Magnificent

Adore this book. I've read Les Mis multiple times over the years and tried various audio versions but never liked any. Because Les Mis is so long to listen to you have to really like the audio in order to persist. I've never persisted with other audio recordings cos the voice(s) grated on me. I'm so thankful for this rendition! I loved each of the voices and enjoyed each in different ways. Les Mis was brought to life for me in a new way. Hugo's turn of phrase is so breathtaking and achingly beautiful. At the end of 60+ hours you find yourself wanting to go back and re-read all the passages that moved you the most.
If this is your first time reading/listening to Les Mis then just be aware that this is the unabridged version which includes all of Hugo's leeeeengthy digressions which are not essential to the plot and can serve to slow the tempo of the plot down (eg an extended rant about convents and cloisters and their role in society, examination of the battle of Waterloo from every conceivable angle, or a close up guided tour of the Paris sewer system). So if it's your first time with Les Mis I would recommend reading an abridged version first up where the story isn't continually put on hold for you in this way. Or you could just skip or fast forward through those bits in this version - just find out ahead of time which parts to skip. You can always go back and read/listen to them later. I find Hugo's digressions really interesting and his poetic way of writing about the least interesting topic eg poop kind of captures you, but it can be frustrating when he drops a completely unrelated digression in at a crucial or tense part of the story so don't let that stop you from perservering with Les Mis - just skip. Les Mis is a book of immense beauty, depth and pathos. A close up look at the human soul and the power of love. Can't recommend highly enough!

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2 people found this helpful

Exceptional story but beware the digressions

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Les Mis but readers should be ready for regular, lengthy digressions from the central story. Whilst aspects of these digressions can be fascinating, they are often too long and it may be sensible to simply skip over those that don’t appeal. You will fully understand these comments when you listen to it. There is a good explanation of why Hugo constructed the book this way in the ‘introduction’ at the end which is well worth listening to. I don’t mean to be too negative- it is an excellent production and will bring tears at certain key moments.

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One of the best

There some pretty long historical interludes that dont have much bearing on the story that I recommend listening to at double speed for a quick overview but otherwise I think this is one of the greatest tales ever told, stunning, witty, poignant

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