Les Misérables

Manga Classics

by Stacy King (Adaptor), Crystal S. Chan (Contributor), SunNeko Lee (Illustrator)

Adapted for stage and screen, loved by millions, Victor Hugo's classic novel of love and tragedy set in 19th century France is reborn in this fantastic new manga edition!

Gorgeous and expressive art brigns to life the unforgettable stories of Jean Valjean, Inspector Javert, and the tragic Fantine in this epic adaptation of Les Misérables!

Genres: Manga, Classics, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Comics

337 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Hi there! I'm a Toronto-based writer and editor who works in both prose and graphic novel formats, usually for younger readers.

My current projects include:

Dungeons and Dragons Young Adventurer's Guides - introducing new players to the classic role-playing game through amazing new artwork and streamlined prose.

Manga Classics - faithful adaptations of western literary classics with Japanese-style artwork.

Beyond writing, my interests include historical costuming, comics, manga, young adult fiction, magic realism, chocolate, and the oxford comma.

Reviews

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Les Mis is a story really close to my heart because the symbolism and how tiny details at the beginning of the book come around and affect the ending completely gut me. I have yet to brave reading the actual book, but this manga combined with the movie is a great appetizer to understand the story before I attempt to conquer the brick. I think this adaptation was faithful, showed more than the movie had time to, and was still easy to understand. Since I already know the story so well, I can't judge if it would be good for a first time reader, but my favorite parts were just as impactful as I was hoping. My only complaint is that the drawing style of this sometimes felt juvenile, and for a book about the French revolution and death and prostitution, its delivery in certain areas was lacking. Nevertheless, I'm still sniffling as I write this review because I will never get over how much I adore Jean Valjean and Marius and Cosette.

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been having a bit of a Les Mis moment lately, which are some lovely tunes to have stuck in one’s head and a big epic story to really chew on. I stumbled across this Manga Classics: Les Miserables and it was quite the lovely way to revisit the novel. Decently long enough to do the rather epic tale justice and with some rather eye catching artwork, at the end of the day it’s a worthwhile adaptation.

This manga adaptation by Crystal S. Chan and illustrated by SunNeko Lee does well with the narrative and remains rather faithful to Hugo’s novel. At least far more than any of the films and cover many of the smaller details usually left out or condensed in other adaptations. It does focus the story pretty tightly on Marius and Cosette but that’s to be expected I guess. I quite enjoyed reading this and felt it captured the vibes of the original and it’s fine, nothing special and occasionally feels a bit bland but also nothing worth truly criticizing. One would likely be able to discuss the novel with those who had read the full Hugo classic having just read this though, which is pretty cool. And the black and white art is quite nice.

I like how it sort of reminds me of Miyazaki films where it’s a pretty recognizable Japanese art style in a European setting. The character design is well done and Enjorlas is as dreamy as he should be before he and his friends all become empty chairs and empty tables, though Javert does sort of look like Vicious from Cowboy Bebop.

If you are a fan of the story, this is a nice little read. Nothing special, nothing awful, but a decent adaptation of the story into something you can read in the span of an hour or so with some pleasant visuals.
3.5/5

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 en realidad. Ojalá Goodreads poniendo las medias estrellas, nos alegraría la vida.
Yo ya conocía la obra de Victor Hugo, así que me ha encantado adentrarme a ella en este formato de manga. Creo que este tipo de formato es ideal para acercar los clásicos a todo el mundo y que leyendo esta adaptación, te den ganas de leer la obra real.
Me ha encantado el dibujo y el guión. Creo que era muy complicada de adaptar porque la obra original es larguísima pero lo han hecho muy bien. Y a pesar de conocer la historia, la he disfrutado y me ha mantenido muy enganchada ^^
Sin duda lo recomiendo mucho si os gustan los mangas y tenéis curiosidad por este clásico. Por supuesto, también los fans del libro, leerlo en este formato es un pequeño regalo ^^

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best classic stories I've read so far. and thanks to this graphic novel that I was able to read the entire story of Les Miserables. I watched the movie, and have read the story; and now, I'm looking forward to be able to see in person the musical in the future.

