Classic Novel ~ Les Miserables

I’ve read all of Jane Austen’s novels and most of Charles Dickens’. As much as I appreciate their stories, my all-time favorite classic novel is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

My love for the story was strengthened about fifteen years ago when I watched a video of the Tenth Anniversary Concert of the musical.

I used scenes from the video for my major project in a class I was taking at the time called Fiction Into  Film. Studying the story and the video deepened my appreciation for the novel even more.

And, oh, yes! I love the 2012 movie adaptation starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Russell Crowe. Gives me goosebumps just to think about it!

A bit of trivia:

  • Hugo spent over thirty years writing the book which was published in 1862.
  • The novel has approximately 513,000 words.
  • Susanne Alleyn says: “the phrase ‘les misérables’…is much better translated into English as ‘the dispossessed’ or even as ‘the outsiders’…”
  • The novel was a favorite with Civil War soldiers. A Ten Facts post includes this: “Confederate soldiers who read the novel called themselves ‘Lee’s Miserables.’”

Hugo’s epic novel was an easy choice for me even though there are so many great classics to choose from.

Which classic novel would be your top pick?

Twenty-Five Days of #BlogMas

My chosen theme for this series of blogposts is Classic of the Day. I hope you’ll join me in these days leading up to one of our most cherished –and classic–holidays.