Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful, March 14, 2005
A Kid's Review
To be honest, when I started reading this book I didn't think that it would be very good. The book's beginning tells of a generous bishop who is kind to a released convict. The convict goes on to become the mayor of a important city, because of the bishop's influence on him. Meanwhile, a young girl is abandon by her lover, left alone and pregant.
If I while to tell you more of the story, I would ruin it for you but I will tell you this: this book is about exreteme povetry, where people are forced to do horrible things in order to survive. It is also about how your actions can affect the lives of others.
I realize that this review does not do justice to the book but I hope that you will read it because it is very good. I have read a lot of books and out of all of them this is one of the best.
The reason that I like the Barnes and Noble eddition is because it gives you quotes from the story, information about the life of Victor Hugo, an introduction by another great writer, easy and understandable end notes, and lists other books and such that provide further reading.
I really hope that you will take the time to read it because it is good, even if you didn't like my review.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, September 19, 2005
When I bought this book, I had already read the full version of Les Miserables- Which is AMAZING, by the way. This version cuts out the descriptions of both the covent and Waterloo which rather improved it. Those parts are still very good writing; but when I want to find out what happens next to Jean Valjean and Cosette and instead I get 100 pages telling me about this convent, well, It gets a tad frusterating. Especially since you can't tell whether it's important or not. (and believe me, it isn't.)
So, those cuts were good.
However, I was very disapointed at the cut of a lot of Marius's love letter to Cosette. The editors kept a few lines, but it loses the flow and beauty of the original letter. Yes, I know the letter was four pages to begin with, but I still think that it's worth reading.
On the whole, this version is worth buying, as the story isn't hurt at all by the cuts.
But the original version is still worth reading.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Fictional Book Ever! (Great Translation as well), June 8, 2006
I read the Hunchback of Notre Dame and was so impressed with Victor Hugo's writting ability that I wanted to read his grand achievement, Les Miserables. I decided however, that I wanted a slightly abridged version because Hugo has a tendency to go for numerous pages about the scenery etc that holds no value to the story but I didn't want a version that was abridges that it butchered the story. I found what I was looking for.... 830 pages of the best fictional story ever.
This is a beautiful story about a man who comes across hard times who does a bad thing (stealing) to help do something good (feed his widowed sister's family). He gets caught and ends up spending 19 years in prision. He finally gets released and no one will let him in because of his criminal past except a bishop who later that night he steals his silver. When he is recaptured and they bring him before the bishop. The Bishop does something amazing, he tells the police he gave him the silver and that he forgot to take the candlesticks as well. Jean Val Jean later on gives his life to god and does so many remarkable heartwarming things that it will make you say, ahhhhhh.
This story also has plenty of action, adventure and romance. Javert is one of the most interesting fictional characters ever. It also makes you feel sorry for the poor and desolate and lets you know that their problems are sometimes formed from bad luck not necessarily laziness. The story of Fantine is so sad it will make your heart wrench.
Just a wonderful heart warming book with so much detail and story that you will never forget.
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