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What Members Thought
This is a slow read, but well worth the effort. Hugo chronicles the time and place in detail, with many digressions that may seem unneccessary to the modern reader, but I think are essential to the texture of the work. The novel's main story deals with the convict Jean Valjean, and his search for redemption against the backdrop of 19th century poverty and a vindictive penal system. Lots of food for ethical thought.
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I must have had twenty people tell me this book is their favorite book ever. One thousand four hundred pages seemed like a lot, so I decided to go abridged. Not sure one should ever try abridged and translated. (When Marius, in the last third of the story, finds a sign saying "Remove", for example, I was completely lost. Not "remove", I learned later, but "go away".)
What a story, nevertheless. The plot centers on a young man, Valjean, who steals a loaf of bread to feed his sister's family and i ...more
What a story, nevertheless. The plot centers on a young man, Valjean, who steals a loaf of bread to feed his sister's family and i ...more
This was a stunning book. I got many strange looks because I was carrying around such an enormous book, but I got through it surprisingly quickly. This story was really very beautiful. Jean Valjean is simply the picture of saintliness, and the morality of each of his actions was truly amazing. The action of the novel was well-thought-out and very interesting. This novel also gave me a much clearer, more accurate picture of 19th century France than any other book I've ever read. By its conclusion
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I read this in french, and I _LOVED_ it. I can't even write a review except to say: anyone who hasn't read this is in for a treat (a heartwrenching, wonderfully loving, unexpectedly touching) treat.
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Nov 17, 2010
Kristi
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Mar 28, 2011
Amanda
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Jul 18, 2011
Maria Yohn
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Sep 06, 2012
Elise
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Sep 28, 2012
Rachel
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Oct 13, 2013
Amber
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Oct 21, 2014
Visvanathan Sambasivam
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Nov 16, 2016
Antonio Gallo
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Sep 13, 2017
Kamal Reddy
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