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Louise Fowler posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
Louise Fowler posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
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HA!!! HAHAHAHAHAAAA! *descends into understated maniacal chuckling and popping of knuckles*
I’m happy. *high five* Go thou forth and conquer. And I beseech you: Do not get stuck in the wordy depths and sink into the terrible rut of boredom. Any slow parts you may find less than captivating are more than made up for. *nod* In mine own humble opinion. XD It’s good.
But ALSO, do NOT feel obligated to say it’s amazing if you don’t think it is. Trust me, I won’t be offended in the LEAST. XD Different people enjoy different styles of things, and I totally understand and respect that. Even if you don’t go crazy over it, if you come out having enjoyed it at all I shall still be pleased. Just…don’t feel like you have to rant about it if you don’t feel it rant-worthy. ;D
But I do hope you find it rant worthy. And give it time. It doesn’t happen within the first few hundred pages or anything. XD
ANYWAY. Yes. Yay. LONG LIVE LES MIS! Take yo time. I’ll try not to pester you too much.
How was The Three Musketeers?
Well, I’ve read three chapters (they were short), and it was rather dull, all about this bishop that I don’t really care about, and who the author said at the very beginning wasn’t very important to the story. Obviously it’s to give some historical context, but still. 😛
Oh, Three Musketeers. I only read one chapter of that (not because it was boring, but because I wanted to read other stuff first XD). I was going through a series of books that were relatively short (yet still enjoyable) to get some backlog on my Goodreads challenge (I am now 5 books ahead), because I know the 1,232-page Les Mis is going to take a while. 😛
Heh. I understand. 😛 He does prove pretty important. But I readily admit we didn’t need ALL that information on his house and everything it expounded on to great lengths.
Aha. Sweet. 😉
lol, yes, I just finished reading about his house. XD It would be interesting, if the story was about him. But I know it’s not, so I’m impatient to get on with it. XD
Yup. ;P
Aha! Now the story’s really beginning!
We’ve met Jean Valjean and know he’s a convict on parole. If he’s on parole, doesn’t that mean he behaved well in prison? So why all the hate against him? Poor Jean…
Anyway, the Bishop’s taken him in for the night, and that’s all I know right now. 🙂
Who do you think will be the Albert of this story? 😉 XD
@emma-flournoy
Ahh, sorry I didn’t see this! I won’t get a notification from a mere commment without a tag this time since the conversation’s on your activity, not mine. :/ But I will get notifications from replies, without tags. So. Yeah. Man, I feel quite sad this has been sitting here for three days and I was oblivious. XD
Yaaaayyy! Sweet. Uh, no, that’s not necessarily what it means that he’s on parole. I think that’s more how it is nowadays, but no. I think in his case, his prison time was finally up, but he’d behaved so badly in prison that they felt the need to keep him on parole instead of just setting him free. ;P He kept escaping and adding years to his sentence. He’s pretty dangerous.
Oohh…don’t ask that. XD I actually can’t think of anyone the same type of character as him. There’s Marius, but he’s more like a MORE lovesick version of Maximilian. There’s Enjolras and several of his friends who are minor-moderate characters, most of whom I love to death, esp. Enjolras. But he’s not like Albert. Some of his friends might be. And there’s Gavroche, a 12 year old, whose personality is more like Albert’s than some, but really not that close. So…yeah, I can’t think of someone who fills the same kinda role. But I think—I think there’s a larger amount of more likable characters in here than in TCOMC. *nod* It’s not just…Albert, and everyone else is varying degrees of meh. It’s lovely. Jean Valjean is my favorite, but there are quite a few others who are close.
That’s okay. Hence why I put the tag in now. XD
Yeah, I get that now, having read more of his story. I guess that’s what the yellow ticket is for. I feel sorry for him though.
You can get more lovesick than Maximilian? Oh boy… XD
Well, I don’t mean specifically like his character, but based on what you may know of my favourite characters, what is your prediction my favourite will be?
Yeah, most of TCOMC characters were pretty nasty, even Edmund himself (who I loved at the beginning, and still loved in the end, just not in the same, innocent way that he had been).
I met Fantine just last night. I like her, but it’s kind of sad as well, that she’s so in love with her lover, but for him it’s a passing fling (I’ve only read one chapter with her so far – was that whole chapter on random things that happened in 1817 even necessary? XD).
Right. XD
Yeah, definitely. *sniff* Yes, one needs some sort of penalty for stealing, no matter the reason for the crime. But FIVE YEARS BEHIND BARS is a TAD excessive. But it was his fault he kept escaping. 😛 I still feel sorry for him.
Weeeelll, it’s close. XD Marius is slightly even more of a dreamer than Max, so everything he does is a little more dramatic. If you can imagine that.
Well, yeah…I was thinking along those lines, but here it feels kinda different because there isn’t just one character to fully adore, as in Albert’s case; it feels a little more evenly distributed. Buuuut…I’m guessing Jean Valjean will wind up being your favorite. Pretty hard to beat him. He’d be in my top five favorite literary characters. But I bet there’ll be several runner-ups as well. 😀
Yup. That. About Edmond. :”(
I KNOW. It’s quite sad. Even if they ARE both being slightly immoral….still, ya feel sorry for the girl, because she wants it to be permanent. *scowls at Tholomyes* *if that’s how you spell it*
(Probably not necessary. XD)
Are you familiar with the musical at all?
@emma-flournoyLol, I realised I’d forgotten to tag again, but I’m glad you replied. XD
Yeah, stealing is wrong, but it is excessive. Perhaps a fine, or just a couple of weeks or months in prison. I dunno. Then again, all sin is equal sin, so does that mean all penalties should be equal? Dilemma. 😛
XD This should prove interesting.
Cool. At the moment my favourite character is (or was) Fantine. But the fact that she left her daughter with complete strangers lowers her in my ranking. Poor Cosette. Her situation is identical to Jane Eyre’s at the beginning of the book; an orphan (pretty much), being looked after by a family who loves their own children, but can’t stand the outsider.
Yeah. He does redeem himself somewhat though.
I thought when the men left the women, that Fantine was pregnant, but based on the timing when we actually meet Cosette and how old she is, she must have been around, and Felix (that’s his first name and easier to spell 😉 ) would have known about her. That makes him leaving her worse.
I’m familiar with one or two of the songs, and a wee bit of the story (like, I think I know Fantine dies). But I haven’t actually watched it, no.
@emma-flournoy (failed tag XD)
@PerfectFifths Indeed, it is a dilemma. One that merits pondering. *ponders*
Eh, yeah. Poor thing didn’t have many options going for her. But yeah.
