What can I say? There is no way I can produce an adequate review when I have read just over 100 pages of the nearly 1250 pages of my Canterbury Classics edition, as translated by Isabel F. Hapgood and first published in 1887, some 25 years after its original French edition. I could cite Mr. Hugo’s own preface, composed as one rather long sentence; so I will:
“So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age—the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of women by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night—are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless.”
Or perhaps I might also quote from the introduction by Ken Mondschein, PhD, who states that Les Miserables, “ . . . is a novel about a failed revolution, written after a failed revolution.” But to see the book only in the context of the political world surrounding the life of a man who lived through it, we are going to miss the meaning by a wide margin. We are conditioned to think that way, of course. Our news, via newspaper, TV, or internet, may give the impression that the clash of nations is all we need to know. Sound bites by national leaders and their enemies define the limited picture we may have. Suppose I hear of the political conflicts between our own nation and our greatest adversary. I plan a trip to that adversary nation (China? Russia?). But when I arrive in the capital city, and go out into the city streets, and stop to eat a meal in a local restaurant, I find myself surrounded by many ordinary, everyday citizens. Using my limited ability to converse in a foreign language, I am enjoying a friendly conversation with local people, for instance a married couple with their young child. Do I discover an entirely different atmosphere in that setting that flies in the face of the impression I took away from the TV news back home? That has been my experience many times. Certainly, international and national political events deserve our attention. But what impact do they make upon individuals? So we read Les Mise’rables. What does “mise’rables” mean? Simply put, they are the rejects of society, the poorest of the poor, who try to survive in some way on the fringes of every city and town in the world. How does the central character, Jean Valjean, fit into that scene? How does he deal with the punishment meted out to him for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family? Who are the others who in various ways relate to him? Can we learn something about the human search for meaning and freedom? What do we learn from a desperate man? Can Jean Valjean know redemption for his crimes? Why do we find him totally surprised by the way he is treated by a kindly and eccentric bishop, which is totally different from the way the rest of the world has treated him up to that point? Do we see parallels of our times with those of 19th century France?
Upton Sinclair considered this work as "one of the half-dozen greatest novels of the world". He is not alone in that opinion. I have just begun to learn why as I probe my way into the book. One cannot make an adequate review out of reading some eight percent of it. Still, I believe one reason this book is considered great by so many, is that we can see the sufferings of those people in 19th Century France, and realize they are quite like the people of our own time.
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Excellent!
Such a beautiful copy and translation of one of my favorite classics of all time!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2023
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2021
Once you buy one of these Canterbury Classics leather bounds, you can’t stop! They’re all gorgeous and very well made. They’re a touch better than BN leather bounds. The red leather color of this book is much more beautiful in person than the pictures. My only gripe was that two of them came with damages to the cover or scratches on the beautiful gold leafs. This fantastic collection should have individual wrappings around each book.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
Such a beautiful copy and translation of one of my favorite classics of all time!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
i didn’t think it would be tiny but regardless i will be reading it
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Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2017
