Chris Black’s Reviews > Les Misérables > Status Update

Chris! I have this on my reading list. How is Les Mis so far? I recently enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo which covered similar dates in French history and the Parisian cultural background was really fascinating to read about.

Ben! Good to hear from you. Hope you're doing well along with Alyssa. (I saw y'all got married -- congrats!) Les Mis is good, of course, but the full unabridged version is a task of reading. Imagine the meticulous descriptions of the ship in Moby-Dick expanded and applied 1810s-30s France. Don't take this as a warning against reading it, just be advised. There is a great deal of rich historical detail, and Hugo makes sure to provide immense descriptions various French battles, etc. Do read it, just be prepared!

I love meticulous descriptions! Without them we wouldn't know everything there is to know about hobbits and Middle Earth in what feels like the first half of LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring. Currently on Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky to change up the country of origin, strongly recommend that one so far as well. Some of the best character interactions I've seen in writing. Hopefully within the next year I can at least start the daunting task of reading Les Mis.

All is well with us, thank you! We hope you are doing fine as well!