2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Victor Hugo‘s book, Les Misérables.


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Amanda, Amber, Allie, Rachael, Marcus, Luffy, Mindy, Waco

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 183
Week 2: 183
Week 3: 183
Week 4: 183
Week 5: 183
Week 6: 183
Week 7: 183
Week 8: 183

I have made this a two month read because of the length of the book. It can be extended or shortened if the group wants. Just let me know.

Thanks Mary Pat! I intend to participate a lot on this thread, understandable as it is for such a chunky book.

Hello Mary Pat. This is a book I have always wanted to dive in to. This seems like the perfect chance! Would you add me please?

Sure, Waco! I have added you to the list!

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good translation? I would like it to be close to Hugo's original.

Thanks.

Waco wrote: "Does anyone have a suggestion for a good translation? I would like it to be close to Hugo's original.

Thanks."

I've only ever read it in French, but I found this article that might help you narrow down which version you would personally prefer :)

Thank you Lisa. I love the idea of reading in the original but...I don't know French

I'm reading it in the Serial Reader App. Well actually I've been reading it for months. LOL Won't finish in August and maybe won't finish by September, but I'll be reading daily and joining in discussions. I've read 42% already, which is page 568 of 1304. I generally try to read two "issues" daily.

Waco, I have the gorgeous Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, and it was translated by Christine Donougher in 2013.

For those on Litsy, several people are reading it under the tag #lesmislovescompany. :-)

Mindy wrote: "I'm reading it in the Serial Reader App. Well actually I've been reading it for months. LOL Won't finish in August and maybe won't finish by September, but I'll be reading daily and joining in disc..."

Thanks, Mindy

Anyone actively reading LM? I'm at 15 % and I think I accept that Victor Hugo was a gifted writer. He is still relevant. I rue that I didn't go on with LM when I ditched it 2 years ago. And LM is much more to my liking than The 3 Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.

Yes I'm almost halfway through it.

I would like to join this discussion group also. I just purchased a copy that is translated by Norman Denny and is published by Peguin books. I was lucky enough to find a gently used copy. I wasn't planning on reading it yet, but then I discovered this thread. Great timing!!

Mindy wrote: "Yes I'm almost halfway through it."

When did you begin, Mindy?

Luffy wrote: "Anyone actively reading LM?"

I am actively reading this but I am going pretty slowly. I will admit that I am nervous about this book. I have wanted to read it for so long, but I am worried I might not be up to the task.

How is everyone else doing?

Waco wrote: "Luffy wrote: "Anyone actively reading LM?"

I am actively reading this but I am going pretty slowly. I will admit that I am nervous about this book. I have wanted to read it for so long, but I am w..."

I have really just got started. Really enjoyed reading about the good bishop. My daughter told me she didn't think I would enjoy it. I hope she is wrong because this an extremely long read!

I will be very impressed with any of us that finish within the two months! This book is not a quickie. I started six months ago I think but lately I've had more momentum.

Who else has seen the play and/or movie? It's fun to see how the adaptors took this huge epic and shortened it so beautifully. I'm enjoying the much longer yet more realistic descriptions of how the major plot points happened. I could have lived without the long Waterloo section but I got through it.

Yes the Waterloo section is bad isn't it? I'm not totally through it. I'm reading it slowly now. I'll be finishing LM in two months or so.

I'm just finishing up with this through the Serial Reader app. I have 13 more issues before I'm done. Maybe it's because I have been reading it since the beginning of the year but I am SOOOOOOO ready to be done.

Kate wrote: "I'm just finishing up with this through the Serial Reader app. I have 13 more issues before I'm done. Maybe it's because I have been reading it since the beginning of the year but I am SOOOOOOO rea..."

Your opinion?? Is it good and has it been worth your time spent reading it?

I think it's been worth it in that I feel like it's a book I should read at some point. And it has had good parts. But his lengthy explanations of things like Waterloo but others as well, seem tedious and unnecessary. All in all I'm glad I read it but I would not probably rate it as a favorite even in just the classics sense.

Looks like this is a very long read! Let me know if folks want to extend it at the end of the month!

I am now reading about Waterloo and I see everyone's point. Gonna have to trudge through this part. I will have to say that I really have enjoyed it this far.

Well I made it through Waterloo!

I have moved this book to the September Buddy Reads folder! Onward, all! :)

Mary Pat wrote: "I have moved this book to the September Buddy Reads folder! Onward, all! :)"

Pamela wrote: "I am now reading about Waterloo and I see everyone's point. Gonna have to trudge through this part. I will have to say that I really have enjoyed it this far."

Mindy wrote: "I will be very impressed with any of us that finish within the two months! This book is not a quickie. I started six months ago I think but lately I've had more momentum.

Who else has seen the pl..."

I agree the Waterloo parts seem a bit long. I think I've been reading this book for at least 2 months now. My goal is to try and finish it this week while I'm on vacation. I've enjoyed the story, the first time I saw it was in Boston when I was a freshman in high school back in 90" and a few years ago the film with Hugh Jackman I thought was very good. I keep having some of the songs from the musical running in my head while reading.

I'm 72% done at this point. I still have 66 issues to read, so if I manage 2 per day consistently, I'll finish in October.

I have to say I am so impressed by Hugo. He must be the most curious author who ever lived. Interested in history, philosophy, linguistics, literature, mythology...basically everything, and he got it all into LM. haha

A week or two back, I hit a section about slang that rivals the Waterloo section as far as thoroughness and rabbit trailage. I liked it better, though, and it wasn't as long.

I am now at the part where (view spoiler)[ Valjean is about to flee to England with Cosette. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Marius and Cosette's silly loverliness. Super sweet! Again I notice how in the movies and plays, their falling in love happens in about 2 seconds. It's nice to enjoy the book's leisurely telling of their noticing each other and things moving from there. (hide spoiler)]

I read about Marius and Cosette courtship today. It was very sweet. Not like today where things just happen so fast. There's no modesty everyone just puts everything out there. I kinda wished that Hugo would stick to telling of the story. He seems to lose me when he goes on about history and about slang.

Heather wrote: "I read about Marius and Cosette courtship today. It was very sweet. Not like today where things just happen so fast. There's no modesty everyone just puts everything out there. I kinda wished that ..."

I have really got to get back on this book. I took a break and read a couple of "light reads". Ready to get back into the story and see what happens to Cosette. Like Heather, I wished it was more story and less history.

I've been reading this same book since June. I know that I probably don't spend as much time reading as a lot of people in this group, but it was kind of funny my mom and I went to the beach at the beginning of summer and I told her what I was reading and then last week, I'm like I'm still reading the same book at the beach. I still got like 200 pages to go.

I finally finished it took me 4 months

Way to go, Heather! I am closing in on the end.

Finished the other day; had started in February. I again must recommend Serial Reader as a huge help in plugging along with books that are worthy, but not pageturners.

I don't have much to add to my earlier comments except to say that the ending broke my heart in a thousand pieces even though I knew it was coming.

Also, did Hugo really go on a tangent toward the end about (view spoiler)[the merits of using human crap in gardens? LOL (hide spoiler)]