Les Miserables

by Christine Donougher

A modern up to date translation of the Victor Hugo classic

Genres: Classics, Fiction, France, Historical Fiction

1456 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2015

Reviews

[Jaxson Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly incredible. Took 18 months off 3/4s of the way through…so glad I finished it.

[Marisa Rubel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally knocked this off my reading list...It was worth it considering it's one of my favorite stories of all time (listening to musical soundtrack on the way to work all the time). Good translation by Christine Donougher. The story was great, well-written, and much more explained than musical/movie/television versions. My one major gripe would be the pages and pages of Hugo's political digressions about 19th century French politics, French Catholicism and convents, the Paris sewers, etc. There was also an overuse (in my opinion) of allusions to ancient Rome and Greece.

[Lyonesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

a classic I really wanted to read. It had some unnecessary chapters but overall really enjoyed it. All the deaths really felt shallow tho! I only cried at the end. I definitely prefer the musical version haha

[Chris Organ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been very slow in updating my Goodreads account . One of the many reasons ( of which not having enough time is not one) is because as part of Lockdown 2020 my wife suggested I read this book to her out loud as I had been sent a copy as a gift . I have always been a sort of Magnus Magnussen type of guy - I started so I finished . Four months later I have to say that I really do not understand what all the fuss is about . Hats off to Christine Donougher for the Herculean task of translating in such a way that I was able to get to the end without any noticeable ill effects and that is the only reason for the 3 stars . I read that soldiers in the US Civil War carried copies of this mighty tome in their knapsacks which I can only assume was as a fall back in case they ran out of ammunition ( my edition weighs 856g) . I have seen the musical (twice) and heard the Spandau Ballet song but this was many bridges too far for my feeble intellect . The total pages could in my view have easily been reduced by 75% and then you would have had a page turner but all the extraneous stuff about the history of Paris sewers, the philosophy of insurrection, the Battle of Waterloo, Greek and Roman mythology , the endless name dropping of people most of us have never heard of , the A-Z of 19th century Paris streets etc etc to me smacked of a cross between the emperor’s new clothes and a swank pot who just wanted to show us how much he knew about just about everything . I realise that most people will not agree with this and regard me as an unmitigated Philistine but this is how I felt and the bitterness is not sweetened by the fact I probably read about 30% of the book twice as my audience kept falling asleep mid recital which I never noticed until she started snoring . I was going to read Ulysses in retirement but I don’t think I will bother now .

[Emily Ockerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I legit cannot believe I'm finally done. I started reading this in January of 2022, after I bought it at Posman Books in Ponce City back when we lived in Atlanta. This book has been read by Emily in so many different stages of her 20s.

Prolly more like a 3.75 overall—contained some insanely beautiful musings on human nature and society, but then would randomly go off and explain the entire history of the sewer system in paris for 60 pages. At timeS exasperating, at times wildly intuitive and discerning. Just wow. Breathlessly large, spanning a very wide time period and cast of characters, but Hugo does not trade breadth for depth. Each character has their own backstory, even if they appear in one scene once. Sometimes that's good, other times it's very extraneous and tiring lol

[Sheng Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Valjean, soul saved by bishop Myriel, became a saint.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a clarification--this is the classic novel by Victor Hugo, with the TRANSLATION being by Christine Donougher, & introduction by Robert Tomes.

I really liked this TOME of a book.

161 years after this was published, this book still holds up. It is a good, interesting, "followable" story. My only complaint is the ENDLESS analogies that Hugo uses. Enough already! I literally had to start skimming over these. I do NOT need to read 1 -2 pages of comparisons, when a few examples will do.

Also, I really hated the Petit-Picpus portion of this book. So much needless nothingness. I see other people complaining about the sewer section--geez! The sewer section was 100 times better than the Petit-Picpus section.

Anywhoo, definitely recommend.

[Jonathan Birch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary book, a story of awe-inspiring proportions. It's "Liberty Leading the People", it's "La Marseillaise", it's the Panthéon; it's huge, it's stirring, it's monumental. I knew the story in outline and thought this would diminish the experience, yet every scene is so overflowing with life I was completely absorbed. To attempt something so ambitious and realize it so fully - one can only applaud.

Hugo's central theme is the redeeming power of kindness, be it in the guise of love, compassion or mercy. It's a theme that lends itself to emotionally resonant moments, and across 1300 pages Hugo delivers too many to count. The first part alone (Fantine) could stand by itself as one of the great short novels, but it's just part 1 of 5. It's not until around halfway through part 4 that Hugo returns to that high plane of emotional intensity but, when he does, he delivers a finale for the ages. The tragedy is immense; the sacrifice, the resilience, the devotion are likewise immense.

Hugo writes with vast intimacy: he gives us a story tightly focused on a small set of core characters, very close-up for long stretches but punctuated by dizzying moments of zooming out to reflect on the broader historical significance of events. In these moments everything is laden with moral and cosmic weight - it's about how to live, it's about human dignity, it's about morality vs temptation, it's about the causes of progress - with the result that the story, when he zooms back in again, feels like social realism and folk legend at the same time.

