Les Miserables (Enriched Classics)

The only thing that would have made this book better would be to have been able to read it in French, its original language, which I do not speak. This is a classic of classics and a story that has captured my heart since I was a girl. The themes of love, social injustice, redemption, and moral growth are strong and pull the reader right in. A wonderful book!

My wife made me sit through the movie. Russell Crowe deserved to throw himself to his death after that! My interest was piqued, however, and I bought the book. A true classic in literature. I enjoyed every one of the 630 pages. I underlined, made notes in the blank pages in back for future reference, and thoroughly enjoyed this great work. Big mistake to try to make it a movie; except the cinematography was fantastic.

I first read this book when I was in high school. The story of Jean Valjean has the scope of a true tragedy: it is the story of a man who has been either actually or potentially punished for an action he committed beyond his control. However, in the long-run he wins out against those who would punish him. I think this story is about the transformation of those capable of immense suffering.

I bought this to replace an unabridged book I used to own but ended up missing somewhere during my life. I bought it so that my pre-teen kids can read it after they developed an interest in the muscial stage version of "Les Mis" and I wanted the older one (8th Grader) to read the book before the movie comes out this Christmas. I've read the unabridged version years ago and found it quite verbose with Victor Hugo's dissertations on historical aspects of the plot (like Waterloo) and I didn't want my kids to become bored, so I wanted a condensed version that stuck more to the plot while retaining the sociopolitical message Hugo was trying to deliver. Even so, my 8th grader struggled to finish this version, but it was due to retention of some of those political rants, not reading difficulty (after skimming random parts of the book, I think it's still appropriate for advanced middle schoolers). I still recommend this version for both school reading or for recreational reading.

Loved this book. It came brand new, no marks or damage to any part of the book. It's also pocket sized which is perfect if you're on the go and want to drop it in a bag and bring it along. Highly recommend reading. (Please note, this is not the full edition. The full edition of this novel is in six volumes. This is the ABRIDGED version.)

This version is significantly abridged but the cover claims it is unabridged. It is an adequate abridgment for younger readers but should be marketed as such. It also gives no information about who translated the book from the original French. This book is less than half the size of the true unabridged version.

Hugo is a literary genius whose novel transcends time. His universal themes help to bridge the gap between the era of the French Revolution and modern society. As a high school teacher, I find it was to develop meaningful activities that are applicable to today's teenagers. This is truly a beautiful novel, fraught with memorable characters and life lessons.

Even if you've seen the musical...read the classic book...you will fall more in love with the story from Victor Hugo