I will start the brick tomorrow. I expect to finish when my grandchildren are old and wrinkled. I'm 23.

You got to remember that reading was one of the only forms of entertainment they had back then. So when they read they wanted details.

I was reading a book about the Paris Floods of 1905 for a school project, and I couldn't help but notice that the author went off on a lot of tangents as well. I'm trying to do research on a flood and he's talking about the fraco-prussian war, the french revolution, Napoleon, Victor Hugo, etc. I think it's something French authors love to do....

"The Brick" is such a perfect nickname. It took me a month finish it, even at a pace of 50 to 100 pages a day. Glad to be a member of the Brick Club! I definitely agree that the musical is an incredible adaptation. Like most epics, I think the novel is a classic case of an author using the novel form to talk about lots of other issues he/she is wrestling with (hence the tangents). It's a profound testament to how good the central story is that I persisted through the unnecessary parts. Thanks for the entertaining video!

Oh, gosh, I love that first 60 pages. The Bishop has such a lively, vibrant personality. It may actually be my favorite bit. Okay, its probably tied with the barricade scenes. And I love some of Hugo's tangents. Others, not so much. The sewer tangent is frustrating. This is a good analysis, here.

Whenever I hear the word "Waterloo" I get Vietnam flashbacks of reading the Brick LMFAO But like you said, where narrative matters, it's amazing. There are so many beautiful passages you can take away from this novel.

I first read the brick when I was twelve. It is still my favourite book.

I’m not gonna lie, I almost gave up on this book but I’ve decided to give it another go. I 100% agree with you on the poetic bits! When reading a book I usually copy down any nice quotes into the notes app in my phone but in this book there are SO many and they are SO long that in the end I gave up😂 Also (and this is obvious because the book goes more in depth, but) I think that Fantine’s story is SO much more sad in the book! Honestly the way the men left the girls like that was so sad... and her teeth! In the movie it’s her back teeth that are removed and I’m pretty sure her teeth aren’t removed at all in the musical but in the book when her front two teeth are ripped out, it’s makes her seem ugly and you pity her more than in the movie and musical. Especially when she decides to become a prostitute, because it’s written as is she’s just given up on life which is so heart breaking! If I remember correctly, there just one small line where she thinks something like ‘I’ve sold my teeth and hair, might as well sell what’s left’ and it’s soooo sad!!! And although people hate cosette because some think she’s spoiled because she’s rich, I think they forget how awful her childhood was, like it was BRUTAL! And this message is already long enough but DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE TV SHOW!! It was terrible and as long as the list is of things they changed (they made the focus sexual not political for example) tthe thing I HATE the most is how they make references to people thinking Jean Valjean is a paedophile.... LIKE URFGH THAT IS DISGUSTING, he’s such a kind caring and wonderful man and to even put that thought in someone’s head is disgraceful. But that’s a rant for another day😂

Victor Hugo was also an intellectual with strong political convictions and he liked, for political reasons, not only to tell great stories, but also to explain why things are how they are : why there is poverty, the flaws of religious organisations, how the system perpetuates convicts behaviors, etc

It's always wonderful to see someone reviewing the brick! I tried to read it unabridged when I was like... 11? I think? I couldn't get through the first chapter. I'd chalked it up to me just being a kid and having less patience, but now I'm nearly 21 and I am just trudging my way through an audiobook version. It probably doesn't help that the reader's voice sounds weirdly condescending, but like... woof. My brain is just not built for those in-depth tangents. I'll get through it one day, but for now I'm just kind of lost in a sea of prose lol.

Your description of your journey through Les Miserables reminds me of my experience with The Count of Monte Cristo. I bought the book in 2020 and am just now, in 2024, closing in on the end. Also I will mention that if you can reliably read 100 pages an hour in a typical novel, that's quite impressive and I envy you. I have clocked my progress on The Count and usually only get through about 25 pages in an hour.