I haven’t read Jane Eyre (yet), but that makes total sense. :'(
He shore does.
I KNOW! That aspect was pretty confusing to me at first, as it means Cosette had to have been born before their Parisian frolic/outing, etc., and it totally didn’t seem like they had a kid or anything. They (Fantine especially) seemed too innocent still. Or something. *stews* NO, FELIX. It’s maddening.
Gotcha. I haven’t watched it either, not seen it performed or anything, but I have looked up a lot of the songs, and a lot of ’em are really great. Not all of them. But a lot of them. 😛 Once you finish the book I’m sure you’d love to look them up and listen to them. The musical isn’t very accurate in some ways, but it seems in other ways a lot more so than most movies made of the book. ;P *sigh* It’s too bad. So not all of the songs are accurate in relation to the book. But still. They’re cool. And others are accurate. And the music and instrumentation is really sweet too. You just have to find the right person performing it, ’cause some of them sound reeeaaally bad. XD
The singing especially, I meant. 😛
@emma-flournoy *ponders with you*
You should read it. I’m reading it as my current eBook (reading it during the day), and I’m enjoying it.
She was innocent, in the fact that she wanted to be faithful and remain with Felix. She still did wrong, since it was outside of wedlock, but to her, he was practically her husband.
I wouldn’t expect a musical version of a book to be very accurate, and because of that, I think I could enjoy it, even if it’s not at all close to the book. I’d expect a regular movie-version to be more accurate, and therefore would be more disappointed if it wasn’t.
I want to sometime. My two older sisters have read it, and they like it too. Even if it is a tad dark.
Yeah… So sad.
Exactly! Yes. That.
So you’ve seen now the incredibly important part the bishop had to play. That doesn’t exactly excuse the excess of information, but still, he was vital. And wasn’t that so sad about Jean Valjean and Petite Whatever-His-Name-Was? Wasn’t that set of scenes SO beautifully powerful?!
I haven’t found it too dark yet.
🙁
🙂
Yes. I think it was good to see how devout and “holy” the bishop was, but that could have been shown in a few simple scenes. It’s sad he died.
Yes, with the chimney-sweep lad, that was sad. However, I think Jean Valjean is redeeming himself as Monsieur Madeleine. To be honest, I’m not sure, because they said Jean Valjean has been arrested again, but I don’t think it was him.
@emma-flournoy
Good. 😀 I think it gets darker, but it evidently wasn’t too dark.
Truth.
Heh. Well, you probably know by now, and it wouldn’t be a huge spoiler for me to confirm it anyway. XD M. M. is indeed Jean Valjean. All the things will come clear in their good time. *rubs hands gleefully* O yes Precious. And yes, he’s working quite hard to turn his life around.
@emma-flournoy
Yep. I was pretty sure, and then the very beginning of a chapter confirmed it, and I felt silly for doubting. I should know by now that if you believe a character to be that ex-convict/innocent prisoner in disguise, then they are. 😉 XD
Exactly right. XD
@emma-flournoy
Let’s see, what’s happening now… Madeleine is on his way to Arras, Fantine is unwell, but at the thought that Monsieur le maire possibly bringing her back Cosette, she has improved. Although I have a feeling it won’t last long. Poor Fantine. Poor Cosette. I am very torn with Jean Valjean’s situation. A man is in prisoner because he was mistaken as Jean, so you’d think the right thing would be to go and sort out the confusion. Except, if he does, the town he helped make prosperous would lose everything. So, yeah, conundrum.
Plus, he’d go to prison again. Can you even IMAGINE the prospect of something like this coming up were you in his situation? SUCH a life-rending conundrum. Such terrible decisions to make, even when you know deep down which one is right. Poor MAN. Some of the soon-following chapters are incredibly good. And yeah. Poor everyone. :”(
How do you find Javert so far, the small sample you’ve had yet? Isn’t he terrifying (most of the time…except when he thinks he’s been unfaithful to his duty…)? *shivers* But it’s the tingly, wonderful “oh-no” reader sensation of terrifying. It’s frankly wonderful. XD His and Jean Valjean’s chemistry, really… O.o But it gets even better.
Yes, but he did break the law after his parole anyway (stealing from the bishop and the boy), so it wouldn’t be just because he’s Jean Valjean.
I hope the man mistaken for him turns out to be a bad criminal, so that he goes to prison for his own crimes, and Valjean can stay free.
I… I’m not sure what I think of him just yet. I like him, I think, though I can see he could be a bad enemy to have (like Monte Cristo; you want to be on his good side). He’s simple and loyal, doesn’t seem particularly intelligent, but certainly not stupid. I can imagine that they would be great foils.
@emma-flournoy
Righto, he does have real crime of his own again. They are justified in wanting him back behind bars; what they don’t understand is that he’s truly changed, and whether or not that gives any cause for leniency of any sort. Mercy vs. Justice. *smirk* But it’s still a tough question.
Wellll…yeah, but that wouldn’t be EXACTLY fair either, because it’d still be rather on the deceptive side. Since they think he’s Jean Valjean. 😛
The foils, yes the FOILSSSS, dear person. O.o They’re the best, all throughout the cast. But Javert and Valjean are the bestistest of all.
I can see him accurately described as simple, though he also strikes me at the same time as extremely intelligent (even though you CAN be not-extremely-intelligent without being stupid). Just…in a very one-way bent. XD Eh. He’s an amazing character. And YES, you always wanna be on his good side. *shivers*
Aha, so, Jean Valjean just revealed himself to the courtroom (like I knew and hoped he would), and the man mistaken as him is freed. So far, Jean hasn’t been arrested again. I felt rather sorry for the Pere (the falsely accused man), because he really had no idea what was going on.
I reckon he’d be intelligent in certain areas, but overall average. I dunno, I don’t know enough about his character yet. 😀
Okay, so I don’t like Javert very much at the moment. 🙁 He caused Fantine’s death. :'(
@emma-flournoy XP I keep forgetting.
Heh, it’s okay. XD Sometimes I get notifications even if you don’t tag me. That’s when you hit the reply buttons to my comments to say something; then it sends me a notification whether or not you tagged me.
If you just make a comment, and it’s not a reply (or is a reply but is the reply button for one of your comments, not mine), since this is on your activity and not mine I won’t get a notification for that unless you tag me.
Anyway.
Yes! Wasn’t Jean Valjean amazing? That whole series of consciental struggles was the best. I so relate. XD Maybe not in such drastic measures though.
I know, the poor guy…he really was clueless.
