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Cosette: The Sequel to Les Miserables
Millions have shared the unforgettable story of the waif Cosette, adopted daughter of Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Now the tale of Cosette continues in this sweeping, exhilarating epic that interweaves its own galaxy of characters and narrative with real events and historical figures. From dingy artists' cafes to brilliantly gaslit Parisian boulevards, from shadowy prisons to balls at the presidential palace, author Laura Kalpakian has crafted an epic reminiscent of Hugo's original but fueled by its own creative combustion.
672 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
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513 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 19, 2018
این کتاب که در واقع ادامه رمان "بینوایان" ویکتور هوگو میباشد به زندگی پر فراز و نشیب "ماریوس" و "کوزت" قهرمانان داستان بینوایان به شکل بسیار زیبایی می پردازد.
April 24, 2012
This is officially my least favorite book of all time.
I had a number of books in mind for this ignominious award, terribly written ones full of cliches, or of characters who I wanted to brick up behind a wall like Poe’s Fortunato. But what really makes a book bad? Is it merely a question of personal taste? Which is why I pick Cosette as "the worst" book--it transcends individual taste. Cosette is the unofficial sequel to Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Miserables (surely the 1,463 page doorstop needs no sequel) and turns it into a pulpy sludge of sex and graphic violence. Oh, and to make things worse, the author has the audacity to *rewrite* the end of Les Miserables, including the battle of the barricade and the confrontation between Javert and Jean Valjean, complete with swear words and splattered brain-matter. The fact that she gives Javert a beard makes it all the more horrendous. I gave up after a raunchy sex scene between Cosette and Marius, hurled the book across the room, and promptly donated it to the thrift store. But I feel bad about that. I should have tossed it in the trash.
I had a number of books in mind for this ignominious award, terribly written ones full of cliches, or of characters who I wanted to brick up behind a wall like Poe’s Fortunato. But what really makes a book bad? Is it merely a question of personal taste? Which is why I pick Cosette as "the worst" book--it transcends individual taste. Cosette is the unofficial sequel to Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Miserables (surely the 1,463 page doorstop needs no sequel) and turns it into a pulpy sludge of sex and graphic violence. Oh, and to make things worse, the author has the audacity to *rewrite* the end of Les Miserables, including the battle of the barricade and the confrontation between Javert and Jean Valjean, complete with swear words and splattered brain-matter. The fact that she gives Javert a beard makes it all the more horrendous. I gave up after a raunchy sex scene between Cosette and Marius, hurled the book across the room, and promptly donated it to the thrift store. But I feel bad about that. I should have tossed it in the trash.
May 7, 2013
One of the worst books I have EVER read (and seeing what I've occasionally read, that's saying something). When one writes a sequel, one is bound to be compared with the original, but even to mention Hugo's masterpiece in the same sentence with this appaling garbage is sacriledge. And even if one comes to the novel without the previous knoweledge of the predecessor, it still stands proudly as a poster child for dull, ininspired, cardboard writing.
The characters and situations are so flat they almost seem to dissapear off the page (and how one wishes they did). In the original novel, besides the spendid figure of Valjean, the world is populated with fascinating, breathing COMPLEX human beings such as Marius, Enjolras, Eponine, Javert and Cosette herself. They are unbelievably transformed here. Whiny, uninspired and oh-so-20th-century. And of course, one ought to congratulate Ms Kalpakian on having enough nerve to rewrite the last third of the book. Obviously Victor Hugo wasn't good enough! She did not have enough decency to at least start the book where he ended. The good thing is that Hugo's writing shines all the more when contrasted with such pedestrian and pitiful attempt. There have been wonderful attempts to adapt Hugo to modern times - for example, the musical adaptation necessarily changes the letter but not the spirit of the story. The author should have taken a leaf from their book. The real mystery is someone actually published this!
