Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
Buddy Reads: Current & Upcoming
>
A Weighty Tome: 2019 Challenge: Les Miserables
Mod
January & February 2019
Volume I - Fantine
8 books
March & April 2019
Volume II - Cosette
8 books
==BREAK / CATCH UP MONTH==
June & July 2019
Volume III - Marius
8 books
August & September 2019
Volume IV - set in Paris, in rue Plumet and rue Saint-Denis
15 books
==BREAK / CATCH UP MONTH==
November & December 2019
Volume V - Jean Valjean
9 books
Mod
Ebook and Kindle versions from Project Gutenberg here
English and French audiobook versions from Librivox here
Mod
I’m in. I’ve had the kindle version for years so I’ll be reading that.
I'm In. been meaning to read this for a while.
Mod
Going to read it in the original French. Aaaand thanks for finding French audiobook versions! I might give that a go for potentially dragging passages if the narrator doesn't suck.
Eta: It's a huge paperback, doorstop size. Really. It's a pile all by itself.
Mod
I'm kind of tempted to join but I failed miserably with the Count of Monte Cristo. I'm not very good with big books. I tend to wander off and read something else then never come back.
Ooh I like this idea. I feel like I remember seeing somewhere that the book has 365 chapters, so you could read a chapter a day throughout the year if you wanted.I've got a physical copy in English that I've been putting off reading but I'm also tempted to find a French copy to practice with. Thus far my French reading has consisted of translations of books I'm super familiar with (the Harry Potter series and the Anne of Green Gables series) so reading more fiction originally written in French would probably be good. Not sure if the brick is a good start though :P
I do believe I'm in on this. It's a manageable way to read this tome; especially since it's 365 chapters. Hmm a chapter a day.
Mod
From glimpses into it, it isn't the easiest book to read!
Monte Cristo however goes down much easier in French - if you wanted to go with a classic.
Mod
I hope we can all help each other get through this next year - and Reads are always more enjoyable with people to discuss them with 😉
Oh man English or French So tough to decide! Definitely in for the challenge though 💪💪
I think I can do this. I started the book years ago and read maybe 300 pages. I think I got distracted with an HP re-read and never picked it up again. But I've been wanting pick it up again.
I am definitely in!Read this for a Victor Hugo seminar & my senior thesis last year.
Have wanted to reread this for a while now.
Mod
Read this for a Victor Hugo seminar & my senior thesis last year.
Have wanted to reread this for a while now."
wow. You can help us all appreciate this then for sure :)
Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "I am definitely in!Read this for a Victor Hugo seminar & my senior thesis last year.
Have wanted to reread this for a while now."
wow. You can help us all appreciate this then f..."
Definitely! It is an intimidating book, but completely worth it.
Mod
Read this for a Victor Hugo seminar & my senior thesis last year.
Have wanted to reread this for a while now."
Cool! :-)
I'm in, what a good way to get through Les Mis. I've wanted to read it for a long time but was so intimidated.
Mod
I downloaded the audio from the library today and I'll start it as soon as I've finished my current audio
I don't suppose I could just watch the BBCs new adaptation :DI actually watched the first episode on Sunday and it's very good. It is actually making me want to read the book.
Mod
Well Alison I did notice a BBC dramatisation on audio which is only five hours but I figured that may be cheating LOL 😂
Mod
I'll hopefully give the first chapter a go this weekend, maybe a little more than that. Will have to see.
As there is a new adaptation on TV it looks as if my local supermarket is selling the book for £4 which is a bit of a bargain. I'm tempted to go with the audio from the library though but I'm not sure I'll manage to hold on to it for a year. It does seem to be available every time I check though. Can't imagine why...
Mod
Holding on to a library copy for a year might be ambitious
This is a great way to get through a chuck steer like this! I’m in. I’ll have to dig out my copy today.
I'll join you guys as well! Seems like good motivation to finally get around to this... I've been struggling for a few days to get a decent version in German cause finding the only translation I want to read in an actual book somewhere to buy is... not as easy as it should be.
This is one of my favourite books. I don't want to commit to a re-read as I am already tackling War and Peace but I will definitely be checking in to see what everyone thinks.
I think a year long read of Les Misérables is a great idea. I have an ebook version and can begin immediately. It is a re-read for me, but I last read it many years ago.
I have ordered from bookshop hopefully collect tomorrow
I am going to try to read this as well....looking forward to it!
I've been taking the a chapter a day approach (as someone said there was 365 chapters so a chapter a day would still mean that I finish it by the end of the year) for the moment as I've got a couple of other books I am trying to finish as soon as possible. The chapters have been quite short so far and not much has happened in the few 3 chapters (I haven't read todays chapter yet).
I will probably start reading more than a chapter a day when I get a bit more time, but I've made a start.
