Books like Les Miserables

Les Miserables was one of those books that sat on my bookshelf for years untouched, not because I didn't want to read it, but because I was intimidated to. I had heard so much rumor about the book — or, more likely, about the musical and movie, since I doubt most of the people saying it have actually read the 1200+ page book. I even knew that author Victor Hugo himself wanted to publicize it and glorify it before its publication, hinting at its reputation as a classic masterpiece. Somehow, though, it was a book I never knew the ending to, despite it being talked about all over the Internet.When I did get a chance to finally read it (but not the edition listed here), I was more confused than anything — not about the story but why it's so deified. The book wanders back and forth, up and down, with a sometimes disconnected and pedantic plot. At times it's incredibly interesting, with a backstory and philosophical impact that leaves you thinking about poverty and abandonment more than you did before. And the way Hugo managed to weave everyone's stories into one life in 19th century France was done very well also; I never felt that the connections between the characters were forced.As a whole, though, the entire text is a slow read. Even the most exciting of action scenes (e.g. the Jondrette scene) left me rereading some portions when Hugo went on for pages describing the apartment in which a character lived, or the curtains in Cosette's room, or anything of the sort. The story wheedles often. Hugo also inserts far too many digressions about poverty, war, fate, history, war, French culture, etc., etc., without any of it being really connected to the plot. I felt the book would have been more effective if Hugo had perhaps published those "essays" separately, as a complement to the book so readers could focus more easily on only the story of Jean Valjean. (Speaking of which, he wasn't even introduced in the book until page 50. The first chunk was devoted to the godliness and righteousness of a bishop who doesn't even stay alive long after that.) It was as if Hugo wanted everyone to know he was smart and a good writer: he name-dropped like crazy and referenced historical events ranging from biblical times to the "future" of what was happening in the main plot of the book.Is it a classic masterpiece, then? I'm divided. On the one hand, the historical epic within it is indeed remarkable, and I found myself hooked at numerous points in the book. The unknown fate of Jean Valjean was the reason I remained eager to keep reading, and I tried to apply Hugo's musings on life and philosophy to the sections they preceded or succeeded, especially as Jean Valjean's life was aboard that French roller coaster.That being said, Jean Valjean's fate was totally underwhelming. The book was built completely up around him, and the last chapters rightly reflect on his whole life, but it seemed rushed and without moral itself — despite the entire rest of the book being about his redemption. Maybe I sort of fell out of love with his character over the lengthy time I knew him, but the end was a letdown. Come to think of it, none of the characters particularly resonated with me in the end. Sure, I'm a little sad I finished the book, because I often experience some withdrawal after reading a powerful book — and powerful Les Miserables was. But the first three sections were so heartwrenching and depressing that I was able to show some sympathy for the characters. When their fortunes changed and new problems came into their lives, problems that affected everyone, young or old, rich or poor, I no longer had a special place for them reserved in my heart. In the end, I found both Cosette and Marius whiny and annoying and Jean Valjean a disappointment. It was as if Hugo wanted to create as happy an ending as possible but couldn't find a way to wrap everything up realistically.I think perhaps I'll have to watch some movie/musical adaptations of the book and reread it in another view years and then perhaps I'll appreciate it more. But I could feel too much of Hugo himself in the novel to really enjoy it; he seemed to shout, through the near-perfect redemption of Jean Valjean, that everyone should read a moral in his story. And that's not to say there aren't many, many morals in the book, but more of my expression of annoyance that Hugo felt the need to explicitly ask us to notice one.