soph (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophia_sol) wrote2013-02-07 08:23 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2013-02-07 08:23 pm
Les Miserables: this is not the Vol IV and V review you are looking for
okay, you know what, proper reviews of vol. iv and v of Les Mis are probably not coming, because that's too intimidating a prospect. Instead you will just get thoughts of mine about the book as a whole AS I HAVE THEM. Or, like, AS I REMEMBER TO SHARE THEM, more accurately. :P Here's a few of them!
First of all, let's talk about Marius! Specifically, Marius' pushing away of Valjean after he learns of his past. I always kind of hated him for it in the musical: "oh no, Marius found out that Valjean stole a loaf of bread like THIRTY YEARS AGO, now he's going to agree that for the sake of poor innocent Cosette, Valjean should go away!" UGH. But in the book I -- shockingly -- actually kind of get where he's coming from? Like, Marius is anything but a perfect character and I spent most of the book going OH MARIUS NO at all of his life choices, but... he genuinely believes, for relatively good reasons, that Valjean a) stole more than half a million francs from someone and b) very recently murdered a someone in cold blood. And I get wanting to estrange yourself from that kind of person, even if you have evidence he was a very good father!
Second of all, let's talk about the Valjean-Cosette relationship! I spent a lot of the time where Valjean writhes in jealousy over Marius going NO, NO MY DEAR, LOVE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT! JUST BECAUSE SHE LOVES SOMEONE ELSE TOO NOW DOESN'T MEAN SHE DOESN'T STILL LOVE YOU JUST AS MUCH! IT'LL BE OKAY! LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG! Valjean is just really terrible at human interaction, and it keeps coming up in the book, and the book never makes a big deal out of it or says something like "Valjean is socially awkward forever" but he SO IS. OH MY GOD VALJEAN.
Relatedly, I think it's hilarious that TWO people die explicitly from lack of Cosette, and a third does his level best to. I mean, I know it's all about ~love~ and stuff, but the fact that all the dying-for-lack-of-love is centered on Cosette is just...really unfortunate. POOR COSETTE.
And related to THAT, hahaha OH MARIUS -- Marius is late to the deathbed of two different father figures, both of whom he only comes to appreciate when it is too late! Come on, Marius, if you'd only had a bit of dedication you could have managed this with M. Gillenormand too!
First of all, let's talk about Marius! Specifically, Marius' pushing away of Valjean after he learns of his past. I always kind of hated him for it in the musical: "oh no, Marius found out that Valjean stole a loaf of bread like THIRTY YEARS AGO, now he's going to agree that for the sake of poor innocent Cosette, Valjean should go away!" UGH. But in the book I -- shockingly -- actually kind of get where he's coming from? Like, Marius is anything but a perfect character and I spent most of the book going OH MARIUS NO at all of his life choices, but... he genuinely believes, for relatively good reasons, that Valjean a) stole more than half a million francs from someone and b) very recently murdered a someone in cold blood. And I get wanting to estrange yourself from that kind of person, even if you have evidence he was a very good father!
Second of all, let's talk about the Valjean-Cosette relationship! I spent a lot of the time where Valjean writhes in jealousy over Marius going NO, NO MY DEAR, LOVE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT! JUST BECAUSE SHE LOVES SOMEONE ELSE TOO NOW DOESN'T MEAN SHE DOESN'T STILL LOVE YOU JUST AS MUCH! IT'LL BE OKAY! LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG! Valjean is just really terrible at human interaction, and it keeps coming up in the book, and the book never makes a big deal out of it or says something like "Valjean is socially awkward forever" but he SO IS. OH MY GOD VALJEAN.
Relatedly, I think it's hilarious that TWO people die explicitly from lack of Cosette, and a third does his level best to. I mean, I know it's all about ~love~ and stuff, but the fact that all the dying-for-lack-of-love is centered on Cosette is just...really unfortunate. POOR COSETTE.
And related to THAT, hahaha OH MARIUS -- Marius is late to the deathbed of two different father figures, both of whom he only comes to appreciate when it is too late! Come on, Marius, if you'd only had a bit of dedication you could have managed this with M. Gillenormand too!