Yeah. So sad. :'( But he IS an antagonist, and one’s not exactly supposed to LIKE him… (…yet…) *shivers* Yeah. But that doesn’t stop him from being a good character.
(Which is why I can make all my comments without tagging you at all and you still get notified. Cuz it’s on your activity. ;P)
(I get it. I’ll try and remember 😉 )
I love Jean Valjean all the more, except for the fact that he escaped again and caused Sister Simplice to lie (but then again, she chose to – I don’t know!) but he ran away, and Fantine didn’t get to see Cosette, and now Cosette’s either stuck with those horrible people, or turned out unto the streets. I don’t know, because I have to chug through chapters about the Battle of Waterloo, and I really don’t care. 😉
If it weren’t for those kinds of sections (the in-depth life of the Bishop and the random chapter about the year 1817, which we’re not even in right now! and this who section about Napolean’s defeat), I’d really enjoy this. As it is, I do enjoy it, but my enjoyment is interrupted too often for my liking.
It’s like if a book has two PoVs, and one is of a character I love, and I get annoyed when they switch to the other character I don’t about as much. Only at least in that case, it’s still directly relevant to the story. 😉
( 😉 Even if you don’t that’s fine. I’m glad to even have messaging systems like this; never mind the faulty quirks. 😛 )
That lie always bugs me. To no end. Plech. I know! It’s so sad she didn’t get to see her again.
Oh, yay for you! XD I still found those chapters interesting, because I love history, but it did require chugging, and that’s not the place for all that. This isn’t a history book. Eh well. YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU.
I know EXACTLY what you mean, w/the two POV kinda thing. That’s always so annoying. To remedy it, they just need to make both storylines equally interesting! Is that too much to ask? XD But yeah, in Les Mis, while it always has at least one directly relevant point, it gives you aaaaalll sorts of information not necessary to the understanding of that point. That’s the downside to the book, I agree. Just because something’s interesting in its own right doesn’t mean readers want 50 pages of it inserted right in the middle of the suspenseful story. *aggrieved sigh*
@emma-flournoy (I’m just going to do it every time to be sure XD)
🙁
Yes, they’re interesting, and they’re certainly making Napoleon seem more like a person to me than a faceless thing that did stuff and got defeated at Waterloo. And if I were reading a book about Napoleon’s life, or about the battles he fought, they would be great. As it is, we need only a bit of a recap, or just a few references, to set the scene and history and context, not it’s own little book in a book. But I shall chug away!
I don’t think it’s always a case of one storyline is more interesting than the other. Sometimes you just love a character so much, you want to just read about them, and even if you do love the other character, if it’s not as much, it’s a wee bit annoying. XD But it’s not a fault of the author or the writing, it’s because I love the first character so much.
Also, I think since people used to get paid by the word, the more they could stick in, whether it be very relevant or hardly at all, the more they’d get paid. 😉
(Can’t hurt nothin’. XD)
Yyyyyup. Truth. It probably won’t take as long as you expect it to, since you’re clearly dedicated to chugging through.
That is true. Extremely true. Some characters… *shrieks* I KNOW IT ALL TOO WELL.
Oh right. That’s an interesting way of doing things. XD Doesn’t exactly support quality over quantity. Though I’m not sure if it was that way in Hugo’s case with Les Miserables, because I think he was working on it for about 20+ years, and I don’t even know if he was dedicated to having it published in the first place. Or at least, he wasn’t writing it at the behest of some publishing company. I don’t know though. He probably got paid the same way anyway.
@emma-flournoy
Chug, chug, chug. XD It certainly paid off. I finished the bit about Waterloo last night and tonight shall read more about Jean Valjean (if the first line of the chapter is anything to do by).
XD
Aye, ’tis. Wow, 20 years. I can’t imagine working on a story for a whole year (seriously, my first drafts get written in months; but I haven’t yet started any rewrites, so obviously there is more work to come 😛 ).
YAY!!!
Heh. It sounds absolutely crazy. I don’t think he was working on it constantly though; think he had few-year gaps in between sometimes. One thing I’m pretty sure I know for sure though (;P XD) is that the current version is the first version—his first draft. Is that not insane? That is insane.
So, apparently Jean Valjean drowned. But they never recovered the body, and already Cosette has just met a man who has been described similarly to Jean, so I’m putting my money on he’s not dead. 😛
So he was working on his first draft for 20 years… 😐 *Sees my future dissolved before my eyes to only be working on the one book* XD
*snickers* Good plan.
POOR COSETTE, RIGHT?! Isn’t she the cutest lil’ thing?
XD The world is a cruel place.
@emma-flournoy
XD I’ve learned to be wary of supposed deaths, and when they don’t find the body, well!
Yes, she is pretty cute. But she was like a scared little animal, especially when the stranger went out and brought back the doll for her. Like, “Whoa!” I know I’d be wary. XD But I’m glad she’s now with Jean, even if she doesn’t realise it.
Usually. XD
Yup, that! XD
I know! Poor thing. Yes, totally. Isn’t he the sweetest?
Right. XD
@emma-flournoy
XD
Yeah, he is pretty sweet. Total heel-face-turn.
So Jean Valjean, with Cosette is now trapped between a dead-end, a waiting guard, and Javert’s group. So I dunno how this is gonna play out. 😀 But I am loving this story.
Yay!!! *shivers* Oh that series of scenes is so nerve-wracking.
Your next rather long tangent will be on convents and their history, morality, etc. I found it rather an interesting section. You might even be past it now though. Which is better. ;P
@emma-flournoy Not yet, I don’t think. We just met the guy whose life Jean saved from under the wagon.
Oh yeah! Yup. No, you’re not past it then. Dear ol’ Fauchelevant. 😛
Maybe tonight then.
*nods*
Lol, not yet. XD It was the chapter about how Javert missed capturing Jean Valjean.
@emma-flournoy
I just started reading about the convent. It is very interesting. Interesting in that, Why on earth would anyone make themselves go through that???
Too bad for Javert. XD
EXACTLY!
*hushed whisper* Because it makes you holier, y’know.
Aahh. I’ve always felt sorry for people who think convents or monasteries or monastic life in general are the best way to a life of service 100% devoted to God. It’s kinda sad. Of course, not all are as drastic as THAT one, but still.
@emma-flournoy
For some people, it probably is, because they wouldn’t have any distractions. But it doesn’t have to be so extreme. XD
True. But yeah. 😛
@emma-flournoy
JEAN VALJEAN IS BEING BURIED ALIVE! ALSO IT’S REALLY HARD TO TYPE WITH ONE FINGER HOLDING DOWN SHIFT!
