Les Miserables (Manga Classics) art by TszMei Lee, 337 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Udon Entertainment, 2014. $20. 9781927925164
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Jean Valjean is an ex-convict, struggling to live a good life while still being pursued by his former prison guard. On the run, Valjean takes on many different roles, including father as he adopts an abused orphan. He becomes even more desperate to live well with his new daughter dependent on him, but can Valjean ever do enough to break free from his past?
Les Miserables is a classic, and it seems to me that the majority of people have seen the musical or have heard the plot line from others but few actually read the full story by Victor Hugo -- which is nearly 1500 pages long. This manga version makes the intimidating book more approachable and plants the desire to read through the original. With such a long story being told in the manga style, putting all the details in is impossible, and I found myself with a couple questions by the end, which a friend told me are addressed by the full book. So, no, this version is not perfect, but I mourned and rejoiced with the characters and found beauty in both the story and the illustrations.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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