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| Photo Credit: http://thoughtsofasimplecitizen.blogspot.com/ 2012/12/why-les-miserables-matters.html |
The Original
Les Misérables, the novel, was written by Victor Hugo and published in 1862 in Brussels.
Although the novel was criticized and even banned by the government, it received immediate success and was enormously popular. The novel came with great excitement, and booksellers practically fought for the 48,000 copies of the book that were sold on the first day of its release. Hugo "observed the specific incident that triggers the novel's action on the streets of Paris in 1845." He saw a poor man arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, then watched as the man stared at a rich woman in a carriage who was completely unaware of him and his plight.
"Les Misérables has been translated into nearly every language and, during the past century, has become one of the best-selling books in history."
The Play
Charles Hugo, Victor Hugo's son, was the first to adapt the novel into a play in an attempt to "satisfy the ever-growing public fascination with his father's work." Many others followed after him, causing Les Misérables to become one of the most adapted works in history. Like the novel, the musical version of Les Misérables was widely successful. The play came with great anticipation, and the popularity spread quickly by word of mouth. The musical has been performed and remade countless times, and the popularity and excitement remains.
My Opinion
This Christmas, the movie adaptation of Les Misérables was released in theaters. I had not heard the story before seeing the movie, and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy three hours of nothing but singing. Not too long into the movie, however, my doubts were forgotten. The story was heart-wrenching; it caught my attention and kept it for the entire length of the movie. The singing was beautiful and I was incredibly impressed with the actors and their interpretations of the characters. Les Misérables is a beautiful and complex story about life, love, and sacrifice. It is a story that will continue to be relevant, whether the story continues to be popular for another ten years, or another one hundred. Bradley Stephens says, "When more than 80% of the world's population lives in countries with ever-widening income differentials, when one in three women are physically abused, and where every second child on the planet lives in poverty, Les Misérables still sings a painful but powerful song."
If you haven't seen the movie or heard the story, I highly recommend it. It is one you will not soon forget!
Here is the trailer:
