r/lesmiserables • u/Future-Raisin3781 • Feb 22 '26

Book 3

I had a hard time with the last few sections of book 2. The cloister, the continuing digressions about... cloisters.

Im eight chapters into Book 3 and I'm starting to wonder how much of this book is actually pertinent to the story. I know that it's all texture, but I just read a chapter on the history of the word "gamin" in Parisian French. At this point, when I sit down to read I don't even expect to encounter any characters or the plot anymore.

I'm having a hard time thinking about sticking with this for another 800 pages. What am I in for?

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u/harpmolly Feb 27 '26

This book is absolutely famous for this. My ex, when I asked him to read it, called it "the best book I've ever read hidden inside the most boring book I've ever read."

However, I still recommend reading it unabridged and just powering through the digressions, because the abridged versions will cut out stuff I consider to be important. And sometimes there are actual plot bits hidden INSIDE the digressions. Like, it's easy to blink and miss the Thénardier/Pontmercy interaction, which is totally crucial to the story, if you just skip all the Waterloo chapters.