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A review by carlq
Les Misérables Volume Two by Victor Hugo
5.0
A fantastic finalisation to the story. An in depth tale that explores characters as they undergo huge emotional, social and romantic conflicts. Suffering remorse for past sins, battling against social and monarchical disagreements and looking to repay old debts. The characters each have their own intricate and exciting stories that are deeply intertwined with one another. You'll find yourself in love, scared, remorseful, full of regret and full of hope throughout the book.
The characters all have a depth and motivation that you understand and appreciate but may not always agree with there is not a single character whose story you do not enjoy reading, even the "villains" of the tale have detailed motivations and well characterised stories. In addition, the Parisian setting itself acts as an additional character enhancing the atmosphere and allowing you to paint a detailed picture in your minds eye as the events unfold. Hugo does continue to explore certain aspects of the setting with a much deeper history that seems necessary yet does add to the overall picture created as you read, these chapters do stand out and occasionally pull you out of the main story but they are important for a first read but perhaps something to skim over with future rereads.
Overall: An exciting and engaging read that leaves you wanting to return to the beginning the moment you have finished. A true classic tale that you will be glad to have completed.
The characters all have a depth and motivation that you understand and appreciate but may not always agree with there is not a single character whose story you do not enjoy reading, even the "villains" of the tale have detailed motivations and well characterised stories. In addition, the Parisian setting itself acts as an additional character enhancing the atmosphere and allowing you to paint a detailed picture in your minds eye as the events unfold. Hugo does continue to explore certain aspects of the setting with a much deeper history that seems necessary yet does add to the overall picture created as you read, these chapters do stand out and occasionally pull you out of the main story but they are important for a first read but perhaps something to skim over with future rereads.
Overall: An exciting and engaging read that leaves you wanting to return to the beginning the moment you have finished. A true classic tale that you will be glad to have completed.