Les Miserable Review

One of the most adapted and famous stories in the literary world, Victor Hugo’s 1862 historical novel, Les Miserables, is a true masterpiece of storytelling and description which also showcases the encyclopedic knowledge of one of the greatest French novelists to ever live. Now, with the extravagant introductory sentence out of the way, it must be noted that the version I read of Les Miserables was abridged, and from what I have researched and heard from a few friends who have read the unabridged version, the couple-hundred omitted pages from the abridged version hold no key importance to the story’s plotline. The novel is set between 1815 and 1832, a post-revolutionary France which is still struggling to maintain itself as a nation. Apart from the vast amount of subplots and interconnecting storylines, the main focus of the novel is Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who struggles to lead a life of religious purity as he tries to terminate and avoid any connection from his past life in prison. With its scope, form of narrative, unique style of description, digressions, and various themes, it is no surprise that Les Miserables has been adapted into both film and musical and has been the subject of immense praise and intense criticism.

As this novel is separated into five parts and exceeds 1,000 pages (and also the simple impulse to not give away the entire plotline), I shall not go into detail of the story’s plot unless it is necessary to give credence to the novel’s flaws or positives. With that said, the broad points which make Les Miserables what it is will be examined and critiqued in this article.

First off, the wide scope that this novel encompasses is something to be marveled in itself. The plot covers a diverse group of characters-some of whom are minor and admittedly unnecessary to the plot-over a number of years and connects them in an intricate yet fulfilling manner. Like other positive points that make Les Miserables great, there is also some fault in them. For instance, the first seventy pages of the abridged version focus on Bishop Myriel, who, apart from being the initial cause of the main protagonist’s moral and religious conversion, was unnecessarily described for a fair amount of pages. But, even with this example, there is beauty in the way Hugo gives background to this minor character and the life in which Bishop Myriel led, and how this would in turn affect Jean Valjean. This example and its duality can be applied to many of the novel’s minor characters and digressions; all of them feature characters whose overall importance to the plot are questionable but the writing itself produces amazement in the style which sets Hugo apart from other authors.

Another one of the broad points which distinguish Les Miserables from other forms of literature is the style Hugo uses. His cast knowledge of French history and the area of Paris during the early 1800s, combined with his magnificent detailing and description and numerous digressions create the realistic yet partially-romantic novel that is Les Mis. With nearly every facet of the plot, Hugo creates a clear image, showing where you are, the atmosphere of the location, and the history which created this place which could be as dismal as the Paris sewer systems or as wondrous as the gardens outside the Luxembourg Palace. Along with the setting, Hugo’s remarkable talent as a novelist and poet contribute to making memorable characters, giving a clear sense of the thoughts going through their heads and the emotions that determine what they do. With his distinctive style, however, there are some noticeable faults. For starters, the digressions Hugo performs add little to the plot’s development and some of the characters end up becoming stereotypes with their only redeeming characteristic being their involvement in the conclusion or Hugo’s beautiful writing. For example, Hugo spends over a dozen chapters on describing the historic Battle of Waterloo. The only addition this extensive (but wonderfully written) digression gives to the plot is how one of the main character’s father became indebted to the infamous criminal, Monsieur Thenardier. With the characters, one of the main ones, Cosette, seems to be no more than an emotional factor to many of the character’s emotional involvements. What I mean is, Cosette really does nothing except become Marius’ love interest and one of Jean Valjean’s reasons to remain a virtuous man. Though she does nothing explicitly negative in the novel, she personally adds little to the plot and her character as a whole has one outstanding quality: the way in which Hugo presents her and infuses her with the plot.

Like any great novel, the themes present in Les Miserables contribute to its qualities. Apart from being an effective writer on the history of France and the architecture of Paris, Hugo uses the plot line to explore various themes of social life and the individual. The themes of justice, religion, love, rebellion, and morality are all in one way or another present throughout the novel. Early in the novel, Valjean reinvents his entire life and image based upon the religious purity and forgiveness of Bishop Myriel. And throughout the course of the novel, Inspector Javert, who is bent on arresting the ex-con Valjean, struggles with what is morally right and what “justice” dictates. With love, it embodies itself between Marius and Cosette and between Valjean and Cosette-the impact of love in its different forms plays an important part in the latter part of the story line. With the novel’s culmination being the 1832 June Rebellion, specifically focusing on the Friends of the ABC led by the revolutionary Enjolras, the theme of rebellion and what it tries to accomplish for the people is represented.

All in all, this novel is not for the light of heart. It is a commitment, one which will be rewarding if you acknowledge and experience the many qualities that Hugo illustrates in over 1,000 pages of literary excellency. Though there are several issues and flaws with this novel, which makes it not the best choice for a variety of audiences, the style of Hugo and meaningful story far outweigh those flaws. If you enjoy a nice, slow read with much meaning behind the words, then Les Miserables is certainly the novel for you.

(Just make sure to buckle in for the long haul and plenty of digressions.)