I may also add that while reading the part of Eponine's unrequited love, I can't help myself from singing On My Own – my favorite song in the musical – especially on the part where she always see Cosette and Marius together. Just like me, I think a lot of readers would be able to sympathized with her because once or twice in their life, they have experienced Eponine's predicament.

[Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Nobody loves the light like the blind man.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

I like the idea of turning Classics into Manga, I didn't read the original book. I know the story only through watching the movie, many of my friends LOVED the movie and they were hyped so much that I ended up disappointed after watching it.

For those like me who can not simply risk reading a 1463 pages long book and end up disappointed, this is an amazing alternative, we can read this fast and get to know the story! I know I will be reading the Manga versions of Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre because I don't have a single clue about them.

I rated the book 3 stars as there were some very cheesy pages that can't be ignored.

[Aya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second read of these "Manga Classics", and it never disappoints!

This time, I am familiar with the story of "Les Miserables". I grew up watching the animated version of it and I love it. I never tried reading the book because it is massive.
So, reading this manga was refreshing and I think they did an amazing job representing the story in a new format!

The art is amazing as usual.
The story didn't feel rushed.. I thought the pacing of it was pretty good.

Highly recommend checking this one out!

*Thank you to NetGalley and UDON Entertainment for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me and Les Miserables have an interesting history. About two and a half decades ago, my mom somehow discovered the Broadway musical, which she used to listen to on CD and watch on video. I remember every time we tried to record it from PBS, there was some technical difficulty with our VCR, so, my mom just bought a VHS version via mail order; now, she has that same version, plus the newer stage adaptation, on DVD. Knowing the story, I referred to it in assignments at times, though my freshman English teacher didn't know to what I was alluding. (An English teacher who doesn't recognize a reference to classic literature? Talk about a flawed education system!)

However, in recent years, my mom hasn't been watching any stage musicals; mostly, she just watches the news, Hallmark programming, or whatever my dad turns on: car shows, HGTV, etc. So, until reading this, it had been a while since I had been exposed to Victor Hugo's classic story. Nonetheless, not only did it have a major nostalgia factor, but the treatment the novel was given was superb. This timeless story deserves to be read or experienced in one format or another. A big plus was the positive references to God and the Christian faith, which, while part of the original book, surprising to see in an adaptation from a secular publisher. (Anyone remember how Disney left out the Biblical references in both of their celluloid versions of A Wrinkle in Time?) Classic literature and manga may seem like an odd mix, but, this works quite well; some readers may be surprised at the action and intensity in such an old story.

So...I recommend this wholeheartedly.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Manga Classics rendition was, believe it or not, my first ever introduction to this story! I've never read the book or seen any film adaptations of it, though I've been meaning to for ages. All I knew was that it would be a very sad story, but I was surprised by just how dark and tragic it was. Unfortunately, the sorrowful aspects weren't enough to keep me interested and I honestly found the whole thing pretty dull. That said, I'm still giving it 3 stars because, as always, the art is absolutely lovely!

Thank you so much to Udon Entertainment for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this in exchange for a review.

I had heard of this story, movie adaptions, plays. I’d seen the advertisement of a little blonde girl, dirty and sad. This Manga read introduced me to the story, and I must say, they excelled at this. I became so absorbed into the story I lost track of time and stopped realizing the medium I used to read it. My heart stirred into eyes of tears several times, which I’m sure many find the norm. Dry eyes become an anomaly with a plot this well-constructed and full of moral and spiritual depth. I can’t imagine a dry eye in a theatrical production of this story.

I must read this novel, soon.

Thank you to the creators of this piece. I enjoyed it, and it impacted me in a profound way. The pictures and facial expressions, the chosen graphic designs, impact the mind as well as words and a script. I’m happy these books release to the public, and Manga readers, and children, can be introduced to high-quality, timeless literature.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fully expected this to be terrible. Bad art, bad writing, bad adaptation, insulting to those of us who love M. Hugo's masterwork. I bought it and read it anyways. Because I had to know just how bad it was, and because I couldn't pass it by on the off chance that it was actually good. I know, the first step is admitting you have a problem, and I admitted that when I clicked the Add to Cart button. Imagine my surprise when it's actually... Well, maybe not good, but at least decent.

