Literature Review of Les Miserables - Southwest Licking Local ...

Southwest Licking School District
Literature Selection Review
Teacher: Paula Ball
School: Watkins Memorial High School
Book Title: Les Miserables Genre: Fiction
Author: Victor Hugo Publisher: Simon and Brown
Book Summary and summary citation:
From Barnes and Noble:
One of the most widely read novels of all time, Les Misérables was the crowning literary
achievement of Victor Hugo’s stunning career. Though he was considered the greatest French
writer of his day, Hugo was forced to flee the country because of his opposition to Napoleon III.
While in exile he completed Les Misérables, an enormous melodrama set against the background
of political upheaval in France following the rule of Napoleon I.
This newly abridged edition of Les Misérables tells the story of the peasant Jean Valjean—
unjustly imprisoned, baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the magnificently realized,
ambiguously malevolent police detective Javert. As Valjean struggles to redeem his past, we are
thrust into the teeming underworld of Paris with all its poverty, ignorance, and suffering. Just as
cruel tyranny threatens to extinguish the last vestiges of hope, rebellion sweeps over the land like
wildfire, igniting a vast struggle for the democratic ideal in France.
A monumental classic dedicated to the oppressed, the underdog, the laborer, the rebel, the
orphan, and the misunderstood, Les Misérables is a rich, emotional novel that captures nothing
less than the entirety of life in nineteenth-century France.
Instructional Rationale/Objectives:
Analyze point of view world literature
Analyze structure of text, order of events, and manipulation of time
Review #1:
From Library Journal
Hugo's classic tale set against the backdrop of political upheaval in 19th-century France retains
its timeless appeal in this notably condensed rendition of the struggles of former convict Jean

Valjean. While the abridgment inevitably cuts many of the intricate subplots and minor
characters who enrich Hugo's vast tome, this suspenseful central plot tracing Valjean's endeavor
to emerge from desperate circumstances while being pursued by the duty-obsessed Inspector
Javert remains intact and comprehensible to listeners. The principal characters retain their epic
proportions, and the major themes of redemption through good works and the importance of
authentic charity are undiminished. Narrator Michael York adds vigor and distinct
characterizations to the broad cast of characters in this fittingly dramatic performance. Suitable
for collections that do not already contain one of the many audio versions of this work (e.g.,
Audio Reviews, LJ 5/1/93).Linda Bredengerd, Hanley Lib., Univ. of Pittsburgh, Bradford
Review #2:
From Borders:
Few novels ever swept the world with such overpowering impact as LES MISERABLES. Within
twenty-four hours of its publication in 1862, the first Paris edition was sold out. In other great
cities throughout the world, it was devoured with equal relish.
Sensational, dramatic, packed with rich excitement and filled with the sweep and violence of
human passions, LES MISERABLES is not only a superb adventure but a powerful social
document. The story of how the convict Jean Valjean struggles to escape his past and reaffirm
his humanity in a world brutalized by poverty and ignorance became the gospel of the poor and
the oppressed. One of the greatest works in Western literature, LES MISERABLES is an
exhilarating and deeply profound reading experience.Sensational, dramatic, packed with rich
excitement and filled with the sweep and violence of human passions, LES MISERABLES is not
only superb adventure but a powerful social document. The story of how the convict Jean-
Valjean struggled to escape his past and reaffirm his humanity, in a world brutalized by poverty
and ignorance, became the gospel of the poor and the oppressed.
What alternate text(s) could also fulfill the instructional requirements
Title: The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Document any potentially controversial content:
One character is forced into prostitution, a child is conceived out of wedlock, violence of a
revolutionary war including the death of several characters, and realistic depiction of the harsh
conditions of the time period
GRADE LEVEL(S): 9 and 10
Reading level of this title (if applicable): 9/10

Date Submitted to website: August 1, 2011
Suggested Professional Literary Review Sources:
School Library Journal
Horn Book
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
Library Journal
Book Links
Publisher's Weekly
Booklist
Kirkus Review
Wilson Library Catalog
English Journal (and other resources of the National Council of Teachers of English)
The Reading Teacher (International Reading Association)
Literature for Today’s Young Adults