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This one is about Jon and his reading habits ...

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Recently, Jon and I spent some time watching the PBS broadcast of the 25th Anniversary performance of Les Miserables, the Musical.  And, let me tell you, it was phenomenal (even with Nick Jonas's less than stellar performance ... don't get me started).  It was so inspiring that Jon decided to actually read the book the musical was based on.

The summer before my senior year in high school I received a letter from my forthcoming AP English teacher explaining that each entering senior enrolled in her class was to read the entire unabridged English translation of Les Miserables before school began in August.  Or, perhaps it was that only a specific length of the book was to be finished.  I don't remember exactly.

However, I do remember seeing my friends during summer break and we were constantly asking each other, "Where are you in the book?"  At one point, one of my guy friends told me to skip pages 830-886 (or some random number like that).  He explained that it was a section of the book that had nothing to do with the main story, except that the character at the very end of that section is seen again in the rest of the book.  When I got to that page number, I was obstinately determined to read those pages anyway.  By the time I got to page 835, I decided my friend was right and "skip[ped] to the end."  So, when Jon picked up the book, I quickly passed on this piece of advice.


And, perhaps that was a little bit premature.  I mean, he hasn't even made it past the first few hundred pages about the bishop.  (Who, in case you are wondering, plays a very integral part in the main character's life, but is only seen for a short time in the story.)


Still, I am so thrilled he is reading this literary classic.  And, the unabridged version at that.  He will love it, of that I am sure.  He read The Count of Monte Cristo and loved that ... so I'm sure this is right up his alley.  And, when Jon gets to the part when Jean Valjean faces the dilemma of turning himself in so an innocent man can go free, or simply letting that man pay for Valjean's crimes, I am certain Jon will start singing, "Who am I?  Can I conceal myself forever more?  Pretend I'm not the man I was before?"  Yeah, that will be good ... and it will make me so much better about the time when I was caught singing in my bedroom while reading that chapter.
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Aubrey A said…
Ah..."Les Mis"! Ah...Ms. Heart! I do have to say that I feel everyone should read "Les Miserables" at least once in their lifetime. I actually read all 55 pages of his description of the battle of Waterloo (I even have a diagram tacked in my book to try and help me understand the battle better. . .hehehe) and I remember thinking at the end. . .all this for 2 pages worth of pertinent information?!! This wasn't the only instance where Victor Hugo does this either. He went into great detail about the diocese that Jean Valjean lives in with Cosette (I know there was reasons why, but 30 pages. . .come on!) and the sewers of Paris (again, I know the reason. . .but seriously. . . someone needed to hit the edit button!). But I digress, Victor Hugo describes for descriptions sake, most of the time to excess! (I read "The Hunchback of Notredam" too, in which he spends tons of time describing insignificant things as well.) Now Alexander Dumas on the other hand is a WAY better writer! In fact he is one of my favorite classical writers and "The Count of Monte Cristo" is one of my ALL time favorite books! After reading several of his books ("The Man in the Iron Mask", "The Three Musketeers") I have to say that reading his books, does not a Victor Hugo fan make. :) Dumas writes with description that pushes drama, whereas Victor Hugo writes with description just so he can say it's described. Good luck to Jon on this new adventure! And if you haven't read "Count of Monte Cristo" I seriously suggest that you should! It is phenomenal! (WAY better than the movie they made.)
April 07, 2011
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