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Victor Hugo
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Miserables, Les Audio Cassette – Audiobook, July 1, 1997

by Victor Hugo (Author), Nigel Anthony (Reader), Norman Denny (Translator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,512 ratings
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Set largely in Paris during the politically explosive 1820s and 1830s, Victor Hugo's epic follows the life of the former criminal Jean Valjean, an outcast of society, Valjean has repented his crimes, but is nevertheless pursued by the implacable detective Javert. In scenes of powerful drama and suspense, Valjean is chased through the sewers of Paris, while the July Revolution rages on overhead, and men and women are fighting--and dying--for political freedom. 4 cassettes.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  3. Publication date
    July 1, 1997
  4. Reading age
    18 years and up
  5. Dimensions
    4.32 x 1.41 x 5.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140862617
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140862614
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Audio; Abridged edition (July 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140862617
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140862614
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.32 x 1.41 x 5.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,512 ratings

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Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo

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Victor Marie Hugo (/ˈhjuːɡoʊ/; French: [viktɔʁ maʁi yɡo]; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry and then from his novels and his dramatic achievements. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles stand particularly high in critical esteem. Outside France, his best-known works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and Notre-Dame de Paris, 1831 (known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). He also produced more than 4,000 drawings, which have since been admired for their beauty, and earned widespread respect as a campaigner for social causes such as the abolition of capital punishment.

Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and the artistic trends of his time. He is buried in the Panthéon. His legacy has been honoured in many ways, including his portrait being placed on French franc banknotes.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Étienne Carjat [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,512 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book wonderfully worded, almost hypnotizing, and interesting. They also enjoy the storyline, suspense, and adaptation. Readers describe the book as much better than the movie, with a blend of piercing ideas and deep emotions. They appreciate the history of the French Revolution. However, some find the pacing slow and require a lot of patience. Opinions are mixed on the length, with some finding it very long and verbose, while others say it's too long and artificial.

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ReadabilityStorylineAdaptationEmotional resonanceValueHistorianLengthPacing
73 customers mention "Readability"55 positive18 negative

Customers find the book wonderfully worded, astute, and apt. They also say the Norman Denny translation is excellent. Readers also mention the book is rich in life, pleasant, and almost hypnotizing. They say the bit about Argot was really interesting.

"...It was pleasant, almost hypnotizing. Text-to-Speech allowed me to focus on the incredible story and not hassle through the pronunciations...." Read more

"...However the story is compelling, well written, and you become almost instantly attached to the main characters, pulling for them, hoping for them,..." Read more

"...print than Penguin books previous editions, making it much easier on the eyes to read...." Read more

"...Also, the language in the Kindle edition was a little difficult to understand, and there were random accent marks on random words -- the editing was..." Read more

56 customers mention "Storyline"56 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline powerful, compelling, and wonderful. They also describe the writing as exciting, dramatic, and full of unlikely coincidences. Readers also mention that the suspense is well-handled.

"...It was pleasant, almost hypnotizing. Text-to-Speech allowed me to focus on the incredible story and not hassle through the pronunciations...." Read more

"...However the story is compelling, well written, and you become almost instantly attached to the main characters, pulling for them, hoping for them,..." Read more

"...I personally find it to be a better, more enjoyable read, compared to the translations by Hapgood or Wilbur...." Read more

"...the book forward, and what makes "Les Miserables" such a powerfully compelling love story...." Read more

5 customers mention "Adaptation"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the adaptation of the book much better than the movie. They also say the stage production is favorable.

"The stage play and recent movie adaptation of the play are fabulous...." Read more

"This book is one of the best books I have ever read. Much better than the movie, which incorporates only about 20% of this novel...." Read more

"This is a great story and the broadway production is excellent. This was a gift for my daughter. The only concern is the print is quite small." Read more

"...Comparison to the movie and the stage production is favorable. "To the barricades all!"" Read more

5 customers mention "Emotional resonance"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has deep emotions, contrast, and harmony. They also love the book on forgiveness.

"...This is probably the most sympathetic, almost God-like perspective of humanity that I have ever come across in literature...." Read more

"...It is a beautiful blend of piercing ideas and deep emotions, of contrast and harmony, it is a masterwork of life!..." Read more

"...Hugo's prose and narrative is really nice, exploring human emotions with a sort of fluidity that took my breath away at times." Read more

"A true classic and inspirational. A must read that is moving and heartwarming. The timeline might not be accurate but the story is timeless." Read more

5 customers mention "Value"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth the price of $7.99.

