Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Possibly my proudest moment of 2020 reading, or possibly of my reading ever, is the fact that I have read ‘Les Miserables’ (along with a lovely group of bookstagrammers).

This is a story that I am sure so many of us think we know thanks to the wonderful musical, or maybe more recently the BBC dramatisation. I certainly thought that I knew and loved the story. However, I was wrong. For obvious reasons (mainly the length of the book), the musical is an adaptation of the tale and excludes parts of the story. There is, of course, nothing wrong with that but I would now certainly recommend that you take the chance to read the book to enrich your understanding of the tale.

This book holds a beautiful story; a chance Victor Hugo has taken to pass comment on the France he was exiled from and the society it was becoming. There are some chunks of history used to contextualise some of the characters and events – however, if they are not for you, it is possible to skim-read those sections. Yet, for me they were part of the rich tapestry of the book.

Jean Valjean has become one of my favourite characters in literature. Quite a complex character but demonstrating some of the best characteristics of human nature, yet he is considered (by true identity) to be one of the worst members of society. Overall, I found him a hero who Hugo seems to think is a victim of the society he has the unfortunate luck to be part of.

All the characters Hugo creates are so alive on every page. They have so much about them – they are all fascinating characters.

This book is simply beautiful. Please do not be put off because it is rather large. It is a story that we can all enjoy and possibly learn a little about ourselves from. So, if you can, pick up ‘Les Miserables’, because it could well become one of your favourite reads – as it has for me.