Tab Article

ratings: ★★★★★ (4.9/5)
Genre: Classic Literature, Historical Fiction, Epic

Book Review:
To call Victor Hugo's Les Misérables a novel feels almost inadequate. It is a universe, a world unto itself. It is an epic of staggering scope, a profound meditation on justice, love, and redemption, and a searing indictment of social inequality. It is a book that will consume you, move you to tears, and stay with you for the rest of your life.

The story begins with Jean Valjean, a man sentenced to nineteen years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread. Released, he is a hardened criminal, filled with bitterness and hatred for a society that has treated him so cruelly. But a single act of grace—the kindness of a bishop who gives him shelter and forgives him when he steals—transforms him utterly. He resolves to live a life of virtue and to dedicate himself to helping others.

Valjean reinvents himself, becoming a successful factory owner and the beloved mayor of a small town. But his past will not let him rest. He is pursued by the relentless Inspector Javert, a man of iron principle who sees Valjean not as a man who has changed, but as a criminal who must be brought to justice. Their cat-and-mouse game is one of the great narrative engines of literature.

Les Misérables is also the story of others whose lives intersect with Valjean's. There is Fantine, a beautiful young woman abandoned by her lover, who is driven to prostitution and death by the cruelty of poverty. There is her daughter, Cosette, a child abused by the monstrous innkeepers, the Thénardiers. There is Marius, an idealistic young revolutionary who falls in love with Cosette. And there is Gavroche, the street-smart Parisian urchin who embodies the spirit of the people.

The novel is a vast historical panorama, sweeping from the battlefields of Waterloo to the barricades of the 1832 Paris uprising. Hugo pauses his narrative for lengthy digressions on subjects as varied as convent life, the history of the Paris sewers, and the slang of the underworld. These digressions are not distractions; they are part of the novel's immense richness, creating a complete and immersive world.

Les Misérables is a work of profound emotional power. It will make you weep for Fantine, cheer for Valjean, and tremble at the barricades with Marius. It is a story about the possibility of redemption, the power of love, and the enduring hope for a better world. It is, quite simply, one of the greatest novels ever written.

This Wordsworth Classics edition, translated by Charles E. Wilbour (a translation from 1862, the year of the novel's publication), and with an introduction and notes by Roger Clark, is an excellent way to begin this monumental journey. Volume One takes you deep into the world of Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette, setting the stage for the epic conclusion.

Les Misérables is not a book to be rushed. It is a book to be savored, to be lived in. It is an experience that will transform you. If you have never read it, do so now. You will never forget it. Highly recommended.