The characters and situations are so flat they almost seem to dissapear off the page (and how one wishes they did). In the original novel, besides the spendid figure of Valjean, the world is populated with fascinating, breathing COMPLEX human beings such as Marius, Enjolras, Eponine, Javert and Cosette herself. They are unbelievably transformed here. Whiny, uninspired and oh-so-20th-century. And of course, one ought to congratulate Ms Kalpakian on having enough nerve to rewrite the last third of the book. Obviously Victor Hugo wasn't good enough! She did not have enough decency to at least start the book where he ended. The good thing is that Hugo's writing shines all the more when contrasted with such pedestrian and pitiful attempt. There have been wonderful attempts to adapt Hugo to modern times - for example, the musical adaptation necessarily changes the letter but not the spirit of the story. The author should have taken a leaf from their book. The real mystery is someone actually published this!
July 16, 2010
New Reccomendation: If you have read Les Miserables don't read this book at all! I don't think it was how Victor Hugo would have had things been at all!!
July 7, 2009
What I learned from this book: Cosette has small breasts and (apparently!) enormous reserves of courage and fortitude beneath her 'I want to wear merino and sit vacuous in the Luxembourg gardens' exterior; sex with Marius is good, albeit "sticky and slimy and wet"; a man can hide from the police beneath a woman's hoopskirts and then somehow consummate the relationship from that position; your children will certainly betray you but don't worry 'cause they'll feel just awful about it later; Eponine had red hair.
Plus some stuff about how to hold a proper revolution. Marius should maybe have given up on insurrection after all of his friends died in the first one, but no: he goes off to get shot at again. Brave, or stupid?
A very long "bleh".
Plus some stuff about how to hold a proper revolution. Marius should maybe have given up on insurrection after all of his friends died in the first one, but no: he goes off to get shot at again. Brave, or stupid?
A very long "bleh".
Want to read
March 14, 2025on my physical tbr. I've heard it kinda sucks though so.....🤔
August 10, 2009
My sister picked this book up for me at a thrift shop and gave it to me for my 45th birthday. Of course I had to read it. . . my name is Cozette!
My mother was not familiar with Hugo’s Les Miserables when she chose my name. She says she would have chosen traditional French spelling had she know it. I read Les Miserables in young adulthood and finally saw the musical in Salt Lake City Utah with my mother. We were foolish and took no hankies and used our dress hems to literally mop the tears! It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences that I shall never forget.
I planned to take this book on a family vacation with Mike’s side of the family. It would be my escape should the loud laughter and voices at the night time game table get to me. I was armed with foamy earplugs! I ended up behaving like an anti-social Hardy and just kept my nose in this book and retreated to our bedroom.
I didn’t expect a Hugo novel given another author set out to carry on the famous story. I thoroughly enjoyed this big fat novel! Marius and Cosette marry and have a family. They too are tormented by the Thenardiers. My favorite character is Starling-a child of the streets rescued by Cosette and employed by the family business utilizing his street smarts. Two thirds of the way through I was crying my eyes out at the loss of a noble character and then rejoicing when someone emerges from the past. No spoilers from me.
I should say that there is some strong language here and there from the ladies of the night. Given the circumstances in which such people scratched out an existence I was happy that there was so little.
This book is out of print but copies lurk out there.
My mother was not familiar with Hugo’s Les Miserables when she chose my name. She says she would have chosen traditional French spelling had she know it. I read Les Miserables in young adulthood and finally saw the musical in Salt Lake City Utah with my mother. We were foolish and took no hankies and used our dress hems to literally mop the tears! It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences that I shall never forget.
I planned to take this book on a family vacation with Mike’s side of the family. It would be my escape should the loud laughter and voices at the night time game table get to me. I was armed with foamy earplugs! I ended up behaving like an anti-social Hardy and just kept my nose in this book and retreated to our bedroom.
I didn’t expect a Hugo novel given another author set out to carry on the famous story. I thoroughly enjoyed this big fat novel! Marius and Cosette marry and have a family. They too are tormented by the Thenardiers. My favorite character is Starling-a child of the streets rescued by Cosette and employed by the family business utilizing his street smarts. Two thirds of the way through I was crying my eyes out at the loss of a noble character and then rejoicing when someone emerges from the past. No spoilers from me.
I should say that there is some strong language here and there from the ladies of the night. Given the circumstances in which such people scratched out an existence I was happy that there was so little.
This book is out of print but copies lurk out there.
April 5, 2013
I loved this book!!! Even though Cosette's life seemed ruined, she accepted her struggles and eventually solved them. When I picked up this book, I thought a sequel would ruin Les Miserables but it made the epic story even better. This book was really long and took me a month to get through, but thought it was awesome. Cosette is a unforgettable heroine.
