Throwback Thursday (December 6) – Les Miserables

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books.

It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.

THIS PART HAS CHANGED! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR GREATNESS!

And NOW! We’re expanding! Throwback Thursday is no longer limited to just books! Throwback Thursday is dedicated to shining the spotlight on any book-related old favorites that need to be remembered.What’s your favorite classic television show or movie adaptation? What about your favorite song? Was your favorite toy a character from a book?

Feel free to grab the Throwback Thursday button code from the sidebar to use in your posts.

Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing which books you choose to remember!

My Throwback this week is…

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

I love this story. It’s beautiful and epic and inspiring and so, so sad. It is the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict recently released after serving 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Upon realizing he will never be able to build a new life for himself when he’s forced to show all potential employers his yellow ticket marking him as a felon, he breaks his parole. Flash forward a few years, he’s built a new life for himself. Unfortunately, others aren’t so lucky, and after Fantine is dismissed from one of his factories, she becomes desperate to provide for her child, Cosette, turning eventually to prostitution. When she is on her deathbed, Valjean promises to care for Cosette, as he feels responsible for what happened to her. He raises Cosette as his own, and when she grows up, she falls in love with passionate young student Marius on the eve of the Paris Uprising. As Marius attempts to choose between love and duty, Valjean realizes that Javert — the Inspector who has been hunting him since he broke his parole — has found him, and he is faced with a decision: Should he take Cosette and run, or should he stand his ground and finally face the ghosts of his past?

I KNOW. THIS STORY IS AMAZING. And yes, it is 150-year-old French literature, so it’s a bit hefty and doesn’t exactly fly by. But it’s worth muddling through.

AND NOW! Since we are changing Throwback Thursday to include other media inspired by books, I’ll also call attention to the musical, because it is fabulous and my favorite stage show of all time. I’ve seen it live five times and yes, I am BESIDE MYSELF with anticipation for the movie. (There was another movie, but I can’t recommend that one because although it follows the book pretty well, it ends WAY too early). But I haven’t seen the 2012 movie yet, so I can’t yet give it my shining stamp of approval, but I HAVE seen the stage show (five times, remember?) and can tell you that it is worth seeing. You will cry and be astounded.

(P.S. You don’t have to highlight the book and the movie/show/musical/play/whatever in the same post. I’m just doing it because I feel like it.)

Here, have a song.

Oh, also, Colm Wilkinson who plays Valjean in that video — and originated the role in London and New York — plays the bishop in the 2012 movie. How awesome is that?

This is a blog hop! Link up your Throwback Thursday post below!