Sunday, April 13, 2008
Les Miserables
Victor Hugo
1862 This is a long novel about various characters, often miserable, over a 20 year period in post-Napoleonic France.
Long books, like I've said before, offer a richer experience. A stronger relationship is developed with the characters if they're read about over a sustained period of time. In this case it was a month. I thought I could read it over March break but I suppose I was punished for underestimating it. In the finishing it became somewhat of a quest. Today I set out at 2:00pm to get it done, now at 7:30, am done. It's worth it, full immersion into a book offers an experience unattainable by exposure to any other art form. As is clear, I'm moved. The book was stunning. Long, and at points frustratingly circuitous, but in absolutely and totally complete. It's all there, every inch of description, emotion, motive and action is fully laid down and the reader benefits.
The character of Jean Valjean is truly inspiring. Christ like (like so many others, see below) he moves through the story patiently, generously, capable, thorough, humble and able to fully experience the happiness from simplicity. His life is so tragic that a sit on a bench with Cosette is happiness enough for him. I guess he could be like Jason in Douglas Coupland's Hey Nostradamus. So tragic that he finds happiness as soon as the smallest happy thing is presented to him.
It is comparable to John Steinbeck for it's ability to affect and anger. So many, if poor, are just left to die. Hugo's sense of social justice is so stronger than many of the most articulate progressive thinkers today. If Hugo was American, and the story was maybe a 100 years more recent, Jean Valjean would be a bigger iconic hero than Tom Joad.
I loved this book. I'll write more soon.
Victor Hugo
1862 This is a long novel about various characters, often miserable, over a 20 year period in post-Napoleonic France.
Long books, like I've said before, offer a richer experience. A stronger relationship is developed with the characters if they're read about over a sustained period of time. In this case it was a month. I thought I could read it over March break but I suppose I was punished for underestimating it. In the finishing it became somewhat of a quest. Today I set out at 2:00pm to get it done, now at 7:30, am done. It's worth it, full immersion into a book offers an experience unattainable by exposure to any other art form. As is clear, I'm moved. The book was stunning. Long, and at points frustratingly circuitous, but in absolutely and totally complete. It's all there, every inch of description, emotion, motive and action is fully laid down and the reader benefits.
The character of Jean Valjean is truly inspiring. Christ like (like so many others, see below) he moves through the story patiently, generously, capable, thorough, humble and able to fully experience the happiness from simplicity. His life is so tragic that a sit on a bench with Cosette is happiness enough for him. I guess he could be like Jason in Douglas Coupland's Hey Nostradamus. So tragic that he finds happiness as soon as the smallest happy thing is presented to him.
It is comparable to John Steinbeck for it's ability to affect and anger. So many, if poor, are just left to die. Hugo's sense of social justice is so stronger than many of the most articulate progressive thinkers today. If Hugo was American, and the story was maybe a 100 years more recent, Jean Valjean would be a bigger iconic hero than Tom Joad.
I loved this book. I'll write more soon.
# posted by mz @ 4:20 PM 