"...and was so happy to find such a beautiful hardcover version at a great price. It doubles as decor also!" Read more

"...Kindle version which is light for a 1,200 page book and it was very inexpensive...." Read more

"...and a page-turner to boot. Like new and incredibly cheap. Very readable copy (good and large enough font), yet compact enough to carry around...." Read more

"...It was well worth the money." Read more

4 customers mention "Historian"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the historian in the book to be a good source of history of the French Revolution. They also say the content is known.

"...You do get a good dose of the history of the French revolution along with the story as well. It shows both sides of the war, the people and..." Read more

"Les Miserables is a classic, and the contents of the book are known. My review is based on the edition, rather than the contents...." Read more

"...and I have not finished it, but the story and the history behind it are very interesting, the characters are varied, engaging when they are on..." Read more

"...Victor Hugo was a wonderful writer, knowledgeable historian, and brilliant philosopher...." Read more

10 customers mention "Length"3 positive7 negative

Customers are mixed about the length of the book. Some mention it's very long, while others say it'd be better if it was shorter. Some customers also mention that the chapters are difficult to get through.

"...I highly recommend doing so, but be aware that this is a very lengthy book (originally a multi volume work), and Victor Hugo sometimes digresses..." Read more

"...This got quite annoying after 450 pages...." Read more

"A long but great read...." Read more

"...too ambitious, the plot forced and artificial, and the book much too long and verbose...." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive10 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow and overwhelming. They also say it requires a lot of patience to go through its 1300+ pages.

"...Reading this book requires a good amount of patience as Victor Hugo diverges into lengthy examinations of various topics..." Read more

"...The part about the convent is a bit tedious, but the bit about Argot was really interesting...." Read more

"...We still find it a little cumbersome, with all the description of the political and religious situations of the time and period language that you..." Read more

"...But because of these very qualities, the progress of the story is too slow, often to the point of being boring...." Read more

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3 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

skykid14
5.0 out of 5 stars It's not a typical cheap story...reading Les Miserable is a LIFE EXPERIENCE.
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Thank God I got the Kindle version for my Kindle Keyboard 3G. I read through 12% of the book before wondering 'how long will it take me to finish!!?". So I measured my reading speed pages-per-minute and estimated the total reading time for the entire book to be 64 hours. Seriously. So I took a different approach: I would read for an hour or two, then when fatigue started setting in, I pressed the "shift-sym" keyboard shortcut to activate text-to-speech, and just sat back or laid in bed while the kindle AI voice read it to me. This book famously takes place in France, and a lot of the names of people / places / streets are in French, so it's nice having the AI effortlessly pronounce them. My favorite was hearing it pronounce "Champs-Élysées" over and over again. It was pleasant, almost hypnotizing. Text-to-Speech allowed me to focus on the incredible story and not hassle through the pronunciations. Victor Hugo goes off on many tangents, such as 30+ page histories of the battle of waterloo, and the construction of the sewer system in Paris. It's quite fascinating and adds much to the story. There are many nuanced scenes that I continually go back to in my head, like the back passages behind the court room for transporting lawyers, and the one for transporting the criminals. And the ideas of whether a person can ever redeem themselves in society, contrasted with the situation that society is often times a poor judge of how to redeem oneself, and whether they should be deserving of redemption. It is an honest critique of criminal justice that is probably as relevant today as it was then.

My understanding is that this "penguin classics" version has a better translation than the "free" version going around on the internet. It you're going to devote ~64 hours to an experience of life and death in old France, best put in a few bucks to get the best translation possible. For today's generation, the length of the story can be a bit jarring and leaves you wondering "will this story ever end?" I say this book is not at all to be treated as a story. It's not a television show. It's not a movie. It's not a musical. Les Miserables is an EXPERIENCE. So get the good version on Kindle, and have the AI voice continue the reading when fatigue starts to set in.
140 people found this helpful
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Teresa Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024
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I love reading this book when I was younger and was so happy to find such a beautiful hardcover version at a great price. It doubles as decor also!
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theincrediblehoek
5.0 out of 5 stars So far so good!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2012
Verified Purchase
I'm 400 pages through so far, and love this book. I have never seen the musical, or any of the movies, heard any of the music, or really know anything about the story. To be honest, I didn't even know it was a book until a friend mentioned that it was in his top 10 of favorite books of all time! Coming from him, who is quite a manly dude, warranted an investigation by my part.

