This has been on my bucket list for a while. Seen the silent
film so I had to read the book. I would say it falls in the middle of my scale
of Victor Hugo. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is one of my all-time
favorite books; the story of "Les Miz" has no appeal to me what so
ever no matter how hard I try (sorry fangirls). The story of "The Man Who
Laughs" had great appeal to me as a fan of Hunchback, but it fell flat at
times.
One, there isn't much action or events that transpire during
the book. We have lengthily introductions to our main characters before a long
break, when we are introduced to them again now 15 years later. Other
characters are described (at length!) a big secret is
revealed, a day passes and then we are reunited with our characters once again.
Had Hugo not filled the bulk of his text with excess descriptive passages commenting
on almost everything but the plot at some times, this would
have been a very short book.
Two, Hugo is not for everyone. I work at a library and when “Les
Miz” came into town I had kids left and right wanting to get their hands on the
original book. While I applauded their effort to tackle such literature, I did
for warn them as a reader that it was a long and difficult book. Their response
"That's okay I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and that was
over 800 pages!" And I tried not to burst out laughing in their face. By
comparison, let say Hugo wrote the story of Harry Potter instead. When young
Harry walks into the great hall of Hogwarts for the first time and he remarks
on the architecture of the roof. You would then be treated to 20 pages of
history and genealogy about anyone who every passed under that roof before
Harry all the way back to the founders, probably then followed by another
chapter then a lengthy list of events and people not essential to the current
plot. 50 pages later, you would find yourself back to poor Harry…maybe.
Okay maybe this sounds cool in the wizarding world, but in
merry olde England? Not so much. Hugo just can’t tell you “The nobility of
England are rich, like sick rich. They have more money than God.” Nope he has
to spend the first preliminary chapter detailing the lineage of lords and how impressive
their houses and estates look. Do we meet these lords in the book? Of course
not! Description is much appreciated in literature, but Hugo is over kill.
Which makes this a frustrating read. Hugo sets up such suspense
and fantastic prose it makes me weep at times. Then he rambles on about the
rocks in the sea and I want to take this book and throw it into the sea!
He writes heartbreaking passages about a little boy
abandoned in the snow storm, then goes and writes about the cruel people who
deserted him on the shore and their ship and whoa that was a big rock
we almost hit, and uh oh here comes another big rock and hey did you know what
happens on a snow storm at sea…..
When it’s good, it’s really good. There were passages in
this book that broke my heart. But you have to work hard as a reader to get
there.
(Also just don’t read the last chapter. Stop at section 103,
close the book and say out loud “And they all lived Happily Ever after!”
Seriously Hugo that was a cop out!)
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