November 5, 2012
A sequel by another author? Kind of sounds like fan-fiction doesn't it? Cosette was a wonderful read. I think because Kaplakian remained true to Hugo's vision of France in Les Miserables. I highly recommend it.
March 22, 2020
"This is a nipple." - Marius to Cosette on their wedding night.
Read
October 25, 2010OK, I have not read this yet, but I feel that I must. Whoever thinks they're worthy of writing a sequel to Les Miz, that will be worthy of Victor Hugo better be good. Otherwise it's going on my Shelf o' Shame, along with Twilight.
March 30, 2015
This sequel to Les Miserables is very well done. It stayed as true to Victor Hugo's creation as she could. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Want to read
March 7, 2009There's a sequel?!
June 17, 2023
Do not read this drivel. Even disregarding the fact that she had the audacity to title this a sequel to a masterpiece of literature, she starts off by rewriting the end to Les Misérables and adding, in the throes of the June Rebellion, a bunch of new revolutionaries none of us have any reason to care about (she doesn't even bother to introduce them; she just throws their names in. Unsurprisingly, a bunch of these new characters survive the rebellion). This rewrite include a highly unneeded sex scene between Marius and Cosette, including the line "this is a nipple." The way she writes Éponine's death is akin to a bad parody of the musical. She references the musical several times in this rewrite.
Beyond that, she disregards the characterizations we're given by Hugo in favour of her own ideas of what the characters should be, which are more sexualized and less interesting, or in the case of characters she sees as villainous, more boorish and vulgar (she ruined Azelma). They also know things they have no way of knowing (Marius knows without being told [by Éponine] that the barricades have formed; Valjean magically knows Marius is poor; Marius has apparently now been trained in medicine by Combeferre; Valjean magically knows Marius's life story and the details of his father's death; Valjeans knows Mme Thénardier died in prison; Azelma knows about Fantine). She also sends Cosette to the barricade at one point, and she doesn't mention Grantaire's death when she ruins Enjolras's. She puts random words in French, probably for flavour, but it adds nothing to her mediocre writing and is sometimes done incorrectly. She also swears and refers to excrement more than necessary (seriously, the amount of times she uses that one word...).
I didn't get past the rewrite. I gave up because of how poorly it was written. If you love Les Misérables as I do, don't read this.
Beyond that, she disregards the characterizations we're given by Hugo in favour of her own ideas of what the characters should be, which are more sexualized and less interesting, or in the case of characters she sees as villainous, more boorish and vulgar (she ruined Azelma). They also know things they have no way of knowing (Marius knows without being told [by Éponine] that the barricades have formed; Valjean magically knows Marius is poor; Marius has apparently now been trained in medicine by Combeferre; Valjean magically knows Marius's life story and the details of his father's death; Valjeans knows Mme Thénardier died in prison; Azelma knows about Fantine). She also sends Cosette to the barricade at one point, and she doesn't mention Grantaire's death when she ruins Enjolras's. She puts random words in French, probably for flavour, but it adds nothing to her mediocre writing and is sometimes done incorrectly. She also swears and refers to excrement more than necessary (seriously, the amount of times she uses that one word...).
I didn't get past the rewrite. I gave up because of how poorly it was written. If you love Les Misérables as I do, don't read this.
August 5, 2022
I am a huge “Les Miserables” fan: have read the novel twice, listened to it on audiobook, watched four different film versions of the story, and the films of the musical and the concert. In addition I have seen the stage musical 27 times. I’ve even studied some French! But trying to get through this novel truly made me “Miserables”. The characters were never fully fleshed out, changed names and locations regularly and the various plots were impossible to follow. But because I had committed I stuck with it and completed all 652 pages over several months but at the end I did not feel the sense of accomplishment I usually have when I complete a novel. This book was a huge disappointment and I do not recommend that anyone waste their time trying to follow the author’s intent. The worst book I have ever read!
June 5, 2017
I began reading this book expecting it to resemble V Hugo's Les Miserables; this was an incorrect assumption on my part.
