Read and loved this book many years ago, saw the stage play and movie so I wanted to read it again. This unabridged version was a good choice! The powerful story weaves a fascinating tale of unforgettable characters, and is so beautifully written and translated it is like reading prose, sometimes moving the thoughtful reader to tears in its probing of the human conscience and social ills. Readers should be prepared to wade through some chapters on the author's philosophy on history and social issues, but these are artfully interspersed with the movement of the story and development of the characters. Finding it well worth the daunting undertaking of reading 1463 pages, I may just read it again!
Once you get into the book you appreciate the reason for the quite lengthy and detailed descriptions in the first fifty to seventy-five pages. Skimming and skipping some of that, once past it I could not put the book down. This is a masterpiece for those who like classic literature. The translation in this edition is excellent. I like it better than the original translation which I had started out with.
This may be the second greatest story ever told!!! This 1982 version is almost 1500 pages long and starts out slow, but it is just unfolding and preparing to show you its beautiful, breathless story! In the end, this version made me wish it was 3000 pages long! I read this ten years ago in my 20s and now I am reading it again, this time with my 7 year old who is deeply curious about Eponine and what drove her to "rat" on her own father for the love of her life who was in love with another. We listen to the music CD in our car often! :)
I ordered a NEW book! When the package - and I use the word package lightly because the book was wrapped in a dirty plastic sheet - came to my home it looked horrible, mostly it was filthy and I actually wiped it off with a towel before opening it. I opened the plastic package and take out a book that looked as if someone had dropped it on the floor, kicked it, then let their dog chew on it. On the back cover it seemed like someone had drawn a line across the synopsis with a heavy pencil. The corner of the book actually looked like a dog had gotten at it! I don't believe in returning books I buy, I love books and know that every one has a value, but I intended on shelving this book and adding it to my collection of new books. I was sad to see the book mistreated in such a way and I'm sorry I bought from this provider...Read full review
I had a hardcover copy of the book from when I saw the Broadway show in the 1980s. That book was large and easy to handle. The replacement book is small by comparison.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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