I first got in love with the story and the characters when I saw the musical during high school. After that, I knew I HAD to read the fuckin brick, no matter what, even if it was a shit load of pages. I'm quite a slow reader so those 7 months it took me weren't that many. Maybe when you are 16 themes about revolution and young students rioting really get you involved, but the thing that really got me obsessed were the MANY plot lines the would eventually come all togheter to put an end to the story and to the suffering to the beloved and redempted Jean Valjean. I'm just sorry that in the various adaptations the most of them are cut out, like the all Pontmercy-Thenardier family history, but maybe I thought it was more foundamental than it actually is. The tangeants are like death for the reading flow, but, if the reader care, the really get you in that first-19th-hundred-France vibe. Moreover, I considered all the characters to be very interesting and rich (shame that litterally ALL my favorites die) and, since I studied french literature in high school, I really loved french history and the various authors such as Balzac, Zola, Flaubert and of course Hugo. Sorry for the long comment and my bad English, but this is one of my fav books ever and you were one of the few that asked opinions about it (pitty you). I really enjoyed the video, have a lovely day ❤

“I feel pretty invincible, throw what you want at me.” *smirks devilishly as he glances at copies of Real Analysis and Donquixote de la Mancha on the shelf*

This inspired me to finally pick up the book and I've FINALLY finished it! It's an amazing book but oh loord you're right, the tangeants really are something. :') Lovely review, I love that you went over the differences as well.

I _finally_ finished reading the book yesterday! You're right, it takes a great deal of love for the story (in my case it was my love for the Amis, mostly) to keep going! (I may or may not have fallen asleep a couple of times over some of those tangents...for example, the history of the convent and stuff!) Being a huge fan of the show, the book does add more depth to the characters and the fall of the barricade as well as Valjean's death, Javert's suicide, Fantine's fall become so much...more, you know? I'm glad I read it! Another thing that inspired me to keep going was the (unhealthy) amount of fanfics I've read, mostly featuring Enjolras/Grantaire and the rest of the Amis. I would love to hear your thoughts on the dynamic between the two? Hope you're doing well! Much love xx

There is a flaw in Cosette's personality. She forgot her father who raised her up for 7 years when she got married. She only appeased her father in his death bed to please Marius. She was literally looking back at Marius to seehis reaction. It might be because of a value that I cherish the most, the Confucian concept of filial piety, that led me to criticize her harshly. As for her other characteristics such as falling in love and dressing up, it's just typical of immature adolescent characteristics. I don't like her.

How about Gavroche? He is my favorite character! Where there any differences between his book and musical version?

This is great! Les Mis is my favorite musical, I just started the book. 20 pages in. I love it… for some reason. What translation did you read?

I’ve seen bbc adaptation and it is so good and I can understand why the director slated the musical due to the amount of things the musical got rid of or changed. That being said I’m a huge fan of the musical, even though I’ve not seen the full show I’ve only listened to the cd seen the filming of the 10th and 25th anniversary concerts and seen the staged concert that is on right now.

I've just finished the book and I fell so identified when you started talking about tangents :'D

I've read it twice, once for myself and once for finals at high school. It was nice to get to know the source material for the musical. But getting through all the detours Hugo'd taken me on was trying at times.

The Brick is very very introspective. Part of why the musical is the best adaptation is because you can't make a film character speak about their feelings uninterrupted for 4 minutes, but that works in a musical really well.

Sweet video. Funny and snarky, but also insightful and well-paced. A brick in more ways than one? Are you saying you need to wear a helmet while reading? lol If all goes well, I'll be making a day-trip to the city today and purchasing a copy. I'm quite set on the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, which is the Gallagher translation. Which translation did you read?

I just finished it after 1 month. You're right, the author takes for granted a lot of historical and cultural data that most people don't know today. I might be crazy but I studied the French revolution and some facts about napoleon just to understand what was happening (and I don't even like history that much) Getting cultured this summer 😂😂

Is two and a half months on a book a big commitment? ..I love slow reads with lots of time spent living in that world.

What it really killed me was the description of the whole waterloo battle. Out of that , magnific book.

whats the diffrence between the one 1282 pages and 1456 pages?

I can’t find an audiobook that’s word for word for that same edition. Which is the Signet Classics , Les Misérables, The Only Complete and Unabridged Paperback Edition.

I just discovered your channel. I really enjoy your videos.

You calling the writing poetic made me smile because Victor Hugo _was_ a poet, he wrote massive amounts of poetry and you can feel it in the book's writing. Also, the english show does try to have references in the lyrics like the original french concept album, some don't make it, but they added some in which I personally think compensates.

