Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Les Misérables - Die Elenden by Victor Hugo

9 reviews

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

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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

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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

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.

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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.

mmehdi_auteur's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Classism

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Police brutality, and Alcohol

sperdutaneilibri's review against another edition

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

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Police brutality, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

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. 

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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

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

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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

thesaltiestlibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, and Alcohol

Minor: Trafficking

laurenw's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Blood and Alcohol

Minor: Trafficking