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readingwithkirstyn's review against another edition
4.0
**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this Manga on netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
I have tried to read manga all my life but have issues getting interested/involved with the story typically, which is why when I saw a manga based on a source material I loved I was immediately interested. This particular manga is a retelling of Les Miserables written by Victor Hugo in 1862.I love Les Miserables and have read it and seen the musical and movie adaptation several times.
Throughout this book I was blown away by the beautiful and detailed artwork and how, for the most part, the plot was told wonderfully. The only criticism I have is it feels that we may have too much world building/backstory for one part of the story and not enough for others. I also wasn't a huge fan of the blurbs told during time changes that quickly summarized what I felt to be very essential pieces of the story - but I do understand and appreciate that this was done in a way as to keep the manga at a good and reasonable length. That being said, if those parts of the story had been given a true chance I would have given this a 5 star.
While I love the original story and keep it near and dear to my heart - I have a newfound love for this version and its beautiful artwork. Had my minor grievances been handled differently in the plot point (though like I said, I get why it's like this) I would have loved it even more.
I have tried to read manga all my life but have issues getting interested/involved with the story typically, which is why when I saw a manga based on a source material I loved I was immediately interested. This particular manga is a retelling of Les Miserables written by Victor Hugo in 1862.I love Les Miserables and have read it and seen the musical and movie adaptation several times.
Throughout this book I was blown away by the beautiful and detailed artwork and how, for the most part, the plot was told wonderfully. The only criticism I have is it feels that we may have too much world building/backstory for one part of the story and not enough for others. I also wasn't a huge fan of the blurbs told during time changes that quickly summarized what I felt to be very essential pieces of the story - but I do understand and appreciate that this was done in a way as to keep the manga at a good and reasonable length. That being said, if those parts of the story had been given a true chance I would have given this a 5 star.
While I love the original story and keep it near and dear to my heart - I have a newfound love for this version and its beautiful artwork. Had my minor grievances been handled differently in the plot point (though like I said, I get why it's like this) I would have loved it even more.
spenkevich's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve been having a bit of a Les Mis moment lately, which are some lovely tunes to have stuck in one’s head and a big epic story to really chew on. I stumbled across this Manga Classics: Les Miserables and it was quite the lovely way to revisit the novel. Decently long enough to do the rather epic tale justice and with some rather eye catching artwork, at the end of the day it’s a worthwhile adaptation.
This manga adaptation by Crystal S. Chan and illustrated by SunNeko Lee does well with the narrative and remains rather faithful to Hugo’s novel. At least far more than any of the films and cover many of the smaller details usually left out or condensed in other adaptations. It does focus the story pretty tightly on Marius and Cosette but that’s to be expected I guess. I quite enjoyed reading this and felt it captured the vibes of the original and it’s fine, nothing special and occasionally feels a bit bland but also nothing worth truly criticizing. One would likely be able to discuss the novel with those who had read the full Hugo classic having just read this though, which is pretty cool. And the black and white art is quite nice.
I like how it sort of reminds me of Miyazaki films where it’s a pretty recognizable Japanese art style in a European setting. The character design is well done and Enjorlas is as dreamy as he should be before he and his friends all become empty chairs and empty tables, though Javert does sort of look like Vicious from Cowboy Bebop.
If you are a fan of the story, this is a nice little read. Nothing special, nothing awful, but a decent adaptation of the story into something you can read in the span of an hour or so with some pleasant visuals.
3.5/5
This manga adaptation by Crystal S. Chan and illustrated by SunNeko Lee does well with the narrative and remains rather faithful to Hugo’s novel. At least far more than any of the films and cover many of the smaller details usually left out or condensed in other adaptations. It does focus the story pretty tightly on Marius and Cosette but that’s to be expected I guess. I quite enjoyed reading this and felt it captured the vibes of the original and it’s fine, nothing special and occasionally feels a bit bland but also nothing worth truly criticizing. One would likely be able to discuss the novel with those who had read the full Hugo classic having just read this though, which is pretty cool. And the black and white art is quite nice.