The art is fine. Not the nicest looking stuff I've ever seen, but unobjectionable. Considering that I was expecting garbage, I was quite pleasantly surprised. There was definite effort to make this look like a manga version of early 19th century Paris. Most of the character designs work, following the descriptions in the books fairly closely through a manga-style filter. I was particularly happy with Enjolras, even if I was confused by Javert's hair. Again, better than I'd expected.

The adaptation tries very hard to get as much as possible into the book, which is kind of nice, for the most part. But it does mean that there are a lot of things introduced really really quickly, so I doubt this would work very well for anyone who isn't already quite familiar with the story. For my part, I enjoyed seeing just how much was put into the adaptation, and it was always a pleasant surprise to see a part that I liked, that I didn't expect to be represented. In general, I got the impression that it was adapted by someone with a good sense of the book.

Now time for some pedantic nerdery, that probably won't be terribly interesting to anyone who isn't in love with the original. Feel free to skip it. More than once, the writer shuffled scenes around, presumably for dramatic effect. I would have much rather they'd been left in the original order. Likewise, if you're going to have to describe what happened in an important scene in any event, why skip it? The biggest offender here is Marius telling Cosette that he'll ask his grandfather permission to marry her, then on the next page saying that he'd been denied. Why not just show the scene? Likewise, if you're going to show Javert busting Thenardier and Patron Minette, why not let him use everybody's favorite book Javert line in the process? I also noticed some jarringly modern sounding line. It made parts sound like Rose's translation, which is not a good thing to me. Not sure how those crept in. One last thing, and I swear this is it. It seems the writer very much loves the line from Enjolras's description about cherubs vs. cherubim (ie, he's pretty but fierce and you can't pick him up, girls) and wanted very badly to include it. But she took it entirely out of context, putting the words in Enjolras's mouth to mean something else entirely. Not only is it weird to have a character say a line that's meant to describe himself, it doesn't make sense in the context she used it. It was a little too weird to me.

The tl;dr is that this is actually a fairly decent adaptation, for a single-volume manga. I enjoyed it well more than I had thought that I would, because the art is rather nice, the characters look basically as they should, and there was a definite effort to make it as faithful to the original as possible. But it wasn't without flaws, some of which were kind of annoying to me. I don't think this would be a good introduction to Les Miserables to someone who's totally uninitiated, but it would at least be faster than reading the real thing.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for this DRC.

I think this was the perfect medium for me to experience Les Miserables for the first time.
Friends have been telling me I should read it for years. "It's a beautiful classic" they say.
Myself. I found the story a bit dry.
The beautiful drawings were what kept me turning the pages. Absolutely breathtaking!
I am excited to check out more of the Manga Classics series, especially books I have been on the fence about reading.

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story so much, it is my all time favorite classic. Reading this in manga format was all a joy to experience. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!❤️😍

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

Okay so out of the three Manga Classics that I requested from Netgalley this was my most anticipated one. I am obsessed with Les Miserable and I have watched every movie adaptation and musical out there. I have gone to see the musical in person in 2015 and I listen to the soundtrack regularly. I'm complete Les Mis trash XD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only thing I haven't done is read the original work because it is a behemoth HOWEVER that doesn't mean that I never will. Its one of the only classics I still wish to read the original version of.

So you know that I had to listen to the 25th anniversary edition soundtrack while reading this and once the initial track came on I was in the zone. I opened the manga and instead of being in Toulon I was reading the back story of Fantine meeting the Mr.and Mrs. Thenardier. I was a bit taken aback at first but realized that this was a great way to start the story off too and it answered some questions about how Fantine met them. With my expectations now set that this was not going to be a manga version of the musical, I continued to read.

