Les Misérables

This is one musical/book/movie that one can watch and yet watch again - and it is not surprising that it has turned out to be the longest-running West End musical, and still running, despite changed venues. When it was touring Singapore (more than once), I remembered going for the show at least twice a week! And the magic still touches me. And whilst I was writing the previous entry by Victor Hugo, Les Misérables came to mind, yet again. Not only is the story captivating, the musical score is equally arresting.



Les Misérables (translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims) (1862) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo, and among the best-known novels of the 19th century. It follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty year period in the early 19th century that includes the Napoleonic wars and subsequent decades. Principally focusing on the struggles of the protagonist—ex-convict Jean Valjean—who seeks to redeem himself, the novel also examines the impact of Valjean's actions for the sake of social commentary. It examines the nature of good, evil, and the law, in a sweeping story that expounds upon the history of France, architecture of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, law, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Hugo was inspired by the real-life criminal/policeman François Eugène Vidocq, and split his personalities into the two main characters in his novel. Les Misérables is known to many through its numerous stage and screen adaptations, of which the most famous is the stage musical of the same name, commonly known as "Les Mis" or, more commonly "Les Miz".



The climax of the novel is the crux of the entire plot of Les Misérables. A man regardless of his background can redeem himself and change the course of the remaining years of his life if he adopts the noble virtues of forgiveness and love and makes them his own. Les Misérables is as much Victor Hugo's personal statement on the changing events of France at the time when he saw it as his spiritual outlook on the affairs of man. I would like to interpret Valjean's unrelenting forgiveness of Javert's hatred and hostility towards him as walking the path of the Lord. Faced with the choice of vengeance or forgiveness, Valjean prefers the latter as the only avenue to salvation. It is a tale that holds invaluable lessons of good triumphing over evil in a timeless mode. As these virtues were applicable at the time when Victor lived, they still hold true today.

The effect of an act of kindness or forgiveness can have far-reaching impact and who knows, even change the course of history. When Jean Valjean learned about kindness and forgiveness, it was still not too late in his life to enable him to redeem himself from being a condemned criminal to become one who found peace within himself and with his enemies. This is surely a lesson that we can all learn and follow.

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves--say rather, loved in spite of ourselves"
... Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, Victor Hugo