This book was written for a different generation than Hugo's. Once I realized it was to be a more descriptive romance I adjusted my expectations and began enjoying the story. It is a pretty good story. I was surprised and very glad I stuck with it and continued reading!
This book was written for a different generation than Hugo's. Once I realized it was to be a more descriptive romance I adjusted my expectations and began enjoying the story. It is a pretty good story. I was surprised and very glad I stuck with it and continued reading!
December 2, 2021
Can't believe I actually have a favorite character here. Starling/Gabriel. Tbh, it felt like a fan-fiction rather than a (unofficial) sequel 😅
And ...
I still can't forgive the author for rewriting the ending of Les Misérables in this novel. (Ganda na e, ewan ko anong trip ni ate ba't binago nya ending dito ng Les Mis sa Cosette.) 😒
And ...
I still can't forgive the author for rewriting the ending of Les Misérables in this novel. (Ganda na e, ewan ko anong trip ni ate ba't binago nya ending dito ng Les Mis sa Cosette.) 😒
June 4, 2024
Pour les amateurs de la littérature de jeunesse/ les classiques franchement une pépite, en plus l'histoire elle est touchante.
April 17, 2025
AUGH!
I would give this a 0-star review if I could while still writing a review. This book was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad!!!!! I picked it up after reading the original Les Misérables, which, by the way, is the greatest story ever written other than the Bible, and was so very disappointed. I wanted SO BADLY to love this book but I cannot say I did. I quit a quarter of the way through. HORRENDABLE! AVOID THIS BOOK IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ORIGINAL RUINED FOR YOU! ALERT! ALERT!
I will not be reading this authors other "work". Her biggest mistakes: THE WHOLE DANG THING!
JUST WHY. Why did Lorax Alpaca-feed or whatever her name is have to do this to the world and I? Why would anyone publish this at all? I HAVE A LOT OF "WHY" QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS BOOK IS MORE HORRIFYING THAN PSYCHO OR STEPHEN KING OR ANY OTHER HORROR YOU WILL EVER READ!!!!! SOMEBODY SAVE MY POOR DEVASTATED SOUL FROM THE HORROR OF THIS BOOK!
UGGGGGHHHHHH!
In short, I BEG ALL OF YOU: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR OWN (AND MY!) SANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This. Book. Sucks. So. Bad.
I would give this a 0-star review if I could while still writing a review. This book was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad!!!!! I picked it up after reading the original Les Misérables, which, by the way, is the greatest story ever written other than the Bible, and was so very disappointed. I wanted SO BADLY to love this book but I cannot say I did. I quit a quarter of the way through. HORRENDABLE! AVOID THIS BOOK IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ORIGINAL RUINED FOR YOU! ALERT! ALERT!
I will not be reading this authors other "work". Her biggest mistakes: THE WHOLE DANG THING!
JUST WHY. Why did Lorax Alpaca-feed or whatever her name is have to do this to the world and I? Why would anyone publish this at all? I HAVE A LOT OF "WHY" QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS BOOK IS MORE HORRIFYING THAN PSYCHO OR STEPHEN KING OR ANY OTHER HORROR YOU WILL EVER READ!!!!! SOMEBODY SAVE MY POOR DEVASTATED SOUL FROM THE HORROR OF THIS BOOK!
UGGGGGHHHHHH!
In short, I BEG ALL OF YOU: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR OWN (AND MY!) SANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This. Book. Sucks. So. Bad.
August 9, 2016
Admittedly, when you love a book (such as Les Misérables and have fallen in love with the characters and one comes to the place where one is dismayed to find the book is over and one wants "more", one often has an idea in one's mind of what actually "happens next." Admittedly, the idea may not be fully thought out...so when reading sequels I am prepared to understand an author might have different ideas of where the characters will go/what motivates them, etc. But this book did nothing for me. And it was painfully long. And I have read better sequels/reimaginings on fanfictions sites. I will go back and read some more of those.
July 24, 2010
An auntie's mother who loved Les Miserables gave this to me, eyes shining, glad to open the door to more of what we both loved in Hugo's tale.
(Almost 600 pages? Kalpakian is no Hugo and she needs a more ruthless editor.)
