Reading the Classics: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
I picked this book as my next classic because it is one of those classics that everyone agrees is actually a classic. Lately I have also been wanting to watch the movie, and I do try to read the book first if at all possible, before watching movie adaptations. The book This is a whopper of a book coming in at about 1400 pages. The last 200 pages or so are notes, which I must confess I usually skip, unless I am completely lost in the story and need some help. The book was first published in 1862 and as I said it is considered not only a classic but one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. Aside from the narrative plot Hugo uses the book to discuss the nature of the law and grace, types of love, the sewer of Paris, language and other things, often in (very) great detail. The publication of the book was highly advertised and it was very much anticipated. The critics were divided as to whether or not it was a good book, although most of t...