Les Misérables

by Sherwood Smith (Adapter), Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo
Les MisÉrables
Translated by Charles E. Wilbour
Abridged, edited and with an introduction by Paul Bénichou

Published simultaneously in nine languages in 1862, Les MiséRables is a vast tapestry set against the chaos of post-Napoleonic France. A cast of hundreds is woven into the epic story of the ex-convict Jean Valjean and his valiant struggle to redeem himself. A potent social document of the poverty, ignorance, and brutality of man, Les MiséRables is also a rousing adventure and a passionate parable of love. Here, Victor Hugo displays his skills as a dramatist and poet, and shows his deeply felt compassion for all mankind.

Pocket Books' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Les MiséRables contains the original introduction by Hugo scholar and Harvard professor Paul Bénichou, as well as his accomplished abridgment.

64 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1997

About the author

I am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.

I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.

Reviews

[Michael P.]

This graphic novel reprint of the old CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED comic book is as poor as the life that started Jean Valjean in the road to crime. Unfortunately, the telling does not improve the way that Valjean improved. It is tired and plodding, yet the main fault is that the book dips into the story then jumps out without developing the scenes naturally, and that means that the characters do not develop during their scenes. We only know about their growth because the narration tell us about their growth. The one decent sequence in the book is one of the few action scenes, the escape through the Paris sewers. It is the longest scene in this version, artist Norman Nodel finally has room to tell the story visually, instead make a series of visually unconnected illustrations. For four pages we see the potential of this story in graphic form had not the uniform page count squeezed the life out of it.

[Caleb Sommerville]

Overly simplified, but just how DOES one condense a 1463-page book into 40 comic book pages?
Some pretty silly typos on here too.

[Kathi]

I have not seen the play in a very long time. Was never able to read the whole book in college. Takeing my 13 year old to see the play. This was an easy and quick way to review the story line, remember the context and history of the story, and just enjoy!