When I saw this video I immediately put it last on my Watch Later list after the last part of the eight or so broken up Librevox audiobook. I’m getting better used to Victorian fiction, but French Victorian fiction!? This review nailed (and clarified) it all very well for me. An insightful piece of wisdom and history during a wild time in France’s past. I think [reading] it was well worth it even if some of it was very esoteric and other parts exhaustive in its detail. So many touching moments that, as expected for certain, weren’t explored or, in some cases, touched on in the various adaptions.

Great review... You are spot on about Thenadier not as mean as he was in the book. The way, Hugo builds his character slowly, makes Thenadier frigtening for me. I was scared when he was on a page.... his evilness lingered and weighed on my mind even today, may be because he was mean even to kids and will to go any extent to achieve his means. Its sad he was not killed in the book and went to US to become a slave trader. Imagine the way he must have treated the slaves... Gavroche death was the saddest scene in the book, I could not hold back tears when he died in the book. Its amazing how his parents were evilest people and Gavroche, the bravest, kindest and tenderest soul in the book. The contrast ... Marius's and Cosette's romance is beautifully portrayed. Yes, the brick is a must read. Prose, characters and story is exceptional. It took me 3 -4 months... I read all historical references and watched documentaries on frech revolution, Napolean and about french heroes like voltaire to fully understand and appreciate the book. i can go on and on about his book...thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I just started and finished the audiobook at work over the past 4 weeks.

I am from gujarat,india.i read this book in gujarati translation(regional langyage) and it is shorted upto 500 pages.i like it!!!

Do you know what happened to Madame Bougon or to Gavroche's 2 other brothers it always bothers me after reading the books

If people are interested but intimidated by the book, I recommend listening to the audiobook. I just finished it and I think it makes it a lot easier because the narrator has the right intonations that make long sentences more understandable, and things like that. Plus you can kind of zone out on the hard parts and perk up when they get back to the narrative. That being said, I actually really liked a lot of the tangents. I feel like understanding Hugo's perspective on different things was really interesting, and in general I feel like it gave me new perspective on the world to hear what was important or noteworthy or thought-provoking to a man in a completely different place and time than me. I bookmarked a lot of different quotes, most of which were in the tangents and not in the narrative. One other thing that I feel I got from the book rather than movie adaptations was the deliberations inside of people's head. For example, when Jean Valjean decides whether or not to turn himself in to save the wrongfully accused man, or when Javert lets Jean Valjean go and feels his whole world falling apart, you just don't get that kind of depth from any movie. I do have to admit I'm not a huge fan of the musical but I loved the book, and I love the non-musical movie with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. This movie does take out a lot and is perhaps not as true to a scene-by-scene breakdown, but also does a really good job of preserving the mercy v justice theme.

Congrarulations for the video, although I haven't watched it to the end because of some spoilers. Long story short, I am about 300 pages away from finishing reading the book and I started reading it 2 weeks ago. Interesting fact, I felt that Eponine loved Marius more or in a different (better) way than Cosette did, but she was far more "miserable" than Cosette is when Marius meets them both. I think it's a great book and has great examples of people being good in bad times and of "pay it forward". Jean Valjean, indeed, is a great character. Les Miserables is a great example of human character in bad times, of social differences, of politics, of philosophy. I remember the scene where Marius gets, in his imagination, because things turned different, to choose whom to rescues and whom to kill, when Thenardier threatens Valjean's life in his house. Great!

Does Audible count? If so, woohh finished it in 2 and 1/2 months!

I'm listening to it through audible and it's quite a tome even listening to it. There is alot about the bishop of Digne to the point I was about to give up on the book entirely!

It is really weird because I was so confused on why the English version was that long (I read it in Spanish) because mine was like 560 pages. Then I realized thanks to you that my book was edited in a way that all the historic stuff like Waterloo and the explanation of Louis XVIII and Charles X was shorted up so you could just understand but everything else is untoched so I guess the editors of my edition made a really good job but my history geek side of me wanted to read it.

i will start this book because the show was fantastic

So the anime version of Les Miserables got it right about Marius when he came to the barricade.

I've never read the book because it's not available in my country. But, book Marius and anime Marius are so similar from what I can see.

865 pages in at the moment. I believe there are 365 chapters. The novel could be read in 1 year by reading 1 short chapter per day.

Question: did your copy have a lot of typos in the last quarter too? In my copy some sentences have so many typos it looks like it was typed by a drunk person 🤣

I wondering if I can use that book to build a house.

I loved the Bishop part!