HA! TOO BAD! AND I CAN IMAGINE! XD
But now the important question…YOUR KEYBOARD DOESN’T HAVE A CAPS LOCK KEY?!
YES IT DOES! I just rarely use it. XD
OKAY! XD
What time is it for you?
@PerfectFifths ’bout 8:15 a.m. You?
Now it’s 9:17pm. So you’re 12 hours behind me. Are you on daylight savings?
Oh, that’s cool! Nice and exact. How kind of it. Yes, we’re on daylight savings. Does Australia do that too?
So it’s still Wednesday for you now, but actually…no, it’s 36 minutes past midnight now and you’re probably in bed. I’d imagine. XD So it’s already 36 minutes into your Thursday. Neat-o.
@emma-flournoy
I think in some places, but we voted it out from here several years ago. So you’ll be 13 hours behind then the time goes back.
Yep, now it’s Thursday, 9:45 am.
Cool.
@emma-flournoy
So, Jean and Cosette have been living at the convent, and I’ll be starting Book 3 tonight.
Yay! Stuff can start really happening now! 😀
Just had several chapters about urchins of Paris, then about Paris itself, then about a specific urchin, and I know exactly who he is already, poor lad.
Have not yet been reacquainted with Jean and Cosette, and it’s been 8 or 9 years.
Aaaahhh yes!!! *hugs him* He’s amazing. And a very poor lad.
I think it comes relatively soon. Unless…well, maybe not as soon as I thought; OH, probably not. This part you’re on in general might be the one for introducing the rest of the cast. Which is still very good.
So the story hasn’t really begun yet? Wow, and so much has happened already. XD
But I guess it’s like Count of Monte Cristo. I mean, I thought the story was going to be about Edmund Dantes’ life, then he went to jail and lost a lot of his life in there, and then suddenly it was also about the children of the people who sent him there. XD
I KNOW. But in the grand scheme of the book, yes, that was still mostly set-up. Crazy. XD
Heh, sort of. XD Jean Valjean is most definitely the main character of the book, but several more characters enter the stage soon and are also really important. And all the foiling to be going on. O.o Zis be one of the best books I have ever read for foil characters sets, everywhere and in every way.
Yeah.
Yeah, I get that, but old books have a lot more to them, I think, in terms of backstory and all that. It saves writing a prequel. 😉
@emma-flournoy Oki, I’m not 100% certain was is going on (another tangent I think XD), but we’ve just kind of gotten to know Marius’ grandfather, and learn about Marius himself.
YESSS yes yes yes yes that’s it. 😀 Kinda neat story huh? Esp. with his father and the tie-in with Thenardier @ the Battle of Waterloo. Ick.
And if you think Marius is any degree of overdramatic now, just wait. XD
I don’t know if he’s any degree of overdramatic. I hardly know the boy. XD
@emma-flournoy Okay, so Marius has just been learning about his father, and is now estranged from his grandfather and aunt, and just left home.
I like Marius, so far. He kind of reminds me a bit of Albert and Maximilian.
Aha okay, I guess you hadn’t gotten to much of his drama yet when I asked. ;P I was thinking specifically then of when he was going through all those changes in his political views, and generally doing drastic things like spreading his arms and yelling out the open window something about Napoleon. Yeah, his grandfather is a bit tough. *rubs hands* But it’s a good storyline.
Yes! I know. Especially Maximilian to me. I really do like Marius, a good deal, I just like picking on him too. XD
That was pretty OTT. XD I mean, his change of his political views was realistic (he was learning about a whole other side he’d never been told about before) if a little rushed. We only just met him, so we might not have cared about all that just yet. 😉 But opening the window was a bit OTT. XD But yeah, I think I’m going to like Marius.
I’ve just been reading about the ABC Society, and some of the people in it, and I don’t understand it. XD Are all these people going to be important characters?
Yup. 😀
Heh. I know the feeling. XD But yes, they are. All of them to some degree, some of them more than others. (*muffled screeching* ENJOLRASSSS) I love them all. Mostly. XD But they’re really an interesting group of young characters, and they do have much importance to play. What Hugo should have done was instead of giving us those info dumps about each respective character—which are all extremely interesting, but a tad difficult to remember all at once—given us first-scenes with the characters active in them, and incorporated some of their story into dialogue and stuff. Characteristic moments, showing not telling, etc. etc. Eh well. The classics got away with not doing that. XD
@emma-flournoy
Yes. I hardly remember who is who, except Enjorlas, Courfeyac and Laigle, because they interacted with Marius.
I feel sad for Marius and his grandfather. It seems like a big misunderstanding between them, and I think they really do miss each other (I know his grandfather does; and I know Marius doesn’t think unkindly of him, but I don’t know for certain if he actually misses him).
@emma-flournoy
My word, Marius was being creepy. XDXD Why didn’t you just go talk to the girl, instead of making her father believe you were a creepy stalker-face dude?!
I know, RIGHT? 😂 Poor kid. Seriously bro.
Isn’t Courfeyrac especially nice? And L’aigle hilarious (if a bit too practical joke minded)? And Enjolras is downright awesome, though you may not think so yet at this point. He can be over-hard on those he deems not devoted/whatever enough.
I know, Marius & his grandfather are sad. :”( It’s such a mess.
@emma-flournoy
XD
I like Courfeyrac, I think. I don’t know L’aigle well enough yet, but from what I’ve read of him, he seems very light-hearted and carefree. Not familiar with Enjolras enough yet either.
Anyway, Marius definitely reminds me of a more OTT Maximilian. XD
Yup, L’aigle (aka Bossuet, as I think it calls him more later) is like that. Really sweet as a general rule.
Yeah. XD
Yo, how cometh violin? Mine’s actually going really well. Has something to do with having surrendered it to the Lord recently, undoubtedly… so God gets the credit. We’ll see if I can quit trying to do it on my own. XD
Also, I’m beta-reading your brother’s story. ;P
Aha, I thought Bossuet was L’aigle. I recently came across him speaking, and I was thinking “He sounds like how Emma described L’aigle” and I remembered L’aigle wasn’t his real name, so I figured it was him. 😉
Courfeyrac seems really down-to-earth, but fun.
Things are happenin’. Marius just got Javert’s help in catching Jondrette, but I think Javert is going to try catching Jean when he realises who he is. Such complexity. XD
It cometh slowly at the moment. I had a concert on the 29th of May, and I haven’t played much since then because life. And I’m also sick (second time this year *rolls eyes* ) so that has stopped me too. XD My passion has not dwindled, it’s just things out of my control. When I get back to it I’m going to be doing a lot of focus on technique, because I feel like I’m not really improving in anyway except in the specific pieces I’m playing. 😛
I’m glad to hear yours is going well! What kind of level are you at?
