Les Misérables

Les Misérables Victor Hugo, Norman Denny (Translator) 5/5	Published 1862 First Sentence (Preface from Original Publisher) "So long as there shall exist, by virtue of law and custom, decrees of damnation pronounced by society, artificially creating hells amid the civilization of earth, and adding the element of human fate to divine destiny; so long as the three great problems of the century - the degradation of man through pauperism, the corruption of woman through hunger, the crippling of children through lack of light - are unsolved: so long as social asphyxia is possible in any part of the world; - in other words, and with a still wider significance, so long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Miserables cannot fail to be of use." HAUTEVILLE HOUSE, 1862
Publisher's Description: ‘He was no longer Jean Valjean, but No. 24601’ Victor Hugo’s tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty. A compelling and compassionate view of the victims of early nineteenth-century French society, Les Misérablesis a novel on an epic scale, moving inexorably from the eve of the battle of Waterloo to the July Revolution of 1830. Norman Denny’s introduction to his lively English translation discusses Hugo’s political and artistic aims in writing Les Misérables.
Dear Reader, This epic novel by Victor Hugo was quite surprising a treat. I think the enchantment felt was partially due to the lack of knowledge I had of this popular story. I've never seem any of the films or ventured out to see the play. Anyone who has ever read this will know Hugo tends to digress into many topics which stray from the story itself. Not knowing this, the first digression choked me like swallowing on a huge pill. But slowly, after each one... I started to enjoy his digressions and actually wanted more. Hugo has a wonderful mind and really delves into some thought provoking ideas. All this stimulating writing has me highlighting like crazy. For example, I loved the way Hugo compared a prison to a monastery and a convict to a nun, never would I have even thought to compare the two, but what a comparison it is!! I also loved the entire rant on slang; this topic is still being debated today. The slang of long ago is proper speech today which strengthens the argument even more. He brings a refreshing look at what slang really is and how it should be treated. Progress... we must be open to it. One of my favorite characters in the book was actually a very minor character but one which brought about Hugo's rant of slang. Gavroche, the street urchin who creates a nest in an elephant sculpture, has such cheer and resourcefulness for a child with nothing. This is admirable but Gavroche's true charm lies with his slangy speech. He speaks chock full of cute world for ordinary things and he always corrects others when they use "proper" speech. His part is short but his character is so heartwarming and odd that it stuck with me. Okay, so... this story is aptly names, "The Miserable Wretches", be warned! EVERYONE has horrible things happen to them! However, I think a happy ending is quite overrated and usually enjoy the nitty gritty truth better. I'll leave you with this quote straight out of the ending of the book: "It is a terrible thing to be happy! how content one is! How all-sufficient one finds it! How, being in possession of the false object of life, happiness, one forgets the true object, duty!" It was Hugo's duty to deliver us a story with depth and feeling (not one of those dull, heard it all before stories). With this, he has success... END of story. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Burial Rites

Burial Rites Hannah Kent 4/5	First Sentence "They said I must die."
Publisher's Description: Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?
Dear Reader, Before I go into my review, I wanted to share with you how I came across this book. I don't think I've mentioned my subscription to a local bookstore by me, every month they send me a book (selected carefully) that has been signed by the Author... all for the price of only the hardcover. You don't pick the book, which can make this a wonderful surprise or somewhat disappointing. I look forward to that time every month when the package comes in. I slowly open the carefully shipped parcel to reveal this months selection, hoping it'll be something I'll like. Most of the time the book sounds vaguely familiar, sometimes the title is completely unknown to me but every now and then I receive a book that is one on my "to-read" list that I've been anticipating greatly. This was one of those and it didn't disappoint. The story is loosely based on an actual account of a woman sent to death in Iceland around the early 1800's. The woman was real, the setting is real but the Author took justices with the story since she had only small stories and documentation to go on. She did a wonderful job coming up with a believable tale and you can tell she really did her research on Icelandic tradition and landscape. This book even included a map, any book that includes a map gets an automatic star for me! As I was reading, I felt the cold temperate climate of Iceland, the lack of warmth even under my own covers in bed. She really brought you right into this book with her descriptions. I think that might have been the biggest plus to the book. The story itself was extremely sad but understandably, the topic of death or waiting for death can't be anything but depressing. However, I was charmed by the book so much that I kept forgetting it was such a somber story. When I did turn back to the sadness, it was deep and thoughtful and also very heartbreaking. At first, you don't really quite know what to think of Agnes... is she guilty? Is she innocent? As the story unfolds you get a deeper understanding and you start to empathize with her situation. What would it be like to know death is coming? Even worse... to not know the date of your own execution? To live out your days under a roof of strangers who don't trust you. The reality is extremely harsh. The Author brings many things to think about with this book. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if she didn't bring a little philosophy and religion into it. If you hate novels with sadness that can make you cry, I would say READ it anyways but grab the box of tissues. I'm very curious to see what others thought about this book, any comments... please leave them! Happy Reading, AmberBug