Les Miserables

Postby **Jaltus-bot** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 11:06 am

Hi,

This is a thread for Les Miserables (shocking, I know). I saw it mentioned twice in the Shakespeare thread. I saw the movie that came out a couple of years ago. I am still reading the book by Victor Hugo, not very far in it, not moving too fast in it. I like Les Miserables. Do you?

Postby **ClosetOtaku** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:50 pm

I never read the whole book, just portions of it... but I thought the musical (which does not faithfully follow the book, but gets the gist of the idea) was very good.

Postby **CDLviking** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:46 pm

I have seen the musical and the movie, but not read the book. If the musical really doesn't follow the book, then I might not read it. I'm not a big fan of changing things from the books (I can't stand the LOTR movies), and I'm afraid it might ruin my impression of my favorite musical.

Postby **Jaltus-bot** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:49 pm

You can talk about the musical too here if you want, or the movie, or the book, just as long as it is Les Miserables.

Postby **Dragon Master** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 11:52 am

This is like an answer to prayer! I'm reading that in British lit right now and i'm having trouble understanding it!!!!! Ooh shehe (or do you prefer sheher?)! *glomps for making thread* :hug:

I can't belive it!

Its like I'm reading a book I'm having trouble understanding and here is a thread on it! Ooh! :dance:

Postby **Jaltus-bot** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:38 pm

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lesmis/

http://www.freebooknotes.com/book.php3?id=233

The internet can be a good aid at times like that. (Did King Lear, Dante, and Othello like that.)

Postby **Dragon Master** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:13 pm

cool! thanks that helps a lot!

Postby **Jaltus-bot** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:20 pm

Glad it helps.

Postby **bigsleepj** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:00 pm

Hmmmm.

I haven't seen the musical and when I read "Les Miserables" I skipped a lot of the boring historical details that seem to only weigh the story down. But, my goodness, it IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ!! Okay, partially read, but the book has beaten the pants off every film version I've seen of it. I can only assume the book is better than the musical because I can't think that any distillation of the book can make it good. What I dislike about most adaptations is that it eliminates Thernardier as a villain and places him just as a nasty character that appears briefly in the story. I've always considered Thernardier to be the villain of the book, not Javert.

Postby **harina** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:50 am

I read the book few years ago and i love it. it's one of the best books i've ever read.. maybe the best. :wow!:

I saw one Les MisÃ©rables -movie that came out of TV a couple of weeks ago. (that one where Uma Thurman was as Fantine etc.) The movie was ok, not SO bad, but I didn't like it though. there were many good scenes in the book that hadn't been taken to the movie, and it really drove me crazy. And i didn't like most of the actors, though Javert was good.

Postby **Ducky** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:10 am

I've read a summarized form in french heheh ... and we studied it in various forms as a result of that ... It was a very cool story. Of all the representations of it I liked the play the best even if some parts were a little racy.

The coolest thing about the whole plot and characterization (imo) is the contrast between Jean Valjean as a representation of living under grace and Jalvert as a representation of living under the law. The stark differences between them are just a really interesting sub-theme.

Postby **Cap'n Nick** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 2:31 pm

I've read the book and it is one of my all time favorites. I love books where I can follow characters for a long time and get to know them - it's like a manga series! All of that other junk about fate and justice was pretty cool, too.

I thought Javert's ending was pretty depressing. I was all "NOOO! FORGIVE YOURSELF! FEEL THE LOVE!" but he totally didn't listen. Punk.

Postby **Gypsy** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:33 pm

I love this story. It always makes me want to be a better person. If you'd like to hear an excellent, excellent audio drama of it, go here:

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/focus_on_the_family_radio_theatre/Archives.asp

Be sure to scroll down. Oh, and I love the Broadway music from Les Mis. I've never seen it, but I've heard it. Someday ...

Postby **ShiroiHikari** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:49 pm

>>; the closest I've gotten to Les Miserables is the song Mizerable by Gackt XD but, I would like to read the book and/or see the musical one day. it sounds pretty good.

Postby **haru_bay_nay** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:07 pm

I read most of the book this year in English (with the totally fraddest and most awesome teacher of all time) and watched the movie afterwards. It is sooooo cool!!!!! I loved both. (Javert!!! NOOOO!!! POR QUE!?!?!?!?!)

Jean Valjean is so great in the way he influences everyone around him and changes them for the better, just like the Bishop did for him. Great movie, greater book!!! ^_^

Postby **VioletEyedCat** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 8:25 pm

I thought it was interesting that in the book, Thernardier is such an evil dude- but in the play, they make him really funny! I guess its because no one would want to watch a play that serious all the time.

My little brother was really into Les Miz for a few months- he read the book, saw the musical (live and on video), watched the movie- he even cosplayed as Valjean. So now I know all the words to all the songs in the musical- its really fun to sing! :lol:

(Do you hear the people sing? It is the sound of angry men....)Tra La La

Postby **CDLviking** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:18 pm

I have a really awesome AMV using "One Day More" set to SDF Macross. It is awesome.

Postby **SorasOathkeeper** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:30 pm

GAH!!! I LOVE IT!!!! I saw the play for the first time last December, this is like my dads FAVRITE book/play. Oh, man the Play was so awsem! We were front row, we were so close you could see them spit *realy discusting* But it was so amasing, when Fantine was singing her song, "I dreamed a dream" i think thats the one, the actrise was crying, you could see teh tears on her face, and at the part where *can't think of his name* Cosets husbend is singing of his war buddys, the actors voice cracked because he was so in the part and emoshinal. T_T IT WAS SO GOOD!!!

Postby **Dark_angel** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:31 pm

Oh, I saw the play last Sunday, and I'm reading the book right now, though i'm only half way through...It's so good! I cried when Jean Valjean died, and the spirits of Fantine, Eponine, and the students appeared! I loved the part of the barricade, it was so emotional! I loved it, and I really suggest it . ^^

Postby **Maledicte** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:19 pm

I am a big fan of both the musical and the book, although I must agree with bigsleepj that the book does indeed get bogged down with too much historical detail. But overall, a phenomenal work. I borrowed the first part (the library I went to had it in either 1 volume or split into 2) just in case I didn't like it, but as it turned out I could not wait until my next library trip. For some reason the part of the book that stands out to me the most is the one fellow who sleeps with his body aligned to the earth's magnetic poles or something to that degree.

The musical is just awesome. If you haven't seen (or heard) the "Dream Cast" performance, you simply *must* give it a try.

Colm Wilkinson as Valjean and Philip Quast as Javert! Yeah!

MAL · Postby **Kaori** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:31 am

I definitely prefer the book over the musical, although the latter does have quite a bit of good music. Despite all of the book's historical digressions and the abundance of details that are completely unrelated to the plot itself, I do believe it is worth reading all the way through. The characters that Victor Hugo includes are fascinating; he sometimes devotes entire chapters to minor characters who may not even appear later in the story.

Les Miserables

Les Miserables

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