Apr 17, 2003 10:43 AM
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(Updated Apr 17, 2003 10:43 AM)
My two sons asked me to read a book called Les Miserable because they were going to be in their school play this year and that was the name of the play. So I headed to the library to get the book, figured it would help me to understand the play since the play was going to be the musical of the story. I was shocked when I read this book, I didn’t think it was going to be good but I was so wrong.
The story
The story begins with a chain gang, and a prisoner was getting ready to be paroled his name is Jean Valjean. He was in prison for 19 years and now it was due time for him to be released. Once he is released he met up with a Bishop who treats him rather kindly, and how did Jean repay this Bishop? He stole from him when he went to bed. Jean was captured by the police and taken back to the Bishop. The Bishop knows that Jean just needs a break and that he didn’t mean to steal from him so he lied to the police and made it look like he gave him all the stuff that was stolen and the Bishop also handed Jean over two precious candlesticks to make it look good. Now Jean wanted to thank the Bishop so from that moment forward Jean sets out to change the future of his life.
The story then skips eight years into the future. Jean broke his parol and changed his name to Monsievr Madeleine and with hard work became the mayor and factory owner. This is were he ends up seeing Fantine, she is a worker in the factory and when the other workers found out Fantines secret that she had an illegitimate child she was then fired. Homeless and pennyless Fantine finds herself sailing her hair for money and her locket that has a picture of her daughter. Then she finds herself joining up with the local whore’s of the town. When Fantine gets into trouble with a man who wants to buy her for sex the police arrive and was ready to take her to jail. However Jean says she needs to go to the hospital (since he was the mayor they listened to him). Jean finds out about her daughter Cosette and he promised Fantine that he would find her daughter and take care of her.
Cosette is being lodged with a Inn owner and his wife the Thenardiers . This family treated Cosette like their personal slave. She wore torn cloths and done all the work for everyone in the family. The Thenardiers had another daughter that was their own and she was beautiful and had pretty cloths and she would tease and push Cosette around all the time. When Jean found Cosette in that condition he asked the Thenardiers if he could pay them money to take Corsette with him. They agreed and this begins the future for Jean and Corsette.
My thoughts on the book
The book was outstanding, and my heart actually goes out to Jean and Cosette. After the two end up together things begin to change for Jean, Cosette also finds a love and then Jean ends up in battle. Jean doesn’t die, instead he ends up helping Corsette’ soon to be husband survive after he had been shot.
The story is so sad, I couldn’t imagine living back in the time this was to of taken place. Jean had to keep running from the man named Javert who was tracking him down cause he skipped his parol visits. Cosette doesn’t know the truth about Jean and towards the end of the story she finds out. Does this change her view about the man that raised her as his own and as her father? Can she ever find it in her heart to forgive this man for lying to her all those years?
The part in the book about the prostitutes is kind of funny, specially when Fantine ends up slapping the man who thinks that he can have her at any price. So much death is in the book as well but that is expected due to the life that some have lead. I really think the author Victor Hugo done a great job making the pages of his book stand out with great anticipation. I couldn’t help but turn the page as soon as I was ready for the next one. I couldn’t put the book down and it didn’t take me more then but 3 days to read this whole book. The way the book was wrote is kind of weird cause of the words that were used. It isn’t the “normal” everyday language that we use today. Some words might be hard to understand or pronounce. However this is a great book with a great story and if you ever get the chance to see this at a play then I suggest you read the book first. It’s a wonderful love story, with action, romance and tons of explosive happenings. So now you have three ways which you can enjoy this great story and those are either the book, the movie, or the musical play.