The art was of course beautiful and the overall plot was told well but it did introduce a side character that I never knew about which was Eponine's sister Azelma and it revealed Gavrosh as Eponine's brother . I would have like to know more about both of these relationships in the book and maybe get a bit more overall background on the Thenardiers as a family. Of course doing so would have brought this manga to a page count I was anticipating it to be. I was honestly shocked that the the page count was shorter than 400 pages. Les Mis is like 1500 pages unabridged and to compress it to this size was probably no easy feat.

I throughly enjoyed this version of the story anyways and if they had added that information about the Thenardiers this would have been a 5 star read. I still think Les Mis is best enjoyed as a musical but this comes in as a close second. If you've seen the musical, tell me your fave character and song in the comments below.

Happy Reading

Jo

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing all of Manga Classics' Austen adaptations, Les Misérables came as a beautiful surprise. I enjoyed the Austen ones, but I feel this one is of a much higher quality - and that already starts with the artist. The artist of this and the Austen ones are different - although I enjoyed several aspects of the Austen ones, this style strikes me as much more refined.

Art and style are, of course, a matter of personal taste. But the artist of Les Misérables proves capable of a wide range of character designs, a variety of scenes and backdrops, and well-proportioned characters throughout. The use of chibi characters is also left to a minimum - I just always felt those were out of place in the Austen ones.

I have never read the original novel so the only comparison I can draw is with the movie adaptation. Les Misérables's story seems to contain so much, I imagine it difficult to cut it down to a single volume manga length. I think the authors have dealt with it wonderfully. The story has a steady flow and anyone who isn't familiar with the original story ought to be able to follow. Nonetheless, someone who does know more about the story will probably get more out of it.

I think this is a particularly nice manga adaption and it made me look forward to reading the rest of the Manga Classics!

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first experience of Udon Entertainment was Manga Classics: The Jungle Book, a real disappointment. So why do I feel differently about Les Misérables? The original Victor Hugo classic clocks in at nearly 1,400 pages. No young person would be able to handle that; I finally threw in the towel, and I was in my 50s at the time! Unlike The Jungle Book, whose language is accessible to tweens and teens, Les Misérables’ flowery language can be a stumbling block even for adults. A manga edition could make this beautiful tale of love and redemption, of different legal systems for rich and poor, of the inspiring Jean Valjean available to readers who would never otherwise be able to read it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this graphic novel from NetGalley and Udon Entertainment in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Although I have read tons of the classics, I haven't read this one before. I've never even seen the movie, although I did see a high school play (definitely better than anything Broadway could have done lol). Obviously I've heard the soundtrack and had known what it was about it, but with all the millions of books to read, I doubted I would ever get around to this book. So I am so glad to see these Manga Classics. I really enjoyed the story. The illustrations were amazing, although I do wish they had been in color.

Would definitely recommend this.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big thank you to Udon Entertainment and Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for an unbiased review. Since it's manga I've already had a sneak peek at the animation scrolling to the beginning, and it's just so striking!

Absolutely superb! This was the first manga I've ever read and I found the format very easy to follow. This WAS Les Mis at its finest. I cried at all of the spots I typically break down. Fantine breaks my heart. I can't help it. I felt her despondency and heartbreak in these illustrations. The same at the barricade and at the end when Valjean is reunited with Cosette. Just perfect depictions. The plot was spot on and I am verging on saying that if someone was assigned this in a lit class you could just about get away with reading this version and passing a test.
This book has opened a door into a new genre for me. I'm really interested in looking for more classics given this treatment. I'm just so impressed. Great job!

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 ⭐

First of all: these Manga Classics are a wonderful idea! ♥

I do have to admit this manga gave me a headache! 😅
The scans are a bit blurry and I hate that it has a proper manga reading format - digitally not the best, on the phone even worse.
BUT the story is good and this is an amazing way to make classics accessible to a broader audience ❤️

For me this was a fast way to refresh a story I've learned about in school and through the movie... Till I will actually read the original ✨

I would petition to make these colored because it would be so beautiful! I mean... look at the cover ♥

I recomand giving this a try... especially if you can have access to the phisical book that will undoubtly give a clearer view than I had.