Oh, Aquila? XD
@emma-flournoy
Yup. 😉 He’s great.
Ooooh. Such complexity, yes. XD I love those scenes.
Oh, yay for sickness. :/ Hope you get better soon. Yeah, that makes a lotta sense. I have problems with things out of my control. XD Well, maybe life’ll settle down sometime soon! I’m sure your violin misses you. 😉
Errrr…I’m not really sure. I’m fixing to finish the Suzuki book 1…dunno if that’s the method you use?, but that’s what my teacher’s mainly had me doing. We didn’t do Suzuki when we were self-teaching ourselves, so that’s something they started with us. I’m actually above the level of Suzuki book one. XD She just wanted us to start at the beginning, with simple stuff so we could focus on fixing techniques, etc. I think my real level is probably somewhere around book three, maaaaybe four. But it’s been good working on simple stuff for a while because it really makes me able to hone in on the technical aspects.
Yupper dupper. ;P
@emma-flournoy
So, I was actually almost starting to wonder is M. LeBlanc wasn’t Jean Valjean after all! :O But his behaviour as soon as Javert entered the scene made me see the error of my ways. What was I thinking?? XD
Thanks. Life is more settled, it’s just sickness now. Yes, my poor widdle violin (which, fun fact, I named Orlando XD) is all alone and cold in its case.
I don’t know much about Suzuki. I use AMEB, but that’s actually Australian, so you might not have heard of it. My teacher started me at the beginning as well, even though I was at least ten years older than most beginning students, and we went through preliminary, grade 1 and grade 2 pretty quickly. I’ve been on grade 3 for a while, but like I said, I think that’s because I was focusing on learning specific pieces for orchestra stuff, rather than actually working on technique. My teacher says the more technique I get under my belt, the easier the orchestra pieces will get.
By the way, I have recently found a fun little duet that you and your sister could play together.
https://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/aVPe5p2_700b.jpg
It’s called table music, and it works by you placing the music on a table and standing on either end, so that one is reading the music upside down (essentially) and it plays as a duet. It’s pretty cool, and I’m going to show my teacher next lesson. 😀
Ah, cool. What do you think of it?
Ha! But of course, what were you thinking?! XD I love it. Javert’s arrival can always make such things crystal clear.
Well I just got sick too (yeah, overnight 😛 ), so we can be a team now. XD Aww…de poor widdle fing. *sniff* Orlando! 😀 That’s hilarious. A violin we have I used to play on I named Fili once, but my current one isn’t named. Such fun though.
Well, maybe we’re around the same level then. Neat. And that duet! I’ve heard of table music, and that looks super fun. I like Mozart too. Thanks, we’ll definitely have to try it out. 😀
I like it! I’m only on the third chapter as of yet. ;P The main thing I’m noticing for critiquing is lots of telling instead of showing, so I’ve been pointing that out a lot. But I do like it. Nice and sci-fi, too.
@emma-flournoy
I blame my cold-brain. 😉 Yes, it does. XD You know who’s running from the law (Jean) and who’s just confused (Marius). XD
Oops, I must have sent it over the internet – must be a virus 😛 XD Yay, sick buddies. XD lol, yes, Orlando (not that I refer to it as that all the time 😉 ). But I called it that because it was made by Archimede Orlandini in 1942.
Cool! I’ve played it both ways, and I found the “upside-down” version (violin 2) slightly easier, but it’s not super hard either way.
Yeah, he’s definitely a teller. XD
XD
XD again.
Ooh, cool.
Nice.
;P
Yup, totally. 😀
@emma-flournoy New thread to talk about what’s actually going on in the book now. XD
Let’s see… We had a bit of a tangent on Louis-Philippe. I have no idea what year we’re supposed to be in, because we keep jumping around. There’s lots of talk and preparation of revolution.
Marius cleared out of his tenement the day after the incident, so now Javert can’t find him. He’s staying with Courfeyrac (who I like more and more each time we see; he’s just so level-headed and sensible, and a good friend). Eponine has just found Marius telling him she’s found Cosette’s address (or the Lark, as Marius now knows her as). Except she wants what he’s promised him (which was anything), so I’m wondering what that will be.
@emma-flournoy
Ahhh! Marius and Cosette are just so adorable! 😀 And I feel sorry for Gavroche and his two little brothers who he doesn’t know are his little brothers. 🙁
It’s 1832 (or 31, but I think 32), currently. *nod* And not THE French Revolution, in case you were in any doubt. Some people think that for some reason. ;P This is just a lil’ minor one, which really did happen, but Hugo put his own characters in.
YES COURFEYRAC. O.o I love him so much. Ahh yes, poor Eponine. :/
I know! And YES, the poor THINGS. Gavroche is the sweetest, isn’t he, and with his bros it’s so cute and sad! *wails* He’s so adorably protective and big-brotherly to his momes and doesn’t even know he’s related. :'(
Yeah, I’ve recently got it straight that it’s 1832. Yeah, I figured. There was talk of one having happened in July, but I don’t think the actual one has started yet.
XD Yeah, he’s cool.
Yeah. I haven’t seen any more of them since they fell asleep in the elephant.
Now Jean Valjean is possibly taking her to England! So Marius went to his grandfather for his consent to marry her – and then stormed out because his grandfather suggested he make Cosette his mistress! Of all the nerve!
Anyway, I don’t know how Marius expects that to work, because there is not way Jean Valjean will let her marry him, and I have a feeling if that’s the case, Cosette wouldn’t want to either. :\
WHOOEEE! Now the plot’s really thickening. And by now you’re probably REALLY in the thick of things.
Btw, isn’t it so neat that Gavroche is Thenardier’s son? I mean…he’s the total foil to his parents (and sisters sometimes) in regards to being poor and all that goes with it. He’s just so happy anyway, while all his dad can think of is swindling people and being rotten, and they’re under the same depressing circumstances.
@emma-flournoy
Yeah! The revolution has really begun and it’s crazy. I haven’t encountered our friends yet, since Marius returned from seeing his grandfather, so I don’t know what’s going on for them yet.
Yeah, Gavroche is the total opposite – he is really happy! I think it’s because while they were well-off, his parents didn’t love him anyway, and that would have made him sad, but now that he’s free of them, he can be more cheerful. XD
*eternal sobbing*
Heheh. XD And mebbe some of it’s also that he’s learned to see the good in life no matter his situation, because he’s a decent chap. ;P
@emma-flournoy XD
Yep.
