Les Miserable - Alex Lee

For my independent reading project, I read Les Miserable by Victor Hugo. Les Miserable is a classic historical fiction novel. There are many themes in this book, such as forgiveness, sorrowful, courage, poverty, etc. I got interested in reading this because I know that the movie was really famous in 2012. Also, I read a children's book about Jean Valjean when I was young. Reading the original novel was a interesting approach of the same story. The story begins with Jean Valjean 20 years of slavery for stealing a bread for his nephew who was dying. During his parole, he stays in a church with a bishop. THe bishop fed him and provide him shelter to sleep when other did not. Jan Valjean stole the silver candlesticks in the church and he was caught. However the bishop forgive him by saying that he gave the silver candlesticks. This event enlightened him to live a new clean life through the name of god. The story continues with how he lives his changed life and who he meets. There are other important characters that he meets like inspector Javert Fantine, and Cosette. I loved how this book portrays a lot of themes that touches my heart and just drags me into the stories. There was one character that I did not like; not Javert, the Thenardiers in the Montfermeik who took care of young Cosette. I just don't like those kind of people. They are like leeches that they just don't want to leave. If I would comment about the writer's style, I was pretty comfortable about the expressing and how the story flow out. THe story of the book was too catchy that I was not bothered with expressions that are not familiar to me; English expressions. The time set was after the French Revolution and since it is a historical fiction, some parts of the stories were actually true. For example, the actual French Revolution, how people rebelled against the king, and the death of General Lamarque. I think I am sure that I would recommand this book to my friends or other people, not just because it is interesting, it is a different way of approaching to a historical event. I would also recommand people to see the movie too.