❁ Thank you to Netgalley, Stacy King and UDON Entertainment for the opportunity to read the ARC of this in exchange of my honest opinion ❁

[Sinamile · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

TW: abuse, suicide, death

Oh, that was amazing. It took me a long ass time to finally work up the energy to watch the movie and I ended up absolutely loving it. I never thought I'd actually read the book, but this manga helped. I don't know if I'll ever read the original, but this manga helped. I absolutely loved and enjoyed it. The art was amazing, I enjoyed the story and the pacing and everything just worked. I also learned new information that I wasn't aware of, things that were left out in the movie.

This is a fun and easy read, and very well done.

[Rahma.Mrk · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'aime la version japonaise et l'anima aussi

[Rahul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art work is spectacular and amazing.

[Yzabel Ginsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I got an ARC of this manga through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

Though I'm a native speaker and have studied a lot of French classics during my high school and university days, I must admit, and not without shame, that I've never read Les Misérables—not the full version, that is. I only ever laid my hands on parts of it many, many years ago, mostly Cosette's early life story, as well as Gavroche's, and those were adapted for younger readers. In other words, I can't pass judgement on this manga adaptation's faithfulness regarding Victor Hugo's original work. However, I can tell that it should at least make a lot of readers want to pick the actual book, and get to know the characters and the missing side stories better. It sure made me.

Because some side stories are missing, and the script writer's bit at the end of the manga confirmed this. I do remember, for instance, that there was a part about Fantine's lover/Cosette's real father, and why they were separated. The same way, Gavroche's story was shortened. There just weren't enough pages available in manga format to properly put those in. Now, considering the original stories' complexity, I still think the adaptation was well-done and interesting. The essential story lines remain, and all tie together as they should.

The drawings, too, seem to reflect the characters fairly well. Negative characters such as the Thénardiers are easily recognisable to their features. Cosette is cute, as she should be. Fantine's drop from a beautiful woman to a destitute one is clearly shown as well. And the more ambiguous ones, such as Javert and Valjean himself, appear with serious features that allow the illustrator to depict their emotions, especially when they go through rethinking their purposes in life. Overall, the illustrations were really pleasant and fitting.

As an adaptation, it might seem a little light in places to someone who already knows the whole work. On the other hand, someone discovering it, or only knowing part of it, would likely be drawn (no pun intended) to pick Hugo's books later on. It's a pretty good thing in my opinion.

(Beware, though, of the ebook format—which is the one I got, as an ARC: the PDF reflects the order of the printed pages, which means you have to go to the end of the manga first, and then scroll your way back to the "beginning". I'm used to doing this, so it didn't matter much to me, but it can be surprising and annoying at first.)

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day more
Another day, another destiny
This never-ending road to Calvary
These men who seem to know my crime
Will surely come a second time
One day more

A GREAT JOB.

Congrats to the artists and writers, they did it well. The drawings are beautiful, delightful and detailed. The plot line is easy to follow, even if there are some side-characters stories. This is one of the multiple adaptations of Les Mis, and I’m glad I read it, because it’s phenomenal. I think you can get this to a teen and she/he would love this story. The art style is fabulous, every character has a great description and design. The places are accurately described and the historical accuracy is well presented. A great job, really.



I loved Les Mis (film and show), and I can find a lot of scenes that remind me of these adaptations, and I’m so happy about that. There are more things, actually, in this book: the work behind this manga was gigantic, and you can appreciate it looking and studying every little drawing.

I love retelling and re-adaptaption, so when I found this book I was super excited. I’m a huge fan of musical taken from books, and I adore reimagined classics. I’m glad I can read a lot of more stories retold, now. Thanks to Udon and to Netgalley, I appreciate their work so much. Thanks to The creators of this manga, I loved the story of Cosette and Valjean again. Thanks.

*I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Alise · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this, I knew I had to give it a try-classics in the form of manga? Sign me up! While I do own a copy of the largely (literally) intimidating novel, I’ve always been hesitant to pick it up so I’ve only seen the movie. Reading Les Misérables this way was enjoyable, and I feel more inclined to pick up the original now that I have a taste for the story.

