I'm reading, in fact — re-reading again (first time in my school years) Victor Hugo „Les Misérables”. And it is a very good reading. I sometimes marvel over old classics literature — what makes its reading experience so fresh ?Trying to justify this phenomenon, I could perhaps say, that what makes it universal is a kind of fundamental dilemmas, choices and tragedies that face humans and are described therein. The time — XIX century, and the place — post Bonaparte France are, in this respect, no different from the present time, and from any place of the today's world...
I'm now deeply in the book, just have finished Volume I... So this is not a review yet... I'm also not sure if I would dare to write one for such a book !!!
So there may come some short notes ...
If one of you read it — I would be happy to know your opinion.
I read a very brief Sinhalese adaptation as a kid. It was amazing too. I really would like to experience it in full.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that you'll recommend it -- so far I just love the musical (how shallow) and have not read the book.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by timeless dilemmas, though, so this sounds like a great choice.
I'm sure I will...
ReplyDeleteIn fact the enormity and something I could (maybe) call epicity (from epic :-) — overwhelmed me... In good sense of course.
In paper it has 1500 pages over many volumes, in audio it spans over 10 instalments about 7 hours long each ...
This is why I am a bit less active on the blog now — in the spare moments of my life I live in the world of Cochet, Jean Valjean, Marius ...
Perhaps the most important single achievement of Hugo in this work is the unusual ability to show people's fate intertwined with events of history, transformation of social and political systems and culture.
Thanks Diane for this comment — yes I will write a good recommendation after, but it still several days ahead :-)