I read the book before I saw the musical, and as a result, enjoyed the show much more, I think, since my brain could fill in the gaps. It was a similar feeling to rereading LOTR after reading The Silmarillion. My brain could fill in gaps. I'm very conflicted about Marius. I want to hug him and protect him, but I also want to knock some sense into him and tell him not to be a stalker.

Ur videos are so cute and I’m mesmerised how u can read a book that big. But it’s so sad that ur channel is so small for such a care in ur videos All I wanna say is well done

I believe believe the first 60 pages or “tangent” about the Bishop are some if not the most important pages of the book. They are what end up fueling Valjean foot the rest of the book. Without them Valjean would have stayed a criminal never lead an honest life and stayed a “miserables”. The entire book after shows the life of one man trying to live up the bishop and carry out his legacy. Literally up till the end. In the third to last page Valjean wonders wether he lived up to the Bishops expectations and legacy. “I don’t know whether the man who gave to me is pleased with me. I’ve done what I could”(Hugo 1302). Without that first tangent there would be no book. The fact that the Bishop is barely mentioned in the movie is a travesty. I liked the movie sure, but the bishop barely existing changes how the watcher interprets the entire story. I truly hope that everyone who watches the movie reads or has read the book.

I have read this book too because I am that person that is ranting about movies differing from the original books and I just felt like I should read the book and not just listen to the musical. I read it in about 2 weeks or something (I am an incredibly fast reader, I know xD) and I mostly enjoyed it. But I was kinda annoyed by those loooooong parts that weren't that important for the story. I just feel like every single character's backstory is talked about sooo much... It was kinda boring at some parts (Btw I'm fifteen years old, so that might be why). But all in all, I really enjoyed the book and I'm proud of now being able to say that I read it (I mean who doesn't know Victor Hugo).

I 'read' the audio book at a mere 60 hours or thereabouts; circa the length of War and Peace. You should probs not try reading git unless you've warmed up int he past with longer literature like the works of Dumas and Dostoevsky for example. I much prefer the works fo Dumas such as the Count of Monte Christo, which also being set around the same time offers a bit more insight into the revolutionary times. I feel the characters are somewhat figurative, romantic, optimistic and relentless like the revolution itself and the rebirth of Christianity in France plays large part in the books undertone with its story of redemption. The book cannot be divorced from its time and place. The excuses on the Paris sewer system is my fav example of a tangent; why? There should be some sort of literary award for those who get to then oof this book... but not people who claim to be well read but use the word 'literally' when they don't mean it.

in certain versions they hold hands instead of just shaking them :,(

Cute. What does she do now? I'm interested to know how her life pans out.

I don't know why but The part i loved The most was the one that he takes like 40 pages to describe The sewers from París. I was like really man?, are You serious? But he made it enjoyable. The story seems unreal for many moments and You realized everything started for piece of bread and twenty years of jail. For me the most annoying character was Marius Pontmercy. That man is pretty silly. Basically he is The stupid reason why jean valjean took that decision at The end. It took me one month to end up this book. One of the goals i accomplished in this lockdown. I hope to read it again when i get older. Maybe when i'm 40 or 50. The time of life that we supposed to be more wiser. It's The kind of book You have to read at least 2 times. I have a friend who has read The brick like 5 times in his lifetime. It's his favorite book, i told him this is The kind of book that pages look like they never end. I recommend You The tv show from BBC. It's a Nice adaptation, The last episode is full of emotions. just are 6 episodes, The first 5 are a bit slow but The last one Will surprise you.

Fantastic review and commentary. It also convinced me to not even attempt a read.

100 pages/hr! Uhhh, Does picture book count😅

Im reading a different version its a bit smaller... I got it from my school tho

I read this book in my language (translation) like 250 page. But i well understand the summary

I am reading this thing in braille because I am blind edit it’s so big that it takes up multiple shelves! Besides, it takes me about three times as long to read it

After reading a shortened version and seeing and listening to the musical too often, I am finally going to read the entire brick in French!

I'm going the lazy route and listening via audible. Apparently, it's going to take 65 hours to finish it!

personally, i stopped notre dame de paris after the 60 pages about the stained glass

Next try Atlas Shrugged, Gone with the Wind, and East of Eden.

