Book review: "Les Miserables", by Victor Hugo

Synopsis: Following the life of Jean Valjean, a convict freed after 19 years in prison, "Les Miserables" describes his troubled conscience, and the path to towards redeeming himself that he follows (sometimes timidly) throughout the remainder of his life. Encountering countless opportunities to decide between right and wrong, the light and the dark, God's way and man's way, Valjean interacts with the highest and lowest of French society, in the turbulent period after Napoleon, as he tries to find what many seek, and yet few find: personal redemption.

Review: It's difficult to read this book without spontaneously bursting into song, so legendary is the theatre production/movie based on the book. And, while mentioning those, it's fair to say that, considering the sheer enormity of this novel (you would break your leg if you fell off of the paperback version!), they did an admirable job of getting the basics in there. You read the book, then watch the film, and you can confidently say "Yep- that's pretty much the gist of it!".

In terms of gained information about the characters when reading the book (which there obviously isn't time for in the play), it is largely on an emotional basis, rather than a superficial one. For example, in the play, (conforming to time restrictions), Jean Valjean has a mini soliloquy as he struggles with his conscience as to whether or not to admit to the court that he's the convict they're looking for. In the book, this is much more stretched out, and one feels the intensified moral anguish stirring within him. Far from gallantly striding as fast as he can towards the proceedings, he looks for any excuse not to go, and there's a brilliant bit where his cart breaks halfway between the town and the courtroom. After trying to do everything possible to fix it, he says "Well, it must be fate!", and heads back home... only to be stopped by a child who says that his mum can lend him a cart. He reluctantly accepts, and heads towards the courtroom, where he confronts his past and his conscience.

Hugo has a talent for the following- dismantling, brick by brick, the tower of each character's soul, and then slowly (or sometimes, immediately) rebuilding it, according to the trials they've endured and the present circumstances. At first, the heroes (Marius) are pure, the villains (the Thernadiers) are true rouges, and the law is inflexible (the police officer Javert)...  and of course, Jean Valjean is a man on the path to redemption. However, despite their clear positions as heroes, rogues and the law, none of them remain pure manifestations of what they symbolise for long and (as in life), with the progress of the story comes a change within the soul. All sin against their former self- all act out of rebellion against what they "should be". Rightly or wrongly, in breaking out of the mould that they were cast in (the hero, the law, the convict), they grow. The book's length is largely due to an in-depth exploration of human emotional development (a complex and lengthy topic at the best of times!) at the very moment of the conflict between the old and new. Will Marius the pure save Thernadier the rogue? Will Javier the strict release Jean Valjean the criminal? Will Jean Valjean the liar reveal the truth? It is at these points of growth, the precipice between what was and what will be, that these questions are answered. Either side of each answer are great pools in which the reader can explore the caverns of the human psyche, and in these pools lie the grandeur of this book.

The development of each character's personality, however, is far from a smooth ride. As is well attested in another superb book, "A pilgrim's progress" by John Bunyan, the path to enlightenment is an arduous one. It takes the near loss of his grandson (Marius) for Monsieur Gillenormand to forgive him his political views. It takes 9 years of sacrificial love for Cossette for Valjean to throw himself into danger to save Marius... and it requires Javert to place his life to the hands of a criminal only to have it spared (a paradox which he didn't ask for, and which is too much for him to stomach). 

For these characters, a quote from Christ himself seems appropriate (Hugo, according to the evident theme of God-like forgiveness throughout the book, would hopefully agree!), and that is this:

"Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who persecute you". 

Essentially, it is the characters who applied this policy who (even though they died), lived greatly, as they found that their enemy was confused, lost, confounded by this upside down response. Thernadier is the only one who's character remains completely unaltered unto the end and, like many a rascal, is one of the only characters who doesn't meet a tragic or premature demise. Yet, as he was incapable of doing good, he lived foully, and it was not a life to envy. 

There are countless examples throughout for a reader to ponder over and to put each character up for the "But who's my FAVOURITE?" elections.... 

But a personal preference of mine is Eponine. Tragic and lost from the start, at first complicit towards Thernadier (her father) and his wishes, as she matures and grows wise both to her love for Marius and the robbery that her father and his thugs are looking to pull on him, she valiantly stands up to the whole gang in front of his house, eventually forcing them to retreat. A vivacious and rebellious spirit, which epitomises the very emotion of the imminent rebellion itself, one can see that she is destined to die in battle... 

(SPOILER ALERT!)  

... which she does, while defending Marius.

Obviously, this is a classic of epic proportions. More than just a book, it is SEVERAL books in one- a mountain range of giant themes- philosophy, social commentary, religion, history... with the story line weaving it's way past these monuments. With it's greatness, however, comes a necessity of patience when traversing this novel- the side-themes are simply huge. For example, a full account of the history of the Battle of Waterloo means you'll never have to read a single book on Napoleon in your life. However, it is all highly interesting and adds to the experience of the book... with one exception. Hugo, in my opinion, spends an excessively large amount of time describing the convent in which Jean Valjean and Cossette take refuge, detailing not only the history of the sisterhood, but also every quirk and ritual that they practice. This, in itself, lends little to the story, and could easily have been summarised in a couple of pages (instead of what felt like nearly 200).

It is amazing how much one can learn about real life from reading fiction, and I think Les Miserables is the best example I've come across of that. Real life lessons- the importance of bravery, forgiveness, and the development of the spirit- they vibrate right on the surface throughout. In another way, this is more than a book- it's a life experience. Surely, in years to come, upon the deathbed of anyone who has held this book in their hands from beginning to end, upon receiving the question "What were your greatest experiences in life?", the answer "... reading Victor Hugo's masterpiece..." will surely make the list.

I think the best way to summarise the underlying message of Les Miserables is with a quote from the Swiss Catholic priest, Hans Urs von Balthasar:

"What you are is God's gift to you. What you become is your gift to God".

Score: 9/10