It could be a miniseries. But really? It's an echo of Hugo's masterpiece--there is a relentless chaser a la Javert, a "poor thing rescued" a la Cosette (with a bird nickname, yet!), but really? I finished it so I could look my aunt's mom in the eye and say that I had read it but much preferred the original. Please, there are so many good books in the world--read those instead.
(Almost 600 pages? Kalpakian is no Hugo and she needs a more ruthless editor.)
It could be a miniseries. But really? It's an echo of Hugo's masterpiece--there is a relentless chaser a la Javert, a "poor thing rescued" a la Cosette (with a bird nickname, yet!), but really? I finished it so I could look my aunt's mom in the eye and say that I had read it but much preferred the original. Please, there are so many good books in the world--read those instead.
May 13, 2013
I was confused at the beginning because this book begins before Les Mis ends. Not what I expected, but I figured it out soon enough. I liked the book. Cosette & Marius weren't really shown except as lovers- very prim and proper ones at that. This book shows Cosette's intelligence and love and generosity. Marius, too, demonstrates a lot of courage (maybe foolhardiness?) in this book too.
Loved the new characters- Starling, Pincher.
Didn't really like the 2nd Javert much. Javert had is own morals and beliefs and so was a worthy opponent. This one is just a betrayer and pain in the butt.
Loved the new characters- Starling, Pincher.
Didn't really like the 2nd Javert much. Javert had is own morals and beliefs and so was a worthy opponent. This one is just a betrayer and pain in the butt.
August 16, 2011
After the brilliance of Les Miserables, this book was quite a disappointment. I liked the characters less than I originally did, though there were a few new characters that I liked. The storyline was okay, but frustrating, because it kept seeming like Marius was making the same stupid mistakes again and again. The difference in her writing versus Victor Hugo's writing was also vastly different. I much prefer how Hugo wrote. While reading this book it was clear that it was not the original author.
December 22, 2014
Admittedly, the sequel seems like an idea that would come from a Hollywood studio seeking to cash in on a successful story. If you're expecting prose in the style of Hugo you will be hugely disappointed.
All that said, if you read LM, didn't want to let go and wondered what happened to Jvj adopted daughter and her hero of the barricade, then this is worth a read. Maybe its just me, but I think the author lifted parts of the story of Marius from what happened in real life to the Marquis de Lafeyette.
All that said, if you read LM, didn't want to let go and wondered what happened to Jvj adopted daughter and her hero of the barricade, then this is worth a read. Maybe its just me, but I think the author lifted parts of the story of Marius from what happened in real life to the Marquis de Lafeyette.
July 5, 2012
Hideous and offensive. I was gifted this book, and read it out of deference to the giver. What possesses some people to take a piece of classic fine literature, written by one of the world's most revered authors, and try to "finish" his story? Write a different story, if you must, but don't take Hugo's work where it would never go, or make his characters behave in such incongruent ways. He's rolling over in his grave.
April 1, 2008
After falling in love with the characters and plot of Les Mis, I couldn't wait to read more. Kalpakian does such a wonderful job of carrying the characters forward. The only part I couldn't fathom is the turning of Cosette and Marius' son against them. I did love all the intrigue and hidden identities and just the ability of the human spirit to survive.
November 24, 2010
I loved Les Miserables and figured I should give this a try. While not a wonderfully exciting book, it was definitely interesting and felt to me like it could have possibly been a real sequel to the original. That being said, I never liked Cosette (definitely liked Fantine and Eponine better) so I may be denying this book a 4th star simply based on my own character bias.
March 6, 2012
This book follows Victor Hugo's COSETTE throughout her life as a married woman. It pictures perfectly the lifestyle of parisians in the 19th century in a style borrowed to Hugo's. If you liked Les Misérables, you will be pleased to read this sequel to the classical piece of literature. Beautiful and touching.
February 27, 2011
You need to be very familiar with the plot of the original or you'll be lost, BUT this book is well-written, with a depth and unique perspective that makes it appeal to more modern audiences. I loved it.
Read
August 20, 2012My ambivalence about buying this book at a local used book store has been given creedence. I have had the book on my own shelf for about a month now, trying to get up the gumption to read it. I finally read the reviews on here. Now I don't think I will read it. Thank you, Goodreads reviewers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews