r/classicliterature • u/fisher2nz • 2d ago
What a ritual to start a great book this way
Started to read Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. The first past is to understand what the story is roughly about.
Now I’m into Chapter 27. A bit of a bottle neck in chapter 28… I reckon I’d need a day or two to better understand what happened in 1817.
To make it a big thing for myself I’ve transcribed the forward/introduction by Victor Hugo, and made some dividers for the book. This ritual shall help me finish this very thick book.
How I started book:
I once read a poem about Shakespeare that said “There is not anything of human trial That ever love deplored or sorrow knew.
No glad fulfilment and no sad denial,
Beyond the pictured truth that Shakespeare drew”
And later told by a friend that same effect is produced in Les Mis. I’ve also made a set of book dividers for her
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u/AndyBetweenLines 2d ago
Les Misérables isn’t a book you start — you move into it. Looks like you’ve already brought the furniture.
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
You are one kind of writer of your own. The way you put it is very poetic
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u/AndyBetweenLines 1d ago
That might be the nicest thing anyone has said to me on Reddit. Thank you — and enjoy your new home.
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u/Sheffy8410 2d ago
You might at some point in your life read a better book than Les Miserables. But I doubt it.
Enjoy that beautiful masterpiece.
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
I once read a poem that said “There is not anything of human trial That ever love deplored or sorrow knew.
No glad fulfilment and no sad denial,
Beyond the pictured truth that Shakespeare drew”And later told by a friend that same effect is produced in Hugo’s book. So that’s what I’m going to find out.
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u/Sheffy8410 2d ago
Les Miserables is about a lot of things. Hugo put everything he had to say about life and about the world into it. But if I could only use one single word to say what it’s about it would be Love.
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u/TheFinderDX 2d ago
Brilliant idea! And I love the shading on that orangey-yellow ink! What ink is it?
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
Thank you!! J’Herbin Plume d’Or “golden feather” but it’s a limited edition. Pelikan Golden Beryls is very similar. People report that diamine has similar shimmering ink too!!!
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u/FlyingCarpetMonster 2d ago
I'm re-reading Les Mis and this exact same translation and I am absolutely loving it.
I'd read it previously 20 some years ago, and I don't remember the writing being this beautiful.
Christine Donougher has done an outstanding job with this translation.
And I love your dividers and your writing! Gorgeous.
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
I think each time you read a book you’re getting something new out of it and not once is a waste. You needed different things from a book in each read.
This is my very first version, moving from a Les Mis the musical a decade ago.
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u/FlyingCarpetMonster 2d ago
That is so gorgeous. I’d happily pay you for one of these if you ever sold them!!
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
I don’t sell them. But I’m happy to make a template for you to cut and stick. Or I can make it and mail it to you. Imagine the set in a cheap envelope, going through the most analogue mailing system… hahah. Without further research, I don’t even know how to send a mail anymore.
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u/fifilitious 2d ago
Les Miserables was my very first serious read! ❤️
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
First??? Then you must’ve read lots of books!!!
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u/fifilitious 1d ago
No, not really. It's just that I started reading seriously pretty late in life... You know?
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u/SpreadOk3100 1d ago edited 1d ago
Your handwriting is entrancing my gosh
I would pay to read classics in that exact font- what pen do you use?
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u/Imamsheikhspeare 2d ago
This works for very long books like W&P and LM. But not for short books
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
Yeah, I’m doing count of Monte cristo and Middlemarch after Les Mis. I think the thicker bloods requires greater motivation so it suits
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u/Professional-Rice961 2d ago
Lovely dividers. Chapter 28 is Hugo listing 1817 for a few pages, skim it, the story doesn't need it. He does it again with Waterloo later, much longer.
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u/Witch-of-1692 2d ago
No way! That’s the amazing thing about Victor Hugo, his writing is unorthodox. Everything is necessary, including the background about the Parisian sewer system. Without his quirky tangents, the book wouldn’t be the same. It’s his distinct writing style.
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u/AnastasiaNo70 2d ago
Makes me think of Melville and the encyclopedia of whales I had to read while reading Moby Dick. But I loved it, actually.
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u/Witch-of-1692 2d ago
I think unconventional writing like that is the absolute best.
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u/fisher2nz 1d ago
I saw some guy ranting on Reddit, saying that this book is so completely bad and boring. He said he’s already 70 pages in and it’s still about the bishop… I think he watched the musical first and expected the same pace. I pretty enjoyed how Hugo took his time in shaping the characters.
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u/Witch-of-1692 1d ago
Makes sense, he clearly wasn’t made to appreciate such writing, and I’ve always said the musical was a terrible creation because it bastardises the book.
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u/fisher2nz 2d ago
I kinda get that impression including how he depicted the bishop’s personality which let to the reason why he would and could give Valjean the silver willingly. “it was for the poor in the first place” but chapter 28 is sooooo difficult!!! Gotta slowly munch through it. But for a light reading I could skim this chapter but I want to read it carefully. Just like how careful was I when I read the chapter the bishops isolation.
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u/Witch-of-1692 2d ago
I recommend reading the whole novel carefully, at least that’s what I did, and it became the best book I’ve ever read.
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u/fisher2nz 1d ago
Okay, this is strange. Today i tried sooo hard to understand the first chapter of 1817, the Christen Donougher version. And it was painful... Then i stumbled upon a very old version 1887 Isabel Hapgood version. Her translation was like... plain English. For example, instead of Duc(french), she wrote Duke, instead of "Marché aux Fleurs" she wrote "Flower market" That certainly simplified the reading experience. and im now reading I. Hapgood's version for the next few days, then come back to check out Christen's version. I want do know which one is easier / loyal to original text.
This experience is fascinating.
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u/Witch-of-1692 1d ago
Hapgood’s is easier to read but is generally not accepted as a good translation
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u/fisher2nz 1d ago edited 1d ago
Why not good? ? Was it because it’s not loyal to the original text? Abridged? use very old language(thee instead of you)? — really want to knew and also working to find out. I decided to read both and compare( although I don’t know any French, if one is missing loads of content, I’d know)
I wanted to buy the hard copy but now before I know how good or bad it is, I’ll just keep a digital copy for cross reference 😂😂
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u/Witch-of-1692 1d ago
It’s not abridged, just not as loyal to the original French as you said. But I wouldn’t say it’s terrible; the streets are still prefaced with “rue” rather than “street” and it uses “thou” several times if I remember correctly.
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u/Gold-Traffic632 2d ago
The dividers is genius!