I'll continue to update this review as I read the book, but keep in mind it is a THICK read, covering around 1200 pages or so. Much of it is ancillary information that didn't really add too much to the story (yet?), as in there was about 100 pages or so talking in great detail about the battle of Waterloo; information I could have gotten from a history book. However the story is compelling, well written, and you become almost instantly attached to the main characters, pulling for them, hoping for them, really yearning for them to do the right things and to overcome.

One of my favorite characters in the book was the Bishop of Digne, who apparently is barely mentioned in the musical or movie. The book provides a wealth of background on his character, which, in talking to diehard fans of this story, greatly entertained them. So even if you're seen the musical, the movie, or know the basic story, I'd recommend reading it due to all of the extra stuff in the story that didn't make the musical.
5 people found this helpful
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APL
4.0 out of 5 stars Norman Denny Translation
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024
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The Norman Denny Translation of Les Miserables is hands down, my favorite edition of this book, hardcover or paperback. I personally find it to be a better, more enjoyable read, compared to the translations by Hapgood or Wilbur. The "movie tie in" edition (it simply has an image of the actress playing young Cosette in the film on its cover) has one important plus over the previous Norman Denny translated editions, in that it has larger print than Penguin books previous editions, making it much easier on the eyes to read.

If you choose the hardcover Norman Denny edition from Penguin books, it is also a great edition, but the text will be much smaller.

If you are considering purchasing this book (the N. Denny translation) because of the musical, I highly recommend doing so, but be aware that this is a very lengthy book (originally a multi volume work), and Victor Hugo sometimes digresses quite a bit, although some of which have been moved to the appendices at the back of the book (Denny).

The downside to getting a hold of an out of print book is that some sellers, might erroneously list used books as "new". The copy I purchased was listed as "new", but felt as if it had been read before by the way the book's pages freely opened and turned. New books do not do that. A new book's spine should be "tight" and have a 'stiffness" to the book, and they often need to be "broken in" (not unlike a college text book when you first buy it and intend to sell back later) before reading, to help prevent spine split, creases along the spine and loosened pages.
2 people found this helpful
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Mary Aycock
5.0 out of 5 stars Saw the movie... wanted to read the book
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024
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What a beautiful book. I love getting the classic books in gorgeous covers.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gregory
5.0 out of 5 stars Well made and aesthetically pleasing line of books.
Reviewed in Canada on July 2, 2022
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Well made and aesthetically pleasing line of books.
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Julie Rooms
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any fan of Les Mis.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2022
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I have seen the musical and played the soundtrack numerous times. I have seen the film version numerous times and watched the BBC version. Nothing, but, nothing compares to the book. It is without doubt the best reading experience I have had. There is so much more depth to the story and all the characters.
Whilst the story is basically the same as what the musical does the book adds a lot more that fills in gaps, we find out about Cosette's father and his relationship with Fantine as one example. In the musical the Thernardiers are what would be described as "loveable Rogues", however in the book the are totally nasty and horrible (this is my polite description.)
Before the barricade we get an insight into who is involved and to why.
I could carry on but I do not wish to spoil what is a fantastic read and a must for any fan of Les Mis.
I recommend this version, though there are others to choose from.
One person found this helpful
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Debjit Modak
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Edition
Reviewed in India on June 4, 2021
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One of the greatest monuments of world literature. A must read. This is the reprint of 1982 edition. Translation by Norman Denny is slightly old school. Binding is nice and paper quality is good. .
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Debjit Modak
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Edition
Reviewed in India on June 4, 2021
One of the greatest monuments of world literature. A must read. This is the reprint of 1982 edition. Translation by Norman Denny is slightly old school. Binding is nice and paper quality is good. .
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2 people found this helpful
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Rinaldo Calvi
5.0 out of 5 stars Nessuna
Reviewed in Italy on February 24, 2019
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Ottimo
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ピニョ
5.0 out of 5 stars 本の状態は普通の中古、一番読みやすいエディション(Norman Denny)
Reviewed in Japan on September 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
大当たり！

ページの黄ばみは、中古の洋書の典型。気になりません。表紙が少し破けてはいたのですが、許容範囲でしょうか。

本自体は、Norman Denny訳　(Penguin Classics)。今までで読んだレ・ミゼラブルの中で一番読みやすいエディションです。

他の出品者さんから、模造品のような本も出ているので、どの翻訳でどの出版社の本なのかを念入りに確認した方がいいと思います。このような商品に当たってしまってから、2冊目に購入したこの本が大当たりでした。
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