I like how it sort of reminds me of Miyazaki films where it’s a pretty recognizable Japanese art style in a European setting. The character design is well done and Enjorlas is as dreamy as he should be before he and his friends all become empty chairs and empty tables, though Javert does sort of look like Vicious from Cowboy Bebop.
If you are a fan of the story, this is a nice little read. Nothing special, nothing awful, but a decent adaptation of the story into something you can read in the span of an hour or so with some pleasant visuals.
3.5/5
sinnabookz's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I don’t know how this compares to the original but as a story on it’s own it’s good, I love the art style chosen for this manga and it was long enough to have me caring about the characters. Well there’s that 3.25⭐️
mae_lys's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.75
estherfilbrun's review against another edition
4.0
Having been intrigued by Les Misérables for years, I was excited to get my hands on this Manga Classics version—it felt like a natural next step to gaining the courage to tackle the original book. What a story!
This was my first manga read, but it won’t be my last. I did struggle with the artistic style a little (I didn’t feel like it was always that modest), but other than that, this book seems to stay true to the original story. It somehow manages to preserve the complexity of the plot and characters, but do it in a concise, easy-to-understand way. I don’t know how Chan and the team did it, but I’m impressed!
I fell in love with Cossette and Marius all over again, felt my heart bleed a little for Fantine, and admired Jean Valjean’s courage, love, and tenacity all over again. This is a story of realistic people in an uncertain time, and while it shows a glimpse into the depths of depravity humans can stoop to, it also shows a ray of hope—that good can come out of the darkness.
A worthwhile read—one you’ll likely never forget. Highly recommended!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
This was my first manga read, but it won’t be my last. I did struggle with the artistic style a little (I didn’t feel like it was always that modest), but other than that, this book seems to stay true to the original story. It somehow manages to preserve the complexity of the plot and characters, but do it in a concise, easy-to-understand way. I don’t know how Chan and the team did it, but I’m impressed!
I fell in love with Cossette and Marius all over again, felt my heart bleed a little for Fantine, and admired Jean Valjean’s courage, love, and tenacity all over again. This is a story of realistic people in an uncertain time, and while it shows a glimpse into the depths of depravity humans can stoop to, it also shows a ray of hope—that good can come out of the darkness.
A worthwhile read—one you’ll likely never forget. Highly recommended!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
sinamile's review against another edition
5.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
TW: abuse, suicide, death
Oh, that was amazing. It took me a long ass time to finally work up the energy to watch the movie and I ended up absolutely loving it. I never thought I'd actually read the book, but this manga helped. I don't know if I'll ever read the original, but this manga helped. I absolutely loved and enjoyed it. The art was amazing, I enjoyed the story and the pacing and everything just worked. I also learned new information that I wasn't aware of, things that were left out in the movie.
This is a fun and easy read, and very well done.
TW: abuse, suicide, death
Oh, that was amazing. It took me a long ass time to finally work up the energy to watch the movie and I ended up absolutely loving it. I never thought I'd actually read the book, but this manga helped. I don't know if I'll ever read the original, but this manga helped. I absolutely loved and enjoyed it. The art was amazing, I enjoyed the story and the pacing and everything just worked. I also learned new information that I wasn't aware of, things that were left out in the movie.
This is a fun and easy read, and very well done.
sandralam's review against another edition
5.0
**An electronic ARC provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Wow, this was a fantastic adaptation of the classic!
My Thoughts:
1. I'm one of those readers who hasn't read Les Miserables mainly due to its length, so I was pleasantly surprised by much I enjoyed reading this manga edition. I would highly recommend this to those who have a hard time reading classics. It's a quick way to get a general idea about Les Mis without reading Victor Hugo's 1000+ page novel.