Well Done ❤

Wow. It’s so frustrating ... my average speed is 25 per hour

I have never seen the musical, only read the book. The first time I read the book I was just a child, many years ago, and I thought it was a blast, extremely exciting reading. But then last week I borrowed the book from a local library to read again. I barely remembered the story. I had completely forgot everything that happened after Fantine's death. It took me 3 days to read the book... Three full days, without leaving the house. Well, I think it is easier when you are in quarantine, when you don't have anything else to do. The chapters that tell Jean Valjean's story were as exciting as I remembered. But then the other chapters, especially the ones about politics of the time are really boring.... You have to skip the boring chapters. There is no other way to read this book. Simply skip the chapters that don't deal with Jean Valjean or any of the main characters. Victor Hugo was very interested in the politics of the time, but all that discussion about Bonaparte, Waterloo, monarchists, restoration.... that was completely boring. Unless you are interested in France's history, there is no need to read those chapters. For anyone who intends to read the book, my advice: simply skip the boring chapters. Most of those chapters are not necessary to understand Jean Valjean's story.

Ya know, my mum says I’m not allowed to see the musical until I’m done reading the book... I’d better not make plans for the next year. (It will be something to show off to my classmates though...🤔🤫

I enjoyed the wonderful review. and I don't plan on reading this book anymore.. lmao.

Can you post yourself reading Gavroches death

It took me three and a half months 😅

Lmao that’s why I love Grantaire

It amazes me how many readers don't get literature.

read don quixote

4:12 is this a Grantaire callout

You are such a beautiful person

I finished this today 😭

Had all the tangents being about characters (just like the bishop one) rather than politics, slangs, Paris sewers, background of a life in a convent, it would make a little less dificult reading. I gotta confess that I fell in love with the characters, the book made me care about them. The tangents, not so much. And at the final portion of the book, all the pages about the Revolution... I couldn't care less! I was "where the hell are Jean ValJean, Marius and Cosette?"

Why don't you write an abridged version since you handled the whole book with such distaste ? No, I am not being rude. It would help a lot of students to know how to abridge and not just a synopsis of a book. Personally, I have yet to see an abridged if Le s Miserable and wonder how one would handle the digressions, maybe leave them out ? An interesting exercise, to say the least. I ,like many others, knew that Hugo had that tendency of digression in all his books ( the one which is often quoted is the sewers of Paris ), but there are many, many more. Actually, Tolstoy did digress quite a bit. So, was it word count and money ? Who knows. Dickens, Wilkie Collins etc dependent on length for money. Anyway, please do let us know if you would/could undertake such a humongous task ? Kind regards from Cheshire. PS: Excuse UT typos, thanks.

well Gabriella FitzGerald. you are a better reader then i. you said now you can read anything? how about the bible? make i a challenge. as for me i couldnt get past Job...

Why do you look like the actress, Anne Hathaway?

Maybe victor hugo wouldve been a good screenwriter

365 chapters one a day would take you literally a year 100 pages a day would lead to burn out I found the best way is 10 chapters a day will take you a little over a month

I feel like Mr Thenardier was quite different as well. In the musical he is the comic relief while in the book his "funny" moments leave you with a sour taste in your mouth.

Audible exists.

I don't want to hear the word "like" for the rest of the year...

the musical is ridiculous. It is to the book what a cute kitten is to a wild lion.

Did anyone notice how Hugo changed the age of Mme. Thenardier? When the Thenardiers are first introduced, she's described as "some fifteen years younger than her husband". When Jean Valjean comes to collect Cosette, we're told that he's "just over fifty" and she's "nearly forty".

100 pages an hour? You read 1 page in 36 seconds?

Book Eponine: the worst Musical Eponine: my fav

She hasn't read Dostoevsky 😂

I literally can't believe you said literally that many times. I began watching you vid but then I couldn't get through it so I figured I'd watch it later, but later became another time. Now you know what you sound like.

I am well into the book and I think it is the most over rated shxt I´ve ever come across in my life, it´s not realistic at all, characters have dilemmas that do not look like real life at all, but rather the imaginary world of good and evil of a bourgeoise that is pleased to think they know and understand the lives of the lower classes, it´s stupid morals of good and evil is an absurd pamphlet of good behaviour where guilt is more powerful than kindness, and obedience more important than justice, you come out of that book more stupid than you entered, Im sure Hugo was a prick, and also to torture you over a thousand pages with the stupid cruelty of those destinis, what, am I supossed to think Im wise because I was a witness of all of that?