My little book report :)

I've been sick all week and reading a lot more in bed especially when not being able to sleep, but anyway last night I finished the book Les Miserables. It was one of the longest books I've read, but I really enjoyed it. I think next time I will try the abridged version just because I hated just getting to a really exciting part of the main story and then going into 200 pages in between of philosophy on war, history, religion, morality, politics, etc. Although Victor Hugo was a total genius and had amazing insight into all of these subjects, that is more of a one time read for me. But I loved the storyline following Jean Valjean, Javert, Cozette, and all the people and surrounding events relating to them. Such a good read and very thought provoking. I thought it was along the same lines as the Count of Monte Cristo because of the same time period of the French Revolution and also discussion of justice and mercy.

This book, however had more insight into the internal struggles of Jean Valjean's changing character into the ultimate moral conscience even through such injustice of crappy life circumstances. The first one being  his parents died and he was left to care for his older sister and her 7 kids while he himself was just a kid and going to prison for stealing bread for them. It turned into 19 years of prison (5 for the stealing and 14 more for attempting to escape). Once he finally got out, he was branded for life (so to speak) with his identification as a criminal and he couldn't get a job, stay anywhere, buy anything and forced to live in the street until a good bishop showed him mercy. Even though Jean Valjean stole silverware from him, the bishop gave him his candlesticks also with the promise of doing good with them. And he does amazing things for a whole town and becomes successful, very charitable, moral, honest and merciful to everyone. (You can stop here if you already know the story or don't know it and care to). Javert (the police inspector) is the model citizen, never breaking a single rule ever, never told a lie, the example of complete justice. The very idea of a criminal being let go and ever redeeming himself is abhorrent (the law at that time was a convict with a repeat offense goes back to prison for life) and he hunts Jean Valjean for years because of the strict law. That's only like the first 1/4 of the book and there are more examples of people with equal opposites like the Threnardier guy who is a true villian, con man, thief who raises Cosette for a short time just to swindle money and the life out of her mother and then tries that on Jean Valjean for the rest of his life and Threnardier never gets the justice he deserves.

Anyway... I'll stop right there because it is getting too long. Long story short... good book, everyone should read it.