I absolutely love this manga classics series. The art is incredible, and they've got me interested in classics like never before. As for this one, I love the story and the setting and the characters and everything.

If you are used to the style of Manga, this book shouldn't take you too long to get your head around. I studied Japanese in university (as a minor subject) and first became interested in Manga then. Traditionally, they read books from right to left, and therefore from back cover to front cover, in Japan, so this style of reading isn't new to me and didn't cause me any major concern. However, if you are new to Manga this can be a little off-putting, as not only do you read the pages from back cover to front cover, but you also read each little strip from right to left. So, essentially, you are reading backwards. But don't let that put you off: Manga is an interesting and entertaining art and you can find some great titles both here and abroad to enjoy.

Because Victor Hugo's classic novel is loved by so many people around the world, I was so curious to see how this Manga edition would treat this famous story of love and tragedy set in 19th century France. I was also nervous, for the very same reason, because I didn't know if this adaptation would be able to capture the magic of the original work. I was pleasantly surprised, however. The artwork is very expressive and doesn't take from the true poignancy of the story. The majority of the characters work, paying tribute to the originals but presented through a Manga-style veil. The setting is mirrored nicely, again paying tribute to what was intended - 19th century France - but with Manga-style flourishes. 

This could work as a standalone story of Les Misérables but, personally, I would recommend a reading of the classic novel before you take this on. I'll explain why: Hugo's novel is dense and detailed. This Manga version tries to pay tribute to that and cram every little bit of necessary information in, but as a result there are details being introduced at a lightening pace, so it is easy to become overwhelmed.

For what I think is likely for dramatic effect, the writer has moved key scenes around, creating a reshuffling that may deter those who are in love with the original story. I tried to go into my reading of this with an open mind, so I didn't let this bother me too much. However, I can completely understand why this may put some readers off (then again, those who choose to read these kinds of Manga comics will be fans of the genre and, therefore, understand).

Overall, it basically works. The artwork, as I have mentioned, is good and expresses the emotion central to the story. The characters look like they should and the effort to remain true to the original is commendable. I don't think I would recommend this as a replacement reading for Les Misérables, or as an introduction to the original text, but I would certainly recommend it to fans of the Manga genre or anyone interested in opening their mind to a reimagining of Hugo's classic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

A classic is more than just entertainment. It leaves behind pearls of wisdom and I am so glad Udon took up the task of making mangas of popular classics. This gives flight to the message left behind by the authors which are as pertinent today as they were in the past. 
Les Misérables being one of the most well-known classics in the world brings out the harsh realities of the society we live in and emphasizes the necessity of doing good deeds. It brings into the fray the consequences of misunderstandings and their grave implications. If you haven’t read this yet, consider it a rite to achieving a more humane soul and read it right away. But going through the massive novel is no easy task. The foreboding title alone suffices to dissuade people far away from it (including me). That’s right, I haven’t read Victor Hugo's original work and made do with the manga adaptation for which I need to thank Udon for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley (Yes I got it post publication..Thank you stars;) ). 
The illustrations are beautiful (as is to be expected of a manga). Cramping up the entire set of events into a picturized version with the intent of moving the hearts of the readers in a manner similar to the original is a herculean task. As a stalwart supporter of print over picture I would be lying if I said that this adaptation captured all of the nuances of the novel, nevertheless, it did a commendable job. Though I acutely felt the lack of depth in the characters, the illustrations managed to hold my attention throughout the pages. Whether it was the miserable and moving story or the illustrations, I cannot tell as I was gripped right from the first page to take note. The manga was able to capture the main essence of the novel and in 340 pages managed to flip the contents of my insides. The events were depicted in an easily decipherable format and flowed smoothly.
I would recommend this especially to those who haven’t read the original book and aren’t intending on rectifying it just yet. The manga version does not prolong the agony and the pretty pictures tone down the blow.

This is just such a fabulous and accessible rake on one of my favourite b9oks of all time. The artwork is exquisite and all the important plot points and more importantly the underlying themes are hit. I am well aware that 19th C literature is hir and miss for most people but Les Miserables deals with such important examinations of personal choice, forgiveness, mistakes and triumphs and morality that I am delighted it has been made accessible to a new group of people in this format. Our budget at the library is very small for graphic novels but I will deginitely attempt to squeeze it for a copy of this - if nothing else my teenaged reading group would love it. A beautiful book.