It only ever felt shortened because of the time jumps, which were obviously necessary, but they did rush the story a bit. However, the manga still stands strong on its own and tells what feels like a full story.

I had no problem connecting to any of the characters, I felt for all of them. The visual format helped get emotions across really well, also. Speaking of the visuals, the artwork is really well done, as you can probably tell by the cover.

The characters, the writing, and the pacing are all really solid, nothing ever felt too slimmed down. I would definitely recommend this people who are curious about the classic but do not wish to trek through 1463 pages of the original.

Not only is this a gorgeous manga, it’s also a great adaption of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 4th Manga I have read and the best so far, only edging out the Edgar Allen Poe Stories a little bit.

The original book is a complicated read, but reading through this book was far easier, and the artwork supremely done. It is fascinating how well this graphic novel was put together and how the stories were intertwined and ended as complete as the original book was. The original book seem to take forever to read.

The book itself features a convict who spent a life-time redeeming himself after being charged to do so, by a priest whom he robbed of silver. First opening up a factory to bring jobs to a poor town, and later, after being found out as a convict, he was chased out of town. Remembering a promise he made to a dying woman, he stops to rescue her child, an orphan, abused by innkeeper and wife who care she was left to. His story, chronicled by the book, reveals what kind of man he was and how he dealt with people and protected the orphan whom he called a daughter.

The book is rich in detail, but this graphic novel would be a good read for those who don't want the original. I highly recommend this book, but I wouldn't use it to replace required reading for school

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good thing about adapting Les Miserables is that you can skip big parts of the book without actually missing any important plot points, but the bad thing is that even after skipping all of those, the book is still huge and you will probably have to rush some storylines. In the case of this adaptation, it’s obvious that some parts are rushed (the revolution, for example). I don’t know how much sense would this story make to somebody who hasn’t read the novel.

The art is pretty good except that some characters look really young, but that happens with lots of manga adaptations, so I’m going to forgive that. It’s a pretty decent adaptation but it would be better with additional 100 pages – or maybe the entire story shouldn’t be in one volume.

[Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from Netgalley, where it was available as a read now title. This is my honest review.

Really really great. I've never read Les Mis, I've only seen a few of the movies, and this added a few more things to the story that I was unaware of. It's a really easy to follow adaptation that captures the main elements of the story, and is a great choice for someone who has seen a movie or musical adaptation and wants to read it but is intimidated by Hugo's huge novel. The art was beautiful and all the character designs were spot on. There was nothing about this that I didn't like. Highly recommend.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The manga edition is like those abridged versions of long classics, it'll never replace reading the actual book. But in the case of the manga, the art was wonderful and added to my enjoyment.

I have watched the musical film with its amazing cast and was in awe by it, so I already knew the story. As we see the life in France after the revolution through the eyes of ex-convict Jean Valjean and the people he encounters. The struggle between monarchy and people, and the miserable state of the common people at that time.

It is a miserable story, and even though the manga skimps on a lot of background info, for sure, in order to include all of the characters, I still felt for each and every one of them, and I'm more than excited to read the novel itself sometime, and try more of these Manga Classics.

[Rachel Qay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Manga Classics edition is a retelling of the Les Miserables musical with artwork, descriptions, and dialogue that represent the content of the musical in a way that is easy to comprehend for those who are unfamiliar with the musical or who may have been confused after seeing the musical for the first time without background knowledge. This is also enjoyable for any Les Miserables fan, young or old! It should be noted that this is definitely a retelling of the Les Miserables musical, which has some distinct differences from the original 1,400 page novel from which it is based. Nonetheless, as a die-hard Les Mis fan, I really enjoyed this Manga Classic and would recommend it to others!

Thank you to NetGalley and UDON Entertainment for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

These graphic novels by Stacy King and UDON Entertainment are a wonderful introduction to some of the world's greatest literature. The art is emotive and smart. The adaption is respectful of the original story. This artistic approach opens up the literature to an entirely new audience. Les Miserables is a tragic, sad and beautiful book and this graphic novel is a wonderful tribute to the original. If you have young people who refuse to look at the classics this would be a perfect way to give them a nudge.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.