Les Miserables

During my bogging hiatus I managed to finish Les Miserables. I know, you all will miss my endless whining about how terrible it was to read this book, but I'm sure you'll get over it. In the end, I still don't think I would recommend the unabridged version of this book to anyone. There are too many digressions that I think are simply unnecessary, and perhaps bear witness to the pomposity for which Hugo was known. A good abridged version would do quite nicely for most people, something I am shocked to be saying, since I usually avoid abridgments. That having been said, however, I am glad that I acheived my goal to read the entire unabridged book. It's somthing that I have3 wanted to do for a while, fueled by the fact that I was able to go to the musical in San Francisco with my Mom last summer.

I have stated before that I am a huge fan of the musical Les Miserables. I know every single word of the play by heart. I could sing every word of the three hour show, if I wnated to, with help from the CD, of course! To get myself through the book, I indulged in this love. She hasn't started singing along, but I'm pretty sure I've planted the words to the musical in Kaitlin's subconscious and someday she'll wake up with the words to "Master of the House" on her lips--at which time I will know I have done her a disservice, because I wanted her to memorize the Prologue! Anyway, I digress, a bad habit I can now attribute to Victor Hugo! Instead of writing about the book, because, really, how can one write about a 1400 page book, I am going to write about why I love the musical.

I remember in 10th grade we read Les Miserables in my English class. It just so happened that our reading coincided with the musical being performed in San Francisco. My parents decided to take me and my youngest brother to see the play that year, thus begining a 14 year (so far) deep adimration for the music of that show. As I got older my mom and I talked a lot about Les Miserables and how it, especially through Jean Valjean, encompasses the Young Women values, faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works and integrity. Through reading the book, I have found that this still holds to be true--even more so than the musical. But this is not what I want to focus on. As I've listened to the musical the last several months, I've come to love the Prologue. It's the story of Jean Valjean, how he got to be the man we know during the rest of the play. There is a part of the verse that have jumped out at me and given me a lot to think about. They are:

The day begins. . .
And now let's see
What this new world
Will do for me.

After he sings these words Jean Valjean goes out to find work, an honorable pursuit in itself. But he is not successful. He is found to be a convict by everyone who hires him, and as a result he is either fired or paid less than the other workers. He falls back into a life of crime. He steals the silver from the Bishop of Digne (who by the way makes me cry every time I hear his part of the Prologue--it's just that beautiful!). Later he is arrested and the silver is found on him. Instead of turning him in, the bishop, instead, says that he gave Jean Valjean the silver and then he gives him more. This is the turning point in Jean Valjean's life. This is where he learns the fallacy of his thinking that the world should do anything for him. He learns that what's important is what he brings to the world. Just as the Bishop gave him his freedom, Jean Valjean realizes that he can give more to the world than it will ever give him, and thus bless the lives of others. The musical and the book both focus on this to a great extent. It's a good lesson to learn. We all have things that we can give. It doesn't have to be money. Some of us have a tremendous capacity for love. Others have a talent for service, or listening or teaching, or any other of a number of ways we can bless other's lives. When we expect life to hand us everything we become miserable and selfish--not that I think anybody reading this has any of these problems! You are all such giving and thoughtful people. Have you been listening to Les Miserables as much as I have?

PS The recording I listen to is The Complete Symphonic Recording. They compliled all of the best performances from all over the world, and it's amazing. Particulary good is Eponine. She's from the Japanese cast, and didn't speak a word of English. She's really fabulous! And the best part it's 35$ on Amazon, but only $19.99 on iTunes. I highly recommend it.