, Stepping stone book classic, 112 pages
Published
March 14th 1995
by Random House
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Les Miserables is my favorite Broadway production, so I figured I'd be doing myself a disservice NOT to read the book.[return]The book is not very different from the musical; just a great deal longer and denser.[return]I do not however regret devoting so many hours to this book. It was a fascinating look at life in nineteenth century France and it had many fascinating pieces omitted from the musical. My favorite bits excluded from the musical:[return]- Marius's history[return]- Jean and Cosette'...more
It's hard to imagine how someone could manage to get a 1000+ page book shortened enough so that it is only slightly over a hundred pages while managing to keep the entire story. Monica Kulling, however, does a wonderful job. Her adaptation of the book is written like a letter from Jean Valjean to Cosette, which means it cuts out a lot of back story, because Jean Valjean would not know of those things. However, all the important parts of the book are still kept in, including things that are not i...more
I will start out by saying this book was amazing. I tried to read the original "Les Miserables" but it was extremely difficult, considering I'm only thirteen. So I got on the Barnes and Noble website and ordered "Les Miserables (A Stepping Stone Book)" and I am so glad I did. The plot begins by introducing the main character Jean Valjean. He is writing a story to his daughter Cossette. The rest of the book except for the end is what the story he is writing says. The whole book is a giant, descri...more
This book is a quick read but a good one. It is a book about a young man by the name of Jean Valjean. He was convicted of stealing bread for his sisters kid later serving 18 years in prison. after being set free he later stole again knowing it was wrong but essential for living. after doing so he changed his name hoping to become a better person but is still being looked for by the cops. this book is very good and would reccommend it to anyone but maybe the longer version.
After watching the film that came out in 2012 I decided to give this book a try and unfortunately due to the time is was written and style it was written I was unable to finish. It is a very hard book to read but if you want to delve in deeper to the film and can cope with a very hardworking book I would recommend this book. It is not the fault of the writer but of the difference of our times.
Mar 10, 2013
Tricia
added it
I loved it and read it quickly, because I was compelled to read when I woke up, when I returned from work, when I had a few minutes to drink a cup of tea, at two in the morning. I confess to skimming over some of the historical chapters (particularly "the ancient history of the sewer"), but the story was gripping and lovely.
Astonishingly beautiful book about the strength of the human spirit in the face of extreme adversity...I'm a bit scared of the film because of how much I love the book...it's just such an incredible story...must read again.
I read in arabic not french since I was a kid , and it's marvellous , I really admire the works of victor hugo :-)
قريته مترجم لحافظ ابراهيم ........ وكانت ترجمه اكثر من رائعه
وهي رواية تفوقت على نفسها
وهي رواية تفوقت على نفسها
I read this in french ( yes I mean the language) and saw it on Broadway. It is a wonderful story and touches so many aspects of the human condition. Someday I plan to read it in english and will probably understand it better. lol
I loved it the first time, but I loved it even more the second time.
to_read_nation
I saw the Broadway show soooo long ago and have forgotten the storyline but reading this kids version really made me want to get the book to get a better, 3 dimensional picture of the story and the characters.
My daughter auditioned for Les Mis with the local children's theater so I had her read this to understand the storyline, the different characters and the setting. This book was just enough detail that it kept her interested and understanding the storyline.
My daughter auditioned for Les Mis with the local children's theater so I had her read this to understand the storyline, the different characters and the setting. This book was just enough detail that it kept her interested and understanding the storyline.
I went in search of a children's edition of Les Mis to give me a basic understanding of the story before I saw the film. I've seen the stage musical twice but always managed to miss parts of the story. This was a SUPER fast read (i.e. 40 minutes from start to finish...if even that?) and it gave me a good, generic feel for the story. Did what I needed it to do. DING.
Amazing book! With an unique style of writing!
A por este clásico.
This book delivered just what I wanted from it, the storyline of Les Miserables. I've wanted to know what all the fuss over this book was about for the longest time and now I know! I'm sure the adaption isn't anywhere near as good as the real thing but it was a very good story nonetheless. Now I want to read the original one!
Nov 11, 2008
Deanna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
literature,
read-a-louds
This is a great book to expose your children to the story line. There wasn't much more to it than that though. But a good first exposure none the less! The book is over 100 pages and my children begged for me to read the whole thing in one setting. They really liked it!
I really like the "Stepping into Classics" series and I find them a great introduction for kids. My children enjoyed Les Mis and I appreciate that this series takes actual text from from the book so the writing is better done than most independent reader books.
A great book but very long and with many, detailed digressions. This may be one of the few books I would recommend looking for an abridgment.
Good adaptation that kept the story flowing well. Simple enough for mid-to-late elementary to understand and for those wanting a quick refresher of the story or to get a glimpse of the novel without taking the time to read the original.
Jean Valjean is an ex-convict man who spend 19 years in prison for steals a loaf of bread to feed his family. After 19 years in prison he has freedom and he make a promise to a priest and he changes and became a new man.
Mar 14, 2008
Kevin Shrum
added it
Whenn I say I read this book, I mean I watched an incredible high school production of the musical. Good stuff.
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It was sooo boring. I read it in about thirty minutes.
May 24, 2013
April Bott
marked it as to-read
May 24, 2013
Colleen Thomas
added it
May 24, 2013
Karly
is currently reading it
May 23, 2013
Anna Isbell
is currently reading it
May 23, 2013
Jay Baker
marked it as to-read
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Victor-Marie Hugo was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France.
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“The soul aids the body, and at certain moments, raises it. It is the only bird which bears up its own cage.”
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“There are people who observe the rules of honor as one observes the stars, from a great distance.”
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Apr 02, 2013 05:11pm