“Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo

At this point, it might feel superfluous to talk about Les Mis. It’s a literary classic that’s been adapted time and time again into film. To be honest, I’m tired of seeing trailers of Anne Hathaway belting her heart out in a dingy alleyway (even if she’s an amazing talent and Oscar-winning actress now). The Oscars are finished for this year and we’ll have to wait and see if the next remake takes the biggest prize. Momentarily the characters will be forgotten. But — Victor Hugo must have gotten something right if generation after generation keeps finding themselves drawn to it. It comes as no surprise, then, that the main themes should center on life and death.

Here are a few famous quotes I pulled that highlight these timeless issues:

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

“It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.”

“Woe, alas, to those who have loved only bodies, forms, appearances! Death will rob them of everything. Try to love souls, you will find them again.”

As you can see, Les Misérables grapples with grief, love, the afterlife, and the end-of-life experience. While musicals aren’t for everyone, the foundation behind the success is Hugo’s bold exploration of these ageless human questions. Nothing is as interesting as the topic of death and nothing ever feels as important. Can you remember the last time you read a great book that didn’t deal with these topics?

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