Wow, things are really heating up; Cosette is gone (at least, it looks like it), Marius has joined the bunch at the Corinth barricade, Eponine tried to make him die, but just died herself (poor thing; I don’t think badly of her even though she wanted my favourite character killed). Pere Mabeuf died, and Marius, expecting to die (I really hope he doesn’t!) just sent Gavroche off with a letter for Cosette – both to tell Cosette goodbye, and to get the little lad out of harm’s way.
@emma-flournoy
Uh oh. Jean Valjean found Cosette’s note in her blotter book, and he intercepted the one from Marius that Gavroche was delivering, and I dunno what he’s going to do!!!! D:
*shrieks* SO MUCH STUFF!!! Agh. You’ve probably already gotten over the climax at this point. Some pretty awesome stuff in there, eh?
Sorry my replies have been a little longer in coming; life’s insanely busy right now. 😛
@emma-flournoy
If I haven’t yet, I’m really close. It feels very climax-y. 😛
I read three more chapters than I intended to last night (I’ve taken to reading them in 3’s XD). The reason being, at the very end of the third, GAVROCHE WAS KILLED! And I couldn’t just finish there! D: :'( I tell you, I almost wanted to cry (and that’s hard to make me do when reading).
Not that the next three I read ended any better – now Jean Valjean wants to blow Javert’s brains out (No! You’re better than that!! DX).
Not to mention everyone at the barricade seems like they’re all going to die; and Cosette, she and Marius haven’t seen each other, and she doesn’t know where he is, and he doesn’t know where she is. 🙁
Okay, you’re not yet over the climax.
OH YES WASN’T THAT SO HEROIC AND HEARTWRENCHING AND AMAZING?!?!?!
I DID cry over that; I in fact cried so much over the book my eyelids literally got puffy. XD But it was good and cathartic. *sobs* More is yet to come, don’t worry.
HAHAHAHAHA. JUST WAIT. *chokes*
So much sadness. Isn’t Enjolras amazing? And the others.
@emma-flournoy
*SCREAMS*
Oh, Gavroche! Oh, Gavroche! _internal sobbing_ That poor little ragamuffin!
NOO! I’M SCARD!!
Oh, if I had heroes, Enjolras would be one! He’s just… He’s all or nothing. He is wholly set on dying for this cause. It’s just like… _UGH!_ XD
I KNOW! He was an absolute hero to the end.
*HYPERVENTILATES* KEEP READING.
YESSS I knowwwww. *weeps*
@emma-flournoy
Okay, so… I was partly devastated when I suddenly read that BOSSUET, Comefferbe, Joley, and COURFEYRAC and all them were KILLED! D’: And there, only pages later, ENJOLRAS was SHOT! D’X I almost wanted to cry again!
But, I am also so proud of Jean Valjean for not killing Javert (I smiled when he let him go), and he’s saving Marius!! I think he realises this boy loves his daughter, and since he loves her too, he should want her to be happy (I don’t know for sure, but those are my thoughts). So he’s saving him. :’)
Or maybe he’s saving him just to beat him up later. Either way, Marius is alive. 😉 XD
@emma-flournoy
I read a whole “book” (this book is divided up into parts and books within the parts) about the Paris sewers. XD It was… somewhat disgusting at times, seriously.
But then Jean Valjean took Marius through them, and survived (both of them! 😀 ). And Javert took Jean back to his home before arresting him, but then Javert left without him! And, OH! Marius’ grandfather! The poor man! One moment he’s raging and angry because Marius went and got himself killed, the next he’s fainting away because Marius finally opened his eyes. D’X
I KNOWWWWW IT WAS SO SAD. But wasn’t it all beautiful at the same time, and esp. Enjolras’? With GRANTAIRE?! *shrieks*
YES. Jean Valjean and Javert…that whole scene was just…yes. I love Valjean so much. And the respect Javert didn’t even realize he had just gained for the man after that… *flails*
Yes. Jean Valjean is an utterly selfless, wonderful, truly sacrificial and loving man. He hates Marius. But…but…he did this. *sobs* And the grandfather, I knowww.
Yes, the sewers book was rather…interesting. XD
By now you’ve probably gotten to Javert’s big chapter. Or close. XO
(And Gavroche, too. :”( )
@emma-flournoy
Yes! D’:
Yes, they’re the perfect foils!
Do you think he hates Marius still? I mean, he’s helping plan his and Cosette’s wedding and everything. They haven’t really interacted, so I don’t really know Jean Valjean’s feelings towards Marius – I know Marius accepts him, like as Cosette’s chaperon, but I bet if he knew that he was the man that saved his life (whom he is trying desperately to find), he would have so much respect for him.
XD
*Cries* Why did he do that?? I don’t think what he did was really bad. The revolution turned everything upside-down; it made heroes of villains and vice versa.
@emma-flournoy
I almost cried with Jean Valjean last night. :'( I feel so sad for him right now – he’s just lost his whole world! I feel like his thumb injury was just an excuse not to have to be the one that gives Cosette away and everything. 🙁 And now he doesn’t know what to do.
Is it not HEARTBREAKING? The poor man. Yeah, that with the thumb injury, totally. *weeps* You’re not done being sad, never fear. D”:
I dunno…it seemed pretty strong to me that he never really did get over hating Marius deep down for taking her, but he knew it was a bad thought and tried to get over it, and does all these good things for Marius because that’s the amazing person he is. Even if his heart isn’t in it. He knows it’s what’ll make Cosette happy, and he loves her truly so he does it. And Cosette doesn’t even realize any of this. *screams* It’s so frustrating. That Marius doesn’t, too. *rubs hands briskly* Press on. All will yet…come well in the end? *choke*
JAVERT THOUGH. *cries with you* I know. It’s such a sad mess. He did it because he couldn’t wrap his brain around what he just learned being true—a world where the law doesn’t solve everything, and has to account for variables such as someone changing, and thus, while still not according to the law DESERVING mercy, meriting it all the same. The law couldn’t explain that for him, and yet the steadiness of the law was his whole life, so it turned his world upside down. To accept that this man, a convict, had truly become good, and that, in his head—contrary to the dictates of the LAW—Javert himself had let him go and had been glad to do it. He couldn’t understand, and I guess was too broken by the revelation to keep living and figure it out. *voiceless screeching* IT’S SO SAAAAAADDDDD!!!!
Poor Javert. I loved him and pitied him so much.