Was not abel to veiw and download this through netgalley

I love these Manga Classics. They provide an accessible entry point for classics that can seem too complex and a little dull to teens. Highly recommended.

Review for: MANGA CLASSICS: Les Miserables
By Victor Hugo, SunNeko Lee, Crystal S Chan, Stacy King
Review by Hannah Rose

Graphic novelizations are quickly becoming a Favorite Thing of mine. Les Mis is a deep and at times very bleak tale, brought to life with Broadway actors. I have long loved this story, but I’m seeing it with a completely fresh pair of eyes! The pictures are great- very clear and easy to understand and bring a lot of clarity to the story. I think anyone could enjoy this book, but I see a special appeal with it comes to introducing people to the story. The artwork catches the eye and portrays the story well. If you liked the play; you will like this. I would recommend this to my readers and am eager to read more. Thank you for letting HannahHasBooks.Wordpress.com read and review!

Hannah Rose

I think this is great. Does it replace the classic? No, but it's great to open up the classic to a new variety of people that otherwise might not pick it up. For those that have read the classic, it's neat to see it in a different adaptation.

Like with a couple of my other reviews, I think it is important to divide my opinions into sections, so I can be completely honest and comprehensive.

First, let's talk about what this book is classified as: A graphic novel adaptation of the classic Les Miserables There are two things that are important to note before beginning this book. First, it's a GRAPHIC NOVEL adaptation meaning there will pieces of the (admittedly long) book that have been cut out for space. Second, it's a graphic novel ADAPTATION meaning that some foreknowledge of the original work might be needed. 

On these two notes, I would like to point out that I like this graphic novel as an adaptation. It's a sort of classic style and each character has a distinctive style that doesn't borrow too heavily from other adaptations. I would have been incredibly disappointed if Fantine had looked like Anne Hathaway and Jean Valjean looked like Hugh Jackman. Overall I was a fan of the 2014 musical as well, despite my reservations. I think this adaptation would have done better as two books rather than one long edition, as there are portions that are too choppy even for an adaptation, such as the kiss scene between Cosette and Marius. 

Also, you're definitely going to have an easier read if you are familiar with the original work. The graphic novel does not give a sense of how much Eponine loved Marius, nor the tensions that always existed between Jean ValJean and Javert. This is my reasoning for 3/5 Stars. I cannot say that this graphic novel adaptation would be a good way to introduce anyone to the Les Miserables story, because there are just too many little background details that were cut for space. This would work great for a class who is currently reading Les Miserables as it could be used in conjunction to boost interest in the original text.

A classic brought back to life in stunning manga style.

I have a lot of hesitant readers in my library and it's difficult enough to get them to read a book let alone a classic. This adaption however was well received and I think the manga style makes it a more friendly read.

Well done - love these reproductions of classic titles.

I thought it was beautiful. The story matched the illustrations and I loved it! Full review is up on my blog!

This review was originally published on NetGalley.

I’m not a fan romantic tragedies but Les Misérables is a classic that needs to be read at least once for the people that studied literature, which was my case. I read it during my bachelor degree and I didn’t like at all, it was a long, boring read. Still, in the end, I was able to appreciate the magnificent style of one of Victor Hugo’s finest works. 

Like all the manga classics I’ve read so far edited by Stacy King, I wasn’t disappointed and I was actually able to like the story of Les Misérables.

The story is well known if not for the play, for the films. The 19th century tale, centres on Jean Valjean a peasant released from the galleys after 19 years of imprisonment and his path to become a wealthy man and a better person. It’s a story about unconditional love, tragedy, second-chances and redemption. 

The manga adaptation has a length of 350 pages and the original story is very well adapted just like all the previous ones. For someone that wants to know the story of Les Misérables, I definitely recommend this adaptation. The drawings match perfectly the dark atmosphere of 19th century France with the coldness and cruel reality of the period but also the light that comes with hope and redemption. All the emotions of the original novel are there and for me it was even more emotional since it’s not just descriptions but illustrations as well. 