2. I was surprised by how well the author was able to condense 1000+ pages into a 300+ page manga. Considering how this is a simplified version of the original, the manga gives you the perfect amount of details you need to know.
3. What made reading this so easy were the illustrations and dialogue. The combination of the two were flawless and flowed perfectly with the story line.
4. I hope they continue to adapt more classics into manga because I absolutely loved reading this!
Wow, this was a fantastic adaptation of the classic!
My Thoughts:
1. I'm one of those readers who hasn't read Les Miserables mainly due to its length, so I was pleasantly surprised by much I enjoyed reading this manga edition. I would highly recommend this to those who have a hard time reading classics. It's a quick way to get a general idea about Les Mis without reading Victor Hugo's 1000+ page novel.
2. I was surprised by how well the author was able to condense 1000+ pages into a 300+ page manga. Considering how this is a simplified version of the original, the manga gives you the perfect amount of details you need to know.
3. What made reading this so easy were the illustrations and dialogue. The combination of the two were flawless and flowed perfectly with the story line.
4. I hope they continue to adapt more classics into manga because I absolutely loved reading this!
sweetblood17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
raven1358's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you NetGalley for access to this manga , I have been meaning to read the novel of this book and watch the adaptation as well but for some reason I never did , so once I saw that it has a manga I immediately jumped at the opportunity to, this was so heartbreaking especially the ending the fact that he spent his last breath making sure he kept Cossette( I am definitely not spelling this correctly sorry) and just being a good person to the end because he never let people’s ideas of him change him and all because he received kindness from the priest and dedicated his life to being a kind person even though life was never kind to him , I definitely will be reading the novel and watching the adaptation now
hdbblog's review against another edition
3.0
In an effort to branch out into reading more manga, I decided to give this a chance. The story of Les Misérables is one that I've loved since the first moment I read it. I've read the original story, seen the musical, and of course seen the movie adaptation. So, why not add the manga to my list of formats in which I have experienced this moving story? I went into this excited, and a bit wary.
I must say, Fantine and Cosette transfer perfectly into manga format. The big eyes, sweet faces, and all around adorable nature of manga female characters is perfect for these two. In terms of Jean Valjean and Marius, I was a little less sold on the way they were drawn. Maybe it's just me, actually it probably is just me, but I like my Jean Valjean a little more on gruff side. Personal preference and all that, but it's the truth.
The story of Les Misérables is a little watered down in this version, which I understood. There simply isn't space for all of the little nuances that this story generally has. I did appreciate that they kept some of the more important lines intact, and manga honestly does convey emotions well. It was a fun ride. I think what I missed, more than anything, was the music. I remember that I read the novel before I saw the musical, but after I experienced the musical I could never go back.
So, this three star rating is simply based on preferences. Fans of manga should definitely pick this up, especially if you haven't experienced the story yet. I also think that readers, like myself, who are looking to branch out will appreciate starting with something they know. I know I'll be on the lookout for more of these! I love the fact that I can experience stories that I love, in a new way.
I must say, Fantine and Cosette transfer perfectly into manga format. The big eyes, sweet faces, and all around adorable nature of manga female characters is perfect for these two. In terms of Jean Valjean and Marius, I was a little less sold on the way they were drawn. Maybe it's just me, actually it probably is just me, but I like my Jean Valjean a little more on gruff side. Personal preference and all that, but it's the truth.
The story of Les Misérables is a little watered down in this version, which I understood. There simply isn't space for all of the little nuances that this story generally has. I did appreciate that they kept some of the more important lines intact, and manga honestly does convey emotions well. It was a fun ride. I think what I missed, more than anything, was the music. I remember that I read the novel before I saw the musical, but after I experienced the musical I could never go back.
So, this three star rating is simply based on preferences. Fans of manga should definitely pick this up, especially if you haven't experienced the story yet. I also think that readers, like myself, who are looking to branch out will appreciate starting with something they know. I know I'll be on the lookout for more of these! I love the fact that I can experience stories that I love, in a new way.