@emma-flournoy
Yes! D:
I feel like he loves him because Marius loves Cosette. But that could also be why he hates him.
I wasn’t overly fond of Javert, but I did feel very sorry for him. 🙁
Jean has just told Marius pretty much everything. And Marius didn’t seem to know how to take it. He’d allowed Jean to come every evening, but he also made sure he himself was out when Jean came.
Meanwhile, Jean has told Cosette not to call him father anymore, and he must call her Madame. I think it’s cruel of him. Cosette has no idea why and she doesn’t like it.
But at times, Cosette seems a bit silly, and she doesn’t seem to notice when Jean’s visits cease altogether. I don’t understand that! As happy as she is with Marius, how can she simply forget the man who raised her?? I mean, yes, he made himself impersonal to her, but would one really lose their affection for someone that they adored simply because he changed his name and calls her Madame? 🙁
It’s all very sad right now. And I’m a little unhappy with Marius.
Yeah, that works too. :'(
*broken sobbing* I know. Everything you said. It’s so very heart-rendingly frustrating. And you’re almost to the end… *distant wailing*
I know, I’m being slightly melodramatic. But I really did sob horribly for real over all this when I read it. It was blessedly cathartic. XD
@emma-flournoy
Oh… Jean Valjean is dying. :'( He can’t die! I only allowed myself three (short) chapters last night because it was very late (or very early, being after midnight). But I was dying to read more!
I wish I cried over books more. The most I get is a slight stinging in the eyes, or a bit of moisture. But sometimes I think, “I should be FEELING more about this!” D:
*hugs you*
Well hey, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel them! I know that. I think I cry more than I should? anyway. 😛 Most of my family doesn’t cry that much at books. I have by no means a reputation as a crybaby otherwise, but books and movies just really get me. XD People just express it differently I guess. I know you’re feeling it just as keenly inside. *sobs for effect*
@emma-flournoy
*hugs back* True, I know that, but sometimes it’d be nice to express it in some way.
I do sometimes cry during movies (ever seen Marley and Me? Oh boy!) but I try and stop myself, because usually everyone is there watching. But in bed, while I’m reading, I’m alone, and I wouldn’t mind letting out some feels.
Oh! I am (for once) so thankful for Thenardier! He went to Marius with the intention of condemning Jean Valjean, and instead he made him out to be a hero to Marius! 😀 And now they’re on their way to Jean’s home! Last time we saw Jean, there was a knock at his door, so I’m betting the knock is Marius. <3 Needless to say, I was so happy and really beaming by the end of that chapter.
Yeah. I know though, it’s embarrassing if everyone’s in the room with you. What’s best is if they’re wailing just as much. XD Heh, no, I haven’t seen that one. Sad? XD
I know! I was rooting for Thenardier in that moment, just thinking…whoa bro, you think you’re being awful, but this is all working out to be so good and aren’t you gonna be surprised. *fistbump* It was such a profound relief for Marius to finally know, wasn’t it?
Yaaaayyyyyyy!
@emma-flournoy
That’s why I said I wouldn’t mind, because I read in bed at night, so no one’s around.
Hey, I said I cried, didn’t I? Yes it was sad! XD If I tell you what kind of movie it is, you’ll guess why pretty much right away. XD
I didn’t like him still, I was impatient for him to finish telling his side so Marius could say, “No! He didn’t murder that guy, that guy was me! He didn’t steal!” XD I was a bit bemused at Marius literally throwing money at him, but in his relief and joy he’d want to reward even the worst. XD But yes, it was a relief, for everyone involved, I’m guessing! I just hope they’re not too late…
Right, yeah. ;P
Oh great. What kind of movie is it? XD
Exactly. He hadn’t by any means become less despicable, but I was so glad to see it all coming out. Yeah, I guess. XD Whatever floats your boat, bud.
*hyperventilates*
XD
It’s about a dog. And if you can’t guess why it’s sad, then you’re sad. 😛 XD
So, I finished the actual story on Saturday night, but I read the two Appendices as well. They wren’t very necessary, I didn’t get much out of them, but it was my first time reading the book, so I thought I’d better.
And now… *clears throat*
I CAN’T BELIEVE JEAN VALJEAN DIED!!!!!!!!!! *wailing* Cosette and Marius just found him again, and now he’s gone. :'(
There are a few things also that feel unresolved. We never know what happened to Gavroche’s brothers (last we saw them they were eating a soggy bun that another boy threw to the swans). And Thenardier and Alzemla, last we heard they went to America, is it? But, I don’t mind that, because in reality, they had little or no consequence on Marius and Cosette’s life after that, and really, they wouldn’t know what became of them (even if they knew about them, which I don’t think they did with Gavroche’s brothers).
Anyway, I loved it. I think it could be something I’d read again, after a few years. Plus I’d really like to see the movie. 😀
@emma-flournoy
Welp, I just got a bit of sad that I won’t get to read any more Les Mis tonight. 🙁
HA! XD But never fear, I can guess why. Ever seen Where the Red Fern Grows? Or Old Yeller? *sobs* I get it.
“but I read the two Appendices as well. They wren’t very necessary, I didn’t get much out of them, but it was my first time reading the book, so I thought I’d better. ”
*thunderous applause* A girl after my own heart. XD Always hafta read the Appendices at least once, even if it’s not terribly interesting. I actually don’t remember there being any in our version of Les Mis. But it applies for all appendices.
IS IT NOT HEARTBREAKING?! And then they went and FORGOT his GRAVE. *eternal sobbing* (You probably get the eternal sobbing bit by now.)
But at LEAST all the stuff with him and them was resolved before he went. Sheesh. Thank you Hugo.
YES. The unresolvedness of Gavroche’s brothers is what disappointed me most. Nearly everything else was neatly tied up, but that was just…forgotten. *sulks* So sad. Wasn’t it so sweet how the older took care of the younger though? They’ll probably survive. Maybe foreshadowing for them to be the next rip-roaring street kids after their brother. 😛
And the simple truth of the matter is, Thenardier got off way too easy. To America, as a slave trader no less. Not. Cool.
Well, I’m glad you loved it. It is a different kind of book than TCoMC; less action definitely. I’m quite glad you still liked it. 😀 I don’t know if I’d ever read the entire thing over again, but definitely the good parts. Which movie is it you mean specifically? Of the five dozen out there? XD The 2012 movie of the musical?
You should look up some of the songs from the musical, the stage version too. Some versions aren’t so good, but some are awesome, and a lot of the songs are downright amazing. The Original London Cast recordings are as a general rule really good, though Philip Quast is the best Javert.