A moving story that shows the dark parts of French society for those that weren’t born with privileges and that suffered the injustice of society and life. Valjean that was arrested for 19 years for stealing bread to feed his family; Fancine, abandoned by the man she loved to face the judgement of society for having an illegitimate child, only to die after a battle that she could never win. 

A beautiful classic adaptation of a classic made simple with all the emotions of its original. I highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: While I've seen Les Mis on stage and watched the movie, I've never actually read the book before, so I cannot make any claims as to how much has been changed for this Manga adaption.

That said, I was glad that I knew the story in advance, as I fear there were some aspects I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Out of necessity the adaption was rather abridged, and some things were left unexplained.

I still really enjoyed it though, and was pleased to finally get my hands on the "source material" to one of the greatest stories in musical history. The drawings were clear and very pretty, and without the sudden change to more doll-like figures that I've often seen in other mangas. I appreciated that deviation from the norm.

What a beautiful story...it breaks my heart every time I experience it, be it on stage, on tv or in a book. This is a wonderful translation of the Les Misérables . The artwork is gorgeous, and the story holds very true to the storyline of this script. When you settle down to read it, just don't forget to grab the tissues!

I remember reading this book years ago and being overwhelmed by language, size and a history I knew nothing about before giving up. This manga has made it a million times more accessible to me and has encouraged me to find the novel and give it another go. I hope it does the same to other readers.

Les Miserables was a story that I had never had any interest in, sure there were the musicals and the movie but nothing ever struck a cord with me. That is until I happened to see this on NetGalley. I had never realized that Les Miserables was a book but that it now had a Manga version.

I enjoy Manga greatly and thought that perhaps I should give this classic re-telling a shot.

I was surprised by how captivating the story is and once I started, I just couldn't stop until I reached the ending. Les Miserables is a fantastic story and this Manga version is simply superb!

The story is one made of a multitude of stories and struggles of the cast of characters introduced. So as to not get too deep into the story or spoilers. I'll just give a brief summary of the characters we see the most.

Starting off, we are introduced to the struggles of Fantine. She's a young mother who has a child out of wedlock and is desperately searching for a job as a means to support her and her child Cosette. Being told she is unvirtuous and not fit to work, she is sent away from each job and town. That is until she comes across an inn with owners who agree to raise Cosette (of course with monthly payments from Fantine.), the owners cheery and kind façade melts away quickly and their true natures come to light. They abuse Cosette, Using Fantine for her money...all the while, Fantine struggles to pay for the support of her child and is willing to give up everything for the well-being of her daughter.

This is when we are introduced to Jean Valjean...a convict who was recently released from prison and is not the most welcome of persons. He is turned away by nearly everyone, save a bishop who believes that he is capable of good in this world. A notion that Valjean works towards and proves true time and time again. Despite multiple struggles with the law and the pantomime of what is right and what is wrong under strenuous circumstances. 

One persons story contributes and adds to the next in a never exhausted flow to give the reader a full grasp of each situation and the importance of the events. There are of course many side-characters that are introduced and appear frequently in the storyline but I wish not to give too much away as it would detract from the story as a whole.

As for the artwork, it was very pleasing to the eye and really made me feel immersed and connected in the world of these characters. It added an element of understanding of the situations at hand, even when dialog didn't convey the emotion of the scenes. 

The writing was well thought out and was easy to understand. It was especially helpful that the author realized that perhaps not everyone was familiar with Victor Hugo's work and went with the idea that those who picked up this version may be the reader's first experience with the title. 

It was great for those like me...who probably never would have had an interest otherwise. So if you like manga and want to check out the classics in that particular format then this is definitely for you. 

Again it was a great story with vibrant characters set in a time when all things seemed all for naught. I enjoyed it immensely. So I would like to personally thank all those who worked on this version of Les Miserables, the publisher and NetGalley who made it possible for me to read this epic classic!

I always found Les Misérables a difficult and rather complex story. The manga helped me revisit some of the holes in my memory. This felt great!