I'll start reading later this month, once I finish a few other books. I also bought myself a nice Waterstones hardback edition for motivation, it was on the expensive side, but I bought it when Christmas shopping and decided I wanted to buy myself a present instead ;)
My copy which i splurged on today
alongside
So two big books this year lol. I am not sure I want to take a year over it but will certainly take a couple of months SECTION 1 BOOK 1
I have read the introduction - my edition is translated by Norman Denny - his translation is generally thought to be good and he says he has tried to stick to the tenor of the narrative rather than to absolute literal translation. It is therefore classed as abridged - although he says he has jettisoned description rather than narrative.
Each chapter is split into several parts, it is heavy dense prose and I am committing only to 50 pages at a time - maybe daily, maybe not. This first 50 concentrates on the Bishop of Dignes - also known as Monseigneur Bienvenue. He seems to be a thoroughly good egg, modest, of the people and humanitarian but maybe he is not quite as saintly as he seems. He is a thinker rather than a doer and his actions don't always reflect how he thinks. I really enjoyed reading the part about his conversation with G. He raised lots of questions about the rulers and the revolutionaries particularly the idea that man is ruled by ignorance - a fact that remains to some extent today where we take only those facts we are allowed to know or sometimes, want to know and act upon them.
It is a bit early to comment on storyline - we haven't really got any
or narrative power it is still smouldering, but i definitely want to read on, Hugo is wordy but very interesting so far
Victoria wrote: "I'll start reading later this month, once I finish a few other books. I also bought myself a nice Waterstones hardback edition for motivation, it was on the expensive side, but I bought it when Chr..."is it the same as mine
Mod
What I was wondering about the translations: did they keep all the original French names? Since sometimes those are translated as well. Marie, you mentioned Monseigneur Bienvenu, so I assume they did?
Mod
I've got a different translation. So far they are using Monseigneur Bienvenu but the 1st time they used it they put Welcome in brackets after to make sure anyone with no French knew the relevance.
Mod
But Sophie, your wrists will thank you for it!
Sophie wrote: "You're making me feel like my kindle copy isn't showing the right respect!I've got a different translation. So far they are using Monseigneur Bienvenu but the 1st time they used it they put Welco..."
Eldarwen wrote: "Ah yes, those hardcover editions are quite pretty!! And make me want to get them all haha. Even Dickens, which I hate ;-)
they are using the original french names but they did also explain the meaning of Bienvenue.
Sophie wrote: "You're making me feel like my kindle copy isn't showing the right respect!I've got a different translation. So far they are using Monseigneur Bienvenu but the 1st time they used it they put Welco..."
Sophie I have been disappointed by bad translations before. I got an awful free kindle copy of Madame Bovary - anything of importance had been taken out so that the most wicked thing she did was show her ankles as she got into a carriage which was later seen to bounce whilst it was not moving. We read it at my real life book group and another member said that she had researched which was the best translation. I now do this.
An internet search said that my translation was NOT the most literal but did keep the Spirit of the book the best. The translator himself admits he hasn't translated word for word. He says Hugo loved words and often uses far too many. He says there are times when Hugo uses multiple adjectives (above 20) for one noun. He has taken some of this out and he has also tried to write with a limited number of footnotes as i struggle with footnotes I felt this translation would work for me.
I buy very few books I am retired and rely heavily on the library and free kindle. I didn't think i could warrant taking a library book for a year and free kindle might give me a less acceptable translation so I treated myself to this beautiful copy which i hope i will dip into again and again.
Jess wrote: "This is one of my favourite books. I don't want to commit to a re-read as I am already tackling War and Peace but I will definitely be checking in to see what everyone thinks."how far into war and peace are you
Mod
Mod
But Sophie, your wrists will thank you for it!"
Not only my wrists but also my son. I get most of my reading done while he naps on me and I don't think he'd enjoy over 1000 pages being dropped on him
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Anna Karenina (other topics)Les Misérables (other topics)
War and Peace (other topics)
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (other topics)
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (other topics)
More...
Over in the Cleaning out the closet challenge in 2018 we started talking...
Your know those MASSIVE books that you want to read, but everything else gets in the way?
Well we decided that perhaps the best way to tackle this problem is to pick a book and read it together over a year.
2019 will be the year of Les Misérables!
Anyone is welcome to join. This is essentially an extremely long buddy read :)
There are five volumes within Les Misérables so we will be reading one volume every two months and we will also have two break months ; meaning the read will last the whole year.
To participate, all you need to do is come on over and give your thoughts for the section you are reading. Please make it clear which section you are referring to, and if you are reading ahead of the schedule, put your comments in spoiler tags.
1400+ pages? Meh! We got this! Let the Battle Begin!