Perhaps the
greatest writer France had produced is VICTOR HUGO, the author of LES
MISERABLES, the man who touched my otherwise hard heart. Published in 1862, the
theme is set against the political chaos that prevailed in the French society
during the 19th century.
The novel throws light on the social and economic
conditions that was quickly degrading. JEAN VAL JEAN, an immortalized character
of Les Miserables suffered years of prison life just for stealing a piece of
bread. Thus an innocent man is forced to become a criminal. Necessity makes him
a thief. This fiction, thus also tests the righteousness of the French law, blind
aristocratic politics and basic human morals. For me LES MISERABLES still
stands as a goodwill ambassador for people suffering from poverty and
starvation throughout the world.
Hugo doesn’t
forget to install various forms of love in his plot, the strongest of all human
feelings. Hugo wrote this novel while he was in political exile. That could
have spurred him to criticize the French authorities indirectly. After publishing
the novel, lower sections of the French society regarded Hugo as their
spokesperson, considering jean Val jean as one among them.
You can’t
call this fiction. It is as true as life. The real magnanimity of les
miserables lies in the fact that it never plays sour jokes on the authorities, yet
it is a hard social satire. Using naked reality of humanity in a human form has
really touched the right chord. Moreover this novel spans over a period of 17 years,
including dozens of characters and hence the size.
It begins when Jean Val Jean
is a ruined middle ager and ends with him being an old man in his death bed.
His only consolation being his adopted daughter left in the safe hands of her lover.
The climax makes the entire novel a comedy, not a tragedy, which 90% of the novel
is.
Hugo’s popularity
was so huge that his funeral was attended by about 2 million people. Though he
had published several volumes of poetry and one another novel ‘HUNCHBACK OF
NOTREDAME’ nothing is as great as Les Miserables.
Friends if
you want to read books, if you do read books, the les miserable are something like
never–miss novel. My promises, you would be touched right down to the core of
your heart, even if you are a billionaire. The final chapter will make you cry,
I bet my life on it. Go read it dudes and realize the hard realities of life.
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