I’ve read books and later seen their corresponding movies. I’ve seen movies first and then read the books. Les Miserables is the first movie I’ve seen while in the middle of the book.
My goal, of course, was to finish the book first, but despite a few marathon reading sessions I was only 550 pages into the 829-page tome by the time my friends arranged to hit the theater. The result was pretty interesting.
Because of the film, I knew the general plot for the big points at the end of the book. Yet at the same time, I knew the movie had left out a ton of details and even changed the chronology of some pieces, meaning there was still a lot left for me to experience.
I wish for the sake of those who haven’t read the book that the movie did a better job of connecting the characters to one another. We get the big relationships, but Victor Hugo weaves such an intricate web that in many ways drives the motivations of these characters. The movie stands by itself as a perfectly good story, but even small things, like knowing Gavroche is Eponine’s brother, or the backstory between Marius and Thenardier, would have given that extra bit of depth the book provides.
Of course, that is why we still value books, right? I don’t think we’re ready for the 14-hour Les Mis movie.
Maybe it was because I was really plowing through this book (at nearly double my normal page consumption), but I didn’t flag very many pages along the way. I did have to laugh at Hugo’s description of Jean Valjean’s restless sleep, which for him was partially due to having an actual bed after years of being in prison:
“When many diverse sensations have disturbed the day, when the mind is preoccupied, we can fall asleep once, but not a second time. Sleep comes at first much more readily than it comes again. Such was the case with Jean Valjean.”
Such is the case with me. I’m a great fall-asleeper, not so good at the getting back to sleep part. Since we’re on the topic of sleep, this book twice uses the word “somnambulism.” I flagged it the first time to look up the definition (an abnormal condition of sleep in which motor acts are performed), which helped tremendously when it popped up again and I thought, “Wait, I’ve seen that word recently…”
I also blame Family Guy for distracting me at one point. Anyone reading in 1998 or earlier would have flown right through this section, but obviously the existence of Stewie in our modern world makes things different. Jean Valjean thinks he sees the inspector Javert, but looks again to find it is someone else:
“What the deuce was I about to fancy that I saw Javert?”
Hugo obviously wrote Les Miserables in French, so the version I had was a translation, but there is a passage I thought would be right at home in any love story written today:
“When the mine is loaded, and the match is ready, nothing is simpler. A match is a spark. It was all over with him. Marius loved a woman. His destiny was entering upon the unknown.”
Like I mentioned earlier, I think Hugo created a plausible world with a lot of crazy interwoven relationships. But there was one line near the end of the book that I had to question. It comes in the description of Marius and Cosette’s wedding:
“…hand in hand, admired and envied by all, Marius in black, she in white, preceded by the usher in colonel’s epaulettes, striking the pavement with his halberd, between two hedges of marvelling spectators, they arrived under the portal of the church…”
Hedges of spectators? Who were these people? The bride’s side of things consists of a reformed convict who has spend the past dozen years doing everything possible to lay low and not form the kind of personal connection that would lead to a wedding invite. Cosette, for her part, seems to spend every waking moment at Jean Valjean’s side, not out making tons of friends who would end up at this ceremony.
Marius did have a group of friends…but they were kind of all killed in the fighting that almost got him too. His parents aren’t around either. So the only possible explanation is that all the guests at this wedding are friends of his grandfather. Sounds like an amazingly fun event.
Finally, let me close with a quote from one of the revolutionaries with whom Marius fought. They have endured an assault by French soldiers upon their barricade, and now are sitting through the night, awaiting the dawn that brings the final blow upon them all. Enjolras speaks to the remaining group:
“Let us understand each other in regard to equality; for, if liberty is the summit, equality is the base.”
Well said.
