A review by estherfilbrun
Manga Classics: Les Miserables by Crystal S. Chan, Victor Hugo

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.