“If you wish to understand what Revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to understand what Progress is, call it Tomorrow.” — Victor Hugo
To review Les Misérables by Victor Hugo we first have to figure out what it is about. There is no right answer to this question such as the joy of reading, rereading, death of the author and freedom of interpretation. I think the simplest way to figure out what the Brick is about is to see what Hugo emphasizes and the recurring threads he pulls on. In that regard, it is easier to get at.
Between the living conditions (either by choice or by force) of many of our characters I think it is fair enough to write off this novel being a model of behaviour for the “miserables” of the novel. In the 19th century even now class divide is very much a problem. So it isn’t for the impoverished and socially ruined, check.
Rebellion at any cost? As most sensible people today Hugo concludes that people don’t owe others their comfort and people are not obliged to give up their lives in the name of social change. After all, any sensible person knows that is a collective effort and one can only affect so much. But, does Hugo think that the miserables by nature of being miserables are obligated to give up their lives? Also no. A radical stance in the 19th century and indeed, to an extent, even now. So if it isn’t rebellion and it isn’t sacrifice what is it?
“To love another person is to see the face of God,” (Les Misérables: the musical).
While it is unknown if Hugo ever wrote these words its intent is very much the core of Les Mis. I think, seeing as it isn’t rebellion and it isn’t demanding unwilling sacrifice…. that leaves us with one option, Les Miserables is about hope, love, the ebb and flow of progress and compelling those in positions to make real change to see the universality of everyone’s humanity and make long-lasting change.
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” (Les Misérables by Victor Hugo).
Rating out of 10: 9.5
Likes: the way Hugo phrases things, his wordplay and his overall novel thesis. Hugo’s background as a poet shines through in this novel amongst others.
Critiques: his views on women and his lack of empathy towards some outcasted characters.
Les Misérables: the novel by Victor Hugo published in 1865, is in a sentence a brick of a book that holds up… mostly. Between all its digressions, digressions mind you that have a point, his framing of revolt and reform, his overarching sympathies to women especially the likes of Fantine and Eponine and his obvious affections for characters like Jean Valjean, Cosette and Hugo’s self-being shown through Marius Pontermacy. Les Mis is a compelling read and a must-read for history buffs, enjoyers of classic literature and enjoyers of French history and political and social theory. While Hugo was very much of his time Les Mis is one of his more forthright political novels and fairly ahead of its time (1865) at that. While Hugo is far from perfect, no one is he does have complex relationships with women and female adjacency I believe the characters of Fantine, Eponine, and Cosette are enough to illustrate Hugo’s personal complexity and few 18th and 19th-century women in their stations or lack thereof are shown with such empathy and not vilified beyond comprehension. It is a rather long and large book thus being called lovingly a “brick” by the fandom so I would highly recommend doing it either in a group (like Les Mis Letters) or if on your own taking breaks to read shorter books, seeing as Les Mis is a hefty 1,463 or more depending on the translation but it is a worthwhile 1,463 pages and Hugo puts every page to good use.
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