Unofficial Obsessions: Les Miserables

Remember how I started reading Les Mis, in like, June? For my book club? Yeah, still working on it. That thing is a beast! But it the most amazing book I've ever read. It's a book to change you. You know the kind. You can't read it and not come out a better person because of it. Not because it's going to totally change the way you look at the world, but because it's a really beautiful portrait of humanity. It shows the good, as well as the bad. The innocence and the corruption. It's really beautiful. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I know, it's huge. But reading it is worth every single page. 

Since I've been reading it, I'm going through an All Things Les Mis Phase. I listen to the music practically 24/7. I am, in fact, listening to it right this exact moment. And when I'm not listening to it, the music is running through my head anyways. Oh my heck. Besides being the Most Beautiful Book Ever, they can also boast it's the Best Musical Ever. One Day More is most definitely my favorite song. All the parts, intertwined - pure musical genius. And the last song, the finale, it makes me cry. I'm not a crier, but I hear that song, and I get actual tears. And Stars is the best song sung by a villain ever. It's so beautiful. I love the music so much.

As great as the musical is (it really is great), it just can't really compare to the book as far as the story is concerned. The musical gets all the main points, but the book gives so much more. It shows how all the different characters are connected, which is so cool. *Spoiler Alert Right Here - If you're planning on reading the book, I don't want to mess it up for you.* For example, Marius (who I adore with all my whole soul because he's just adorable) has a connection to the Thenardiers. What? I know. It's madness. You see, his dad fought in the battle of Waterloo and was wounded. Meanwhile Thenardier was robbing the corpses, because he is the Scum Of The Earth. He wanders across Marius' dad, who's still living. So Marius' dad thinks Thenardier is saving him, when, in fact, he was trying to rob him. Another example. You all remember Gavroche? The precious little street urchin? I love that kid. He is the sweetest thing in the whole world. And he's the Thenardier's son. He ends up on the streets because his parents don't love him. Poor baby! And you recall the two little boys he calls "his kids" and takes care of? Well here's some news for you - those are actually his brothers. The Thenardier's sold them to a woman (one of Marius' grandfather's lovers) for 10 francs a month when her sons die (because if she still wants the child support from the old man, she has to have two sons). This lady gets arrested, so those two little boys are out on the streets. As luck would have it, Gavroche finds them and takes them in. He's the sweetest child that ever lived, and I love him. But you see what I'm saying, right? All these crazy connections between the characters? It's amazing. The book just has so much more than the musical. You all should really read it.

Also, THEY'RE MAKING A MOVIE! And it's coming out December 14th! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. PS - The movie has Hugh Jackman, and Russell Crowe, and Eddie Redmayne - The Love Of My Young Life (who was also in Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which is another piece of classic literature that everyone should read) in it. Can it possibly be bad? No! No it cannot!

Right? Right? Google more images of him. He's a babe.
I would add more, but this is a long blog post as it is.
I love this boy.

I love Les Mis. The musical, the music, the book, the characters, the story - all of it. Every single thing. I even drew Felix a cute little "Les Mis" themed bowl this time around. It's pretty dang awesome.

I am un[OFFICIALLY] obsessed with Les Miserables.

Watch the trailer.

Ahh! I just don't want to stop talking about how much I love it! I could just talk about it's greatness forever. For freaking ever. I could tell you about how much I love Marius (because he's a little bit of a goober, and stinking cute) and Gavroche (honestly, he's my favorite child in the whole world) and Enjolras (mostly because in the musical he sings like an angel and he's a fantastic person). I love Les Mis you guys! I can't make myself stop typing! Sorry! You can stop reading any time. But I'll probably keep typing because I LOVE LES MIS. It's ridiculous. Victor Hugo is my hero. He's so great. However, the sad news is I cannot name a son Victor after him. I just don't think I could name a child the name Victor, even though it's a fabulous name and I actually love it. I've met a few little girls at the daycare named Cosette. Maybe that's workable. I kind of love that name, and it's a lovely tribute to Les Mis.

