Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

14 reviews

atamano's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy

maya_moksha's review against another edition

challenging tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This is an interesting but challenging read. I love how Hugo describes unusual feelings/sensations, that many of us have experienced, but have rarely seen illustrated. I also love how characters swell to the forefront than melt away only to re-emerge in a way that alters ones perception of the entire experience/motives/character. However the character development of women could have been much stronger. This critique stems from Hugo’s apparent biases of the superiority of men. 
This book has several difficult stories, with extreme graphic/sensory immersion. See content warnings below. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

brookeimcfeely's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

iammmartina_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence

amy14's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I know this is an international and intergenerational classic, but I can't give 5 stars to Les Misérables. Not after those nineteen Waterloo chapters. I understand the position Hugo was put in politically (that was the useful aspect of the introduction, though I was not terribly impressed with its literary analysis), but holy hell were those chapters a slog. The worst slog of the book, I dare say. Talk to me about convents and sewers any day over Waterloo.

Other than that mind-numbling digression (and a couple others like it), I deeply enjoyed this book. The five narrators of this particular version are all very talented. The story itself is much funnier than any adaptations convey it. Les Amis de l'ABC are iconic, I have the tenderest sympathies for their plight. (Combeferre's 'to be free' mic-drop is incredible.) Marius and Cosette are endearing idiots. Jean Valjean and Javert have a surprising amount of tension. What kind of tension, I could probably write a whole book of essays on. It's well-worth the read. Oh, I also feel like I absorbed a lot about 19th century French politics. Which is information I didn't necessarily need, but it helped my reread of Ellie Valsin's Virago. Over all, I would say that it's worth the insane amount of time required to read it. And this Penguin audiobook version is especially good to listen to while you work.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Classism

Moderate: Fatphobia, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Sexual violence, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Some of these content warnings are more of a side-effect of the time period the book was written rather than a deliberate choice to engage with these topics by the author, if that makes sense. Particularly for the more minor ones.

neviris's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

the shadow side of society in the days of the French Revolution in all of it's varieties. amazing book and writing style. historical chapters were rather boring. however, this book lead me to one of the rare occasions where I questioned my own lifestyle and habits and led me to be grateful for the way I am able to live my life. it changed me for the better. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Suicide, Excrement, Stalking, and Alcohol

linnylionheart's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Antisemitism, and Kidnapping

bubblegum_or_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Blood and Grief

Minor: Violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

nicholas_ryan's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a very well written book, but it is dated. It relies on heavy gender stereotypes. The descriptions are incredible, but he goes on diatribes about various topics only loosely related to the plot. This is beneficial to some point that he gives sufficient context for a book that engages with history and politics, but too much time is spent on it. The plot is emotionally moving. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Violence, Grief, and War

Minor: Death of parent