Les Misérables cover art

Les Misérables

Penguin Classics

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Les Misérables

By: Christine Donougher, Victor Hugo, Robert Tombs
Narrated by: Adeel Akhtar, Natalie Simpson, Adrian Scarborough, Emma Fielding, John Owen-Jones
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by an ensemble cast which includes the BAFTA award-winning actor Adeel Akhtar (Killing Eve, The Night Manager, Les Miserables), Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey, The King's Speech), Natalie Simpson (Outlander, Les Miserables), Emma Fielding (Unforgotten, Les Miserables) and John Owen-Jones, who was the youngest actor ever to play the part of Jean Valjean in the stage show of Les Miserables, and who has appeared as Jean Valjean on Broadway and in the West End. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Robert Tombs.

Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty.

Public Domain (P)2020 Penguin Audio Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction

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All stars
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An epic story that’s suited really well to the audiobook format. The first narrator could have been a little better, but he’s not so bad. Don’t be put off if you don’t like his style - the rest of the narrators are great.

Fantastic

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I’m a fan of the musical so thought about listening but was daunted by its length

Surely a good story is proven by the fact you don’t notice its length. The book brings so much more than the musical could from a view of French history to a view of civilisation and the challenges of making social progress.

Undoubtedly the story is Hugo’s way to put his opinion across. But what an amazing story that is thought provoking, compelling and fascinating

The musical tells a story, the actual book is so much more

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Fantastic novel written with beauty, insight, perception and intuition. For me this novel is implanted in my memory just like Charles Dicken's novels and Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. There is so much depth to the writing and story, that for me is more meaningful. I love history, I love a good story that takes me back in time where I learn something. Yes it is a long book, but I didn't feel like I was reading something that I wanted to finish, for me it wasn't just listening to a book it was an experience, and one that I will remember for a long time. I loved the characters of Jean Valjean and his journey of redemption, I also loved Marius, Eponine and little Gavroche. All the narrators were good, the last three were very good, and Adrian Scarborough was excellent. Without hesitation I would definitely buy this version of the book again, I will remember the writing for a long time and I highly recommend! Thank you Victor Hugo for opening up a piece of French history to me, and for telling such a beautiful story. 📚 📖 🌷

A Timeless Classic, A Masterpiece.

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Had always want to read this. But the shear size of the book is seriously off putting. (1600 pages) So Audible really helped. A story that could have been told in 400 pages goes off on multiple tangents. Religion, politics, class, war and even the lay out of the Parisian sewer system.! But is a great listen, painting a picture of revolutionary France 🇫🇷 Well worth it.

Great.!

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Story superb. Ruined (forme) by a sudden and abrupt change of narrator a few hours into the story. Why? It completely broke my immersion in the story.

Great timeless story

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Whilst long it was worth it - Hugo's story told with excellence. Well worth every minute.

Wonderful audiobook

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Put aside what you think you know from the musical or that dreadful film, and don’t be intimidated by the length. It will be one of the greatest reads of your life

Riveting to the last page

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I have never so much wanted a book to go on .
This is worth every minute . As we meet and finally understand each character or as the last chapters on Hugo himself describes alter egos?
I am not a emotional person normally but at times both filled me with joy, then disturbed and at times even look down to avoid a tear at the closing of the chapters but smiles abound as you ride this rollercoaster of time and Monsieur Jean Valjeans journey.
Highly recommend
Long but what a joy !!!

An amazingly short book!!

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This is a true classic and on such a grand scale. All the wonderful and varied characters blended with real life events being this story to life in a way that evokes a myriad of emotions. I can't praise this book enough.

Spellbinding

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The story is a renowned classic and has lain unread on my shelf for years. I thought having an audio book version would help get me through and the sample for this one was good. Unfortunately, it was the 3rd narrator (Scarborough). They seem to have put the most famous yet least of the voices up front (Akhtar and Simpson) which for a book this size can be difficult to slog through. But the remaining 3 are good. Scarborough was the best. Owen-Jones clearly understands the material the most (from being in the stage show) and has the most emotional connection to the work from the way he emphasizes particular words and throws himself in. Fielding is good as well.
The book has great parts and the first volume definitely is a masterpiece but I can't help get annoyed at Hugo's lengthy unrelated tangents (The second volume is the most painful in this regard containing both the Waterloo and the convent rambles.) I also found I had to let go of any judgement towards contrivances in the plot (I.e. Disparate characters miraculously coming into contact again). It gets pretty ridiculous, in particular the end of volume 3.
I can't rate it perfect but it is darn good and well worth your time. The rating suffers from the first 2 narrators.
It's better than Anna and the french kiss.

The first 2 narrators are middling.

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