Les Miserables in 2017

[Cindy]

Are there any good study guides for Les Miserables? I have searched Cliff Notes and Spark Notes. I have Lit Charts and it is not very good. Most do a vague summary. It is probably hard to do a detailed analysis on a 2000 page book.

[Lynnette]

I read it out loud. Really helped & kind of fun. Try it sometime. Also if you can find an audio book for your car. I think you will be surprised how much clearer it becomes.

[Lynnette]

One more thing. If you have Amazon's Fire Stick, Alexa will read it out loud for you.

[Cindy]

When I was in college I read my text books out loud. I never thought about reading Les Miserables out loud. That might help on the long winded parts. I don't have Alexa, I have Siri on my IPhone. Thanks for the idea.

[Lynnette]

Reading out loud or listening improves your experience of books that have a lot to say. I am a skim reader mostly so the classics are tricky for me. I was able to hear Cannery Row & The Gunslinger (Dark Tower) and really enjoy them. I am about to give Alexa a chance to read The Iliad to me. 👌

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Working my way through V2, Bk 7 right now. I see what you meant, Cindy. It seems like a long-ass digression (which I think of as signature Hugo). Book 6 was a digression of the milder sort. He seemed to be giving charming asides into the life of the convent. But now that seems just a precursor to his philosophical musings on religion and philosophy.

And I'm really ready to get back to the story!!! Bring on Valjean and Javert!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Just finished Volume II and I have to say that I wish more people were in on this Buddy Read. Hugo's digressions can be a challenge, but overall this story is FANTASTIC! The suspense of the chase through the streets of Paris had me on the edge of my seat. And then Valjean/Madeleine passing out as he was buried alive!! Yikes! Also, I loved the chapter about his thoughts on the innocent women in the convent compared to the criminals in prison. Really just amazing writing.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

By the end of JUNE, we should be through Volume 3 (Marius), Book 4, Chapter 6. (Hopefully, there won't be too many asides. Fingers crossed.)

[Cindy]

Good luck on getting back to Valjean and Cossette. Another diversion, talking about the street urchins of Paris. Interesting but not for 6 chapters.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Lmao! Sigh.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Volume 3. (Marius). Book 3.

I love getting the background on Marius! I only know him from the musical where he's just the hot student with whom both Eponine and Cossette fall in love. Knowing his history makes him so much more interesting.

I suspect that the "debt" his grandfather believes he owes Thenadier is going to cause grief to Marius. But it also explains how he probably comes to know them. Looking forward to finding out fur sure.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

BTW. When the Buddies for this Read reach Volume 3 (Marius) Book 4 Chapter 6, you will be halfway through the novel. Woot! Woot!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

P. S. I didn't mind the aside about the Street Urchins because I know from the musical that at least one of them will brim portent later.

[Cindy]

I never imagined I would be halfway through. Not an easy read, but I am sticking with it. Had to take a small break, so I am behind the reading schedule, not by much. Will catch up in July. Ready to take on the next half. Woot! Woot!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Great going, Cindy!!! No, it's not an easy read. But it's very, very rich. The characters are so well developed that they seem real to me. And I have some very vivid pictures in my head on the places and events we have been through. I'm glad you're sticking with it. :)

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

By the end of August, I expect to be through Volume 4 (Marius). Book 4. Chapter 2. There are only two chapters in V4, B4 so that works out nicely.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I really enjoyed the chapters on Cossette realizing that she's beautiful. So funny, but also kinda true.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

The August post should have read Volume 4 (Marius), Book 4, Chapter 2.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

For September we are shooting to complete the chapters through Volume 4 (Marius), Book 11, Chapter 6.

I'm part way through this section and can give you the warning that Hugo's tangents include "slang" and "revolution."

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

We have an elephant hotel in New Jersey. It's called Lucy, is painted pink, and although no longer working, once housed guests visiting our beaches.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

That comment will make more sense when you get further into Volume 4.

[Cindy]

I have 67 chapters left. I just started Volume 5. Enjoying the part on the revolution. I am sure it is not good news for the small group hiding behind the barricade. Hard to believe I started this on Jan 1 2017. My goal is to finish before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

It's a long book! My goal is to finish sh during my holiday break. :)

[Rob]

Not doing the group read as I read it myself a few years ago but I loved reading your comments. May I ask what translation you used? The narrator (Hugo) is a huge part of the story so an outdated translation may spoil the flow of the book.

Apparently Hugo wrote the long digression about the monastery because he had Cosette go to one and he didn't want people to get the wrong idea. In many books of the time "fallen women" ended up in monasteries. He saying they are a relic of the past but can also be appreciated in a way.

[Cindy]

It has been a long book and a long year. I found myself switching different translators and publishers. I will probably finish with JBS classics. I can't find the translator. A review said it was Iasabel Hapgood.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I've been listening to the Recorded Books version from Audible. Translator: Julie Rose

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Ugh! Ian having so much trouble getting through Volume 4 (Saint Denis)! I really want to finish by December 31, but right now this book is kicking my butt! :(

[Cindy]

I finally finished. I struggled with sections of the book. I had to take a week off and give myself a Les Mis break. What helped me was to set a finish date, I counted up the number of chapters left and figured out how many I had to read per day. I stuck to that and pretty soon I was finished. It has been a long book, hard to believe we started this Jan 1 2017.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Good for you! There are sections I have absolutely loved. I suspect that those are the ones which will stay with me long after I hav finished.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Woohoo! I'm finally finished Volume 4!!!
Eponine was really very sad. With different parents, her life might have been so different.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I saw her part sung by Lea Salonga who later went on to play Fantine.

[Cindy]

Renee wrote: "Woohoo! I'm finally finished Volume 4!!!
Eponine was really very sad. With different parents, her life might have been so different."

Congrats on finishing Volume 4! Gavroche was my favorite character. I did feel sorry for Eponine and all of the street urchins. It is sad that there was no public services to help the street children. I am sure that many of them did not live. It does make you wonder what a different life they could have had, if they had a loving home.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I'm in the sewers right now and I completely understand why this was such a vivid section for so much of the original audience. It's absolutely riveting and completely disgusting!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Did anyone see that the BBC has a Les Miserables mini-series ready for broadcast in the US? I’m so psyched! It looks like it’s going to be awesome!!!!!

Trailers: https://www.pbs.org/video/les-miserab...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article...

[Anisha Inkspill]

Renee wrote: "I'm in the sewers right now and I completely understand why this was such a vivid section for so much of the original audience. It's absolutely riveting and completely disgusting!"

Yes, wasn't it just. And when JV is approached by Thenardier, the banter, the tension - nice. I read this earlier this year but this scene is still very vivid.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I can’t wait to see what they do with the mini series! It was a gigantic book but had so much emotion, tension, complexity.

[Eileen]

This book is on my list for this year, but it's going to take me a long time and I may not finish it until next year, since I have a few other long books I need to tackle first.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Eileen-
It really helped me to plan it over the course of a year. One chapter a day. Otherwise some of Hugo’s digressions might have bogged me down.

[Eileen]

That makes sense. Maybe I will use your plan for 2020. :)

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

If you decide to do that and want to post here I’d be happy to proffer encouragement and chat about the story as you go. :)

[Eileen]

Renee wrote: "If you decide to do that and want to post here I’d be happy to proffer encouragement and chat about the story as you go. :)"

Oooh, thanks! The book is definitely on my list--I just don't know when it will be started, but I love that I have this thread here as a starting point and encouragement! :)