Jillian T. (lovestoread) reviewed Les Miserables: A New Unabridged Translation on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Timeless story of good and bad. Rich characters that will stay with you long after you've read this book. The musical was a faithful interpretation, but nothing beats reading in its entirety.
Helpful Score: 2
One of my favorite books of all time! You have to read it unabridged, though it's not an easy task; I love a lot of the parts that are taken out when it's shortened. What an amazing work.
Helpful Score: 1
When they say unabridged, they mean it! The main story is entertaining, and I enjoyed it. That being said, a considerable amount of time is spent on background and history of tangential items. While this adds to the depth, it slows down the pace and is what makes this a nearly 1500 page novel. One of the few flaws I had with the book was a very common one - the city/world/universe is made up of five people. That thief who just appeared and can decide the fate of a main character? Why it is the same person who ..., etc. The other is that this book was seemingly written before readers were exposed to now common twists; mysterious revelations are not unexpected. But overall, I did like the book and felt the author tried very hard to leave no loose end.
Helpful Score: 1
Les Miserables is a well written, engaging tale of redemption, loss, and hope in the midst of darkness. It may be a bit long for the average reader, however.