The most natural comparison is with Tolstoy, who has a similar blend of mega-canvas social realism and fierce moralism. Tolstoy's style is more matter-of-fact and mundane, less sentimental, arguably truer to life, but also less intense, less exciting. Hugo is a Romantic with a capital R and composes novels like symphonies, scenes building slowly to impassioned crescendos. If your heart responds to that kind of conducting you'll struggle to find a more moving book than this.

Regarding the Penguin Classics edition: Christine Donougher's translation reads wonderfully but Penguin has messed up the notes. Because they are not numbered in any way, just linked to pages, they are very confusing, with many places where cross-referencing is needed but missing. I did not make much use of them. In a book this long, you have to number the notes!

[T S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just finished the book several minutes ago, I still have tears in my eyes. This book is quite an investment, but the emotional punch at the end is quite profound. It's a novel where at the very end everything comes together in a way that is a tribute to Jean Valjean and not a contrivance of character. At the very end with the mention of the bishop, it makes sense if you read the book, I felt this sting of this man's history coming full circle. I wish the stone at the end existed so I could visit it but I know this is fiction.

Some parts of this book are somewhat strange such as the chapter on the history of slang, which may have made more sense if I had read the original French. The chapter on the history of the Parisian sewer system was fascinating and set the tableau for what was to come.

This book explores several universal themes. As I've read Victor Hugo was apt to aim for. I learned a lot of history but I also learned that we humans are not so different from one or two centuries ago.
This is a classic in literature for a reason.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had watched the musical as a kid 35 years ago and dimly remembered it so was pleased to not really know what the story line was. It is a pretty enormous volume that looks at morals and ethics and redemption of sinners wrapped in an amazing story well told. Beautiful variation and pace. I must say that I did not enjoy the sections on topics such as the Battle of Waterloo, convents, slang, sewer systems that were pretty chunky and peripheral in my mind in the main to the narrative story. However still 5*....

[Timothy R · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time through it - magnificent, relentless telling of French culture with a love story for good measure. Reads like someone with a lot to say, and having wore out his friends, goes ahead and writes it out. How else to explain the diversions, which he often sets up with a disclaimer to the reader and set the need for what will be many, many pages of the narrator’s view. The spirituality is clearly derived from the roots of the Catholic faith, but this is not something Hugo can acknowledge. More so, the spiritual motivations of the characters is from God, and is natural to our nature.

[Alex Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook of this translation for a read-along this year and was very pleasantly surprised! The prose isn't always as beautiful as some of the other translations, but Donougher is the first to make Hugo's digressions readable and his political arguments naturally comprehensible. Plus, the footnotes alone make this edition worth investing in. My new #1 translation recommendation for those wanting to understand the philosophical and political arguments of Les Mis.

[Matt Sager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give it six stars if I could.

This translation flows very well and is quite easy to read. I’ve read the abridged version and now the unabridged. While I’m now an expert in the battle of Waterloo and the Paris sewer system, I’m not sure how much of that was necessary. It was still enjoyable to read but I’m not sure what it really adds to the story. I listened to the audible version and read the kindle version. Both are fantastic

[Jacob Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

My God, I thought this was trending towards a 4 star book. But what an ending. I was utterly enraptured with the climactic moments and how dear they felt. A few tears may have been shed.

"He sleeps. Though fate dealt with him strangely,
He lived. Bereft of his angel, he died.
It came about simply, of itself,
As night follows when the day is ended."

[Sam J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me years to read it but MAN was it worth it. Though definitely a difficult and long read, Les Misérables is a deeply profound and timeless treatise on progress as told in the story of the redemption of a convict, Jean Valjean. One of the flagship books of history. Read it (if you have the time and discipline).

[Traci McG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This translation is magical! My family laughed at the big thick book I carried around for a couple of months but every time I opened it was pure delight. The language is absolutely beautiful and I think she captured Victor Hugo’s humor really well. The words were the kind you just want to bathe in. And of course the story itself is as good as it gets.

[Yoni Weinreich · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Hugo desired to capture an age in pages, he probably succeeded. It feels difficult to contend, though, that reading tangents totaling nearly half the novel is enjoyable itself or a prospect relished at the thought of repeated readings.

Perhaps it's fitting that one of the greatest and most monumental works ever written can only truly attain 4 stars out of 5.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Hugo is long winded by modern measure and the references are long past their relevance, this book remains a treasure that spans generations.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook--great translation, stellar voice actors, and a fantastic introduction that contextualizes so much. I plan on reading the book again, once I've digested it.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenally good translation of one of the most stunning novels I've ever read. I have nothing terribly insightful to add about either Hugo or Donougher's work other than both were well worth the effort. It does seem necessary to point out that goodreads should really have this listed under Hugo's authorship too, as it's hard to find here without already knowing about it.

[Dani Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweeping. Epic. The musical is a work of brilliance, but this novel, and this translation, is unmatched in scale. Truly one of the best books I have ever read.
10/10.