A List Of Anna's Favorite Characters

Jean Valjean - Obviously. He's great. I love that he's human. He makes mistakes, but he's a good person. He started out good, but prison really hardened him and made him a criminal far more than stealing a loaf of bread did. But he changes! He realizes what's happened to him, and he resolves to become a good person. He makes the right choice, even when he knows it could send him back to prison. I love the writing, because it shows how hard it is sometimes for him to make the right choice - for example, when he goes to the court to testify that he is Jean Valjean, and not he poor sucker they caught. He finally decides to go, and he can't find a coach there, and then he finds one and it breaks down, and then he gets there late and they've already started the trial, but he goes anyways, and then he can't get in, but he tells them he's a mayor and they let him - I mean, there are so many times he could've said, "Well, I tried, I'm going home." But he keeps going! He is a great man.

Marius - He's kind of a goober, actually. But he's such a sweetie. And his back story is truly heart-breaking. His mom married his dad, and his grandpa never liked his son-in-law because he supported Napoleon and fought in the Napoleonic wars. So when his mom dies, he grandpa demands that his grandson live with him or he would cut him out of his inheritance. His dad gives him up, even though he loves him, so he can have a better future. His grandpa raises him to believe his dad is scum because of his background with Napoleon. Marius writes him twice a year (it said his letters might've been copied out of a book) and his dad always wrote back long letters for the son he loves, but his grandpa took the letters and threw them away so Marius never knew his dad loved him. He just thought he was a terrible person. His dad would even come watch Marius walking into church with his grandpa because he wasn't allowed to visit him. A priest would watch his dad, and he just sobbed behind a pillar, watching his little boy. When his dad was dying, he wrote a letter, requesting his son to visit. His grandpa gives permission, but Marius doesn't really want to go. He never loved his dad. By the time he gets there, it's too late. His dad has already died. He leaves him a note saying he loves his son and that he's now a Baron (a title given to him by Napoleon), and if he ever meets Thenardier to do all he can to help him. Marius doesn't really care, but he keeps the note. One day as he's walking to church, he meets the priest who knew his dad and watched him cry, and finds out from him that his dad really did love him. Marius is heart-broken. He idolizes his dad, gets kicked out by his grandfather, and searches for Thenardier to help him, since it was his father's dying wish. He even orders a bunch of cards, with his name, Baron Marius Pontmercy, printed on them. And watching him fall in love with Cosette is adorable. He is just adorable. I love him.

Gavroche - Even though he's just a little urchin, and his parents don't love him and he's lived on his own on the streets since he was very young, he's good. He is a good kid. He does what he has to do to survive, but he's always looking out for others. He shares what little he has with whoever is in need. I think it's amazing to see that coming from such a difficult background, and living such a difficult life, didn't ruin him. It shows the resilience of the human spirit. That you can be good, even when your life is hard. I love him for everything that he represents and all the good he does. Also, he's really funny. He's got such a cute little personality. And it's so sweet that he takes care of his two little brothers, without knowing they're his brothers, probably without even knowing he ever even had two little brothers. Isn't that sweet, and heart-breaking, all at the same time?

Eponine - Poor poor Eponine. She's madly in love with Marius, but he doesn't even see her there. He has eyes only for Cosette. And it's not that I don't like Cosette. It's impossible to begrudge her the love she shares with Marius, because she's really good too. And Marius and Cosette were made for each other. It's weird to think of either of them without the other. It's just so sad seeing Eponine, on the outside looking in, and wanting to be with Marius. It's awful. 

You guys, you have to read Les Mis. You have to read it. It's the most beautiful thing ever written, a million percent serious. It's beautiful. It's such a rich story, and there is so much going on. You really come to know the characters and feel for them. It's not happy story, but it's wonderful all the same. Every single soul in the world should read this book.