Kyle’s Comments (group member since Sep 30, 2012)

Kyle’s comments from the *~Can't Stop Reading~* group.

Bev wrote: "Liz wrote: What did you really like the most?"

Without giving anything away at this point, I found that I was really able to connect with Pi right off the bat (especially with the conclusions he draws about religion, and the fact that he's a vegetarian); it always helps someone enjoy a book when they can relate to the main character from the beginning.

Also, being intentionally vague now, I thought a lot of the scenes were riveting and well-written, and it held my attention throughout.

One thing I've noticed about the ending was that many people seem to get different things from it. Which surprised me at first, because I thought there was only one true way to interpret the ending, but I appreciate that different people see different things in it (kind of like cloud spotting). I loved the ending, but it will be interesting seeing other people's reactions and conclusions about it.

This is among my favorite books so I'll try and join in the discussion where I can. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Alexandria wrote: "This is an amazing book! Love it, I lecture on it as well. I see that most of the books this group reads, I do. it makes me proud lol, (British/American-Art History professor) proud to see such an ..."

Yeah, we seem to be a group with pretty posh, yet eclectic tastes in literature; I love it. :) Good luck with your classes!

Elizabeth wrote: "My name is Elizabeth and I'm 24 years old. I live in Kentucky (Louisville, to be precise). I have a BA in psychology and did two minors in English with a concentration in literature and Medieval St..."

Welcome Elizabeth. As an aspiring archaeologist myself, I cannot help but encourage you to pursue Anthropology (though I suppose the world always needs more microbiologists). :)


Jessica wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Jessica and I am a graduate in Ancient History. I love reading and I decided to join this group in order to broaden my horizons a bit as I tend to read mostly horror or c..."

Welcome Jessica. Hopefully your horizons will be broadened to your satisfaction, though it seems you already have pretty eclectic taste. :)


Rena wrote: "Hi Guys! My name is Rena, I'm 23 from Texas and I'm relatively new to goodreads but I keep seeing my friends post on forums in this group so I thought I'd give it a shot. My favorite books are: Ete..."

Haha, Eternal Darkness, Blood King, Vampire Academy...Harry Potter. One of these things is not like the other ;). Welcome to the group and Goodreads!

*Sigh*, *closes book.* Finished.

My first thought on finally turning that last page was, "yay! I finally finished this monster of a book. awesome!"

My second thought was "Wow, that was actually an incredible story, and even with the diversions which require some dedication on the part of the reader (perhaps especially with them?), it was a masterful book."

My third thought was "Oh no. It's all over. I've run out of book, and now I miss it." /cry

Ben wrote: "Just rounding on 46% myself, I'm finding it long going but enjoying it at the same time. Marius and the boys are just staring to get together now, so I guess the pace will pickup pretty soon."

Yeah, I think I started blazing through it around the halfway mark.

So, we're approaching the last stretch in our reading of Les Miserables, and I was just wondering: how has everyone's progress been? As we all know, it's quite a beast of a book, and I imagine everyone has approached reading it differently. Do you have a set schedule with X amount of pages per day? Per Week? Have you set targets and tried to meet them, or have you just sorta gone with it at your own pace?

It has taken me longer to read it than I expected, but I also foolishly started a number of books at the same time. I'm on the last stretch now (less than 200 pages), and now I can't seem to put it down.

Ruby wrote: "Kyle wrote: "Yes, I can't say I'm sorry to be done with book 1 and its lengthy descriptions of the bishop and his life.

Yet, allow me to play the devil's advocate a little bit and ask the group t..."

Wow, I think you nailed it. There was just something bugging me about the Bishop in Les Mis, and I think what you just said is exactly tied to the problem I had with him.

Archdeacon Frollo is one of the most compelling characters I've ever come across in any literature, and I think he's the reason Notre Dame De Paris works so well as a novel. Even though the Bishop in Les Mis isn't really a main character, to me he just felt like a cardboard cutout caricature and I was secretly waiting for us to be done with him.

Ben wrote: "Wow, I just got through the section on 'life in a convent'.

Interesting, detailed but I can't quite see the point as yet. Any thoughts?"

I have to admit to speed reading a little bit during that section, but I found it along a similar vein as the Waterloo section when it comes to its contribution to the story (perhaps a bit less so).

I suppose it allows us to truly understand the type of environment in which (view spoiler)[Cosette is growing up (hide spoiler)] which allows more context for actions later on. Not the most riveting section, granted, but at least you're through it! :)

Philippa (eat, read, explore) wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm Philippa. I currently live in France, and I'm a hopeless book addict."

Hi Philippa! Hopeless book addicts are of always welcome, though I'm not sure we will be encouraging a recovery from said addiction. :)


Sara wrote: "...but it's mostly 'candy bar fiction'. I figure I need more than sugar in my diet.

Which is sort of funny because currently I'm 20% deep in Les Miserables (due to this groups monthly read) and a character advises women to not nibble too much sugar. Good advice I think!"

Ha! I like that. I'll have to remember that one. :)

So... Gavroche is officially an awesome character. Just sayin.

Heather wrote: " I do like that I get more "reading" done using audiobooks."

True. They are definitely great for long car trips.

Heather wrote: "I've decided to take the plunge. Any thoughts on audio vs. reading myself? Right now I'm leaning towards reading it but wanted to see what others thought."

I've never been able to get the hang of audiobooks. I either get frustrated because I'd rather be reading it myself, find the reader annoying, or my attention drifts off periodically. If I were listening to Les Mis on audiobook I think there would be way too many parts where my attention simply drifted off and I didn't hear what was being said. Then I would end up going back to re-listen, the same thing would happen again, and it would simply take me forever to get through the book.

I suppose if you're already really in to audiobooks then it might not be a problem for you, but I can't imagine myself attempting to listen to it.

Ben wrote: "Well I'm definately through the Wellington section now (around 26%) and I can safely say it was not the scary beast I'd been led to believe.

I found the descriptions of the battle and individual ..."

I'm glad you ended up liking it Ben! Brushing up on Waterloo beforehand was probably a good idea too; I'll be sure to recommend doing that to anyone who is about to hit that part.

"Yes, well I do think that today most authors who attempt anything ambitious are often labelled as pretentious. Not to mention..."

I have often heard the term "modern classic," yet it seems pinning down exactly what people mean by the term might be too hard for me to make use of it.

Welcome! Hopefully the group can contribute to your reading love rediscovery :)

Jonathan wrote: I think I'd agree with the comment that he set out to write a book to change the world. I also really think it's a chronicle of history in many ways. It seems to me that Hugo saw all these things going on and went..."

That's an interesting way to put that Jonathan, and I think you're right. It's as though the book is less of a novel, and more of a chronicle; a record of the time, the people, the challenges faced, and some explanations for why those challenges might exist at all.

As far as Hugo not being able to get away with his writing style today, I can't disagree, yet when I think about that I become troubled. Not to start a tangent (even though here I go starting a tangent), but do we hold classics to a different standard than books today? Could Les Miserables even make it to print in the present? I'll leave those for other people to answer, since I'm not sure I can.

Ben wrote: "Kyle wrote: "So, it seems a lot of people didn't really dig the whole battle of Waterloo part, and I can understand that. Stuff is happening, Jean Valjean does some serious stuff, and then... rewin..."

Excellent! I think by the time you are through it, you will look back and appreciate it. :)

I must admit Jonathan, I've never heard of it. It looks extremely fun though, and it seems like it might be my cup of tea. You've convinced me to add it to read. :)

So, it seems a lot of people didn't really dig the whole battle of Waterloo part, and I can understand that. Stuff is happening, Jean Valjean does some serious stuff, and then... rewind in time to Waterloo. I agree it makes for a bit of an abrupt change, but I feel I must make a confession: I loved the Waterloo part. Of course, it helps that I'm a total Napoleonic Wars nerd and get my jollies off an nearly anything Napoleonic.

But my nerdiness aside, I thought it was actually a very well written and riveting account of Waterloo; it's better than some of my books on the Napoleonic wars! But oh!...the part with Cambronne! So, so beautiful. I was breathless. It gave me the chills the way the story of the Spartans at Thermopylae does, but more so. Where the account of Leonidas and his warriors, surrounded my the multitude of Xerxes's army is more 'mythic' feeling, the account of Cambronne and the last guard regiment was more 'heroic.'

And I would even go so far as to say that perhaps Hugo wasn't as on such a severe tangent as we might believe at first. To Hugo, Cambronne is the ultimate hero. A common man, a pleb, who found the inner strength to stand up for what he believes in while facing no hope of coming out on top. We can see Hugo's ideal citizen hero in Cambronne, we can see the mother who is sacrificing everything for the daughter she can't remember. We see the Mayor who has everything, give it all up for what he believes to be right. Hugo proclaims Cambronne to be the true victor at Waterloo, and the parallel is clear. No matter how desperate one's situation is, no mater how certain our own doom, if we stand up for ourselves, our ideals, and simply shout "merde!" in the face of the world arrayed against us, then even if we fail we still win.

I apologize for the rant (it seems Hugo might be rubbing off on me), but I think that even if the account of Waterloo is making your eyes glaze over, if troops movements and commanders' names are blending your brain into salsa, then I completely understand. But I think it's all worth it for the account of Cambronne and the last guard regiment, who so nicely synthesize what the whole book is about.

Or perhaps it was just silly old me who was so moved. :)