Ahh, I sympathize. :'( Always so sad to have finished a lovely book.
So who was your favorite?
@emma-flournoy
I’ve both seen and read Old Yeller. The dog dies in both versions. XD
Oh yeah. Who knows what else about your favourite characters could be mentioned? I do for this case – nothing! XD But I also read the appendices when I read Lord of the Rings. XD Those were a novel in and of themselves, but some of it was interesting, like what happened in the characters’ lives years later, etc.
I don’t think I got the impression they forgot the grave? He asked for just a stone to be put on top, and no name. But someone wrote a line of poetry on it.
Yeah, I think they’ll be okay. They would have learned a lot from Gavroche in the short time they were with him, I reckon. But yes, the older one was so sweet to his little brother.
Yes, he did. But who knows what trouble he’ll get into in America.
Yes, it is quite different, but also very similar. 😀 Both enjoyable, I don’t even know which one I like more. TCOMC didn’t have as many tangents, which is always a plus. 😉 And maybe if I re-read Les Mis, I’ll skip those bits. But they were worth it for reading the first time.
Yeah, the musical. I’m interested to see how they adapt this very long book into a musical. XD
I do know some of the songs, and I know they’re good, but I feel I have little context – I know Castle on a Cloud is young Cosette’s song, and Master of the House would have to do with the Thenardiers. And I Dreamed a Dream is definitely Fantine.
Who was my favourite??? I think you know. 😉 It’s Marius. He reminded me a lot of Albert and Maximilian. But Jean Valjean is also a favourite, and Enjolras and Courfeyrac. Cosette not as much because sometimes she seems a bit silly, but she is lovable nonetheless.
Yup. XD
I know, exactly. And the LotR appendices are a treasure trove.
Oh…I seem to remember it saying that they gradually became happy again and stopped coming to see the grave, and it got all grown over and stuff.
Yep…the musical isn’t entirely accurate by a long road, but it seems more accurate than a lot of the movies made of the book. I like it for what it is. (And I haven’t even seen the whole thing. 😛 )
Well, looking up and listening to the songs will give you more context, especially since you’ve read the book. (Btw, beware of Master of the House, ’cause while it’s sort of hilarious, it’s got quite a bit of bad language. I don’t think I even finished listening to it. Pity, ’cause it’s quite catchy.) But you could also look up a list of which songs belong to which people at which point in time, because there are probably dozens of such lists out there. 😛
I thought so. 😉 Yeah, I liked Cosette a lot better as a little girl. Oh well.
@emma-flournoy
XD
Yes!
Maybe they did, but I don’t know if it was out of forgetfulness. *shrugs*
No, I wouldn’t expect it to be, but I’m interested to see what they did with it. XD
Yeah, but I’d rather wait until I’ve watched it. 😀 I don’t like listening to movie songs before seeing them in the context of the movie/musical (my friend kept sending me songs from Moana, and I didn’t listen to any of them until I saw the movie XD).
XD Was it that obvious? 😉 Yeah, she was much more interesting as a child, because innocence seemed like just that – whereas as an older girl, and now married, it just seemed like silliness.
*shrugs with you* XD
Oh yeah, well that makes sense. 😉 I haven’t seen the movie of the musical, but I hope you like. Some people say it’s terrible, but others really like it, so I suppose it depends. 😛
Sort of, yes. XD Yep, that.
@emma-flournoy
XD
I’ll let you know when I do what I think. 😉 I think since I’m not expecting it to be very much like the book, I don’t think I’ll be really disappointed. Unlike, say, The Hobbit. 😛
XD Yeah, I figured.
*snort* Yeah, The Hobbit.
Well that’s good. 😉
@emma-flournoy
lol. See if I ever trust you to make movies out of my favourite book again. PJ! 😛 Although he’s the guy that’s supposed to direct the next Tintin movie, so maybe I should be really worried. XD
So… Les Mis took me about three months and fifteen days to read – not quite as long as TCOMC, which was more like four months. How long did I take you the first time?
Uh-oh. XD
Eight days short of three months, so not too different. Looong book. ;P
@emma-flournoy
Have you seen the Tintin movie? Steven Spielberg directed the first one and it was really good.
Yeah. XD Very long.
No, I haven’t… It’s not the same thing as Rin-Tin-Tin, is it?
@emma-flournoy
No. It’s a comic strip by Belgian artist Georges Remis (who went by Herge) about a young reporter from the 30-40s and his adventures. They’re really good. And I think the Tintin movie, although done with motion-capture 3D, really captured the spirit of Tintin (I am a big fan, so you know my expectations would be high).
Hey, that sounds neat. I think I remember you mentioning the comic strip at some point in a previous conversation. Well, I hope the next movie exceeds expectations! And with ol’ PJ behind the wheel, I guess you’ve gotta keep your chin up extra high. *solemn nod*
@emma-flournoy
They’re very fun. Yeah, I hope so too. 😉 Recent articles are saying maybe in the next three years.
Sweeet.
@emma-flournoy
So, now that I’ve finished that, what’s the next big classic you recommend I read and discuss with you? 😀
Ooh… *rubs hands gleefully* What to choose, what to choose.
I haven’t really read any other classic GIANTS, at least not such giants in size. 😛 Buuut lessee… Have you read A Tale of Two Cities? So good. It was quite awhile ago that I read it, but it was so good. What about North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell? That’s also really good, though way less in the adventure genre. Those are both slower than TCOMC or Les Mis, but N&S is even slower than ATotC. More of a romantic period drama, though not quite as light as Jane Austen things. Which I like. I like Jane Austen plenty (well, I’ve only watched the movies; never read any of the actual books. XD But I love the movies, and they’re as a general rule pretty accurate.), but I love deeper, slightly tougher stories too.
Now what about The Scarlet Pimpernel? (Or any of the rest of the series.) That’s just sheer greatness. High action but not without its emotion (those books actually get a tad overly melodramatic sometimes, which is a little annoying, but as long as you don’t read too many in a row it’s not that bad XD) and lovely/hilarious relationship stuff. I love that book. And several of the sequels. I haven’t read the whole series yet, but I’m periodically working my way through most of it. Actually reading one right now. They’re pretty awesome. Not as deep as the others, but still.
Did YOU have one in mind that I might’ve read? ;P
@emma-flournoy
I haven’t read a Tale of Two Cities yet, but it’s in the literature course thingy that we got for homeschooling, and even though we’re technically finished, I’m going to start continuing that, and that’s one of the books we get to read (so far I’ve enjoyed every book they’ve given us, except War of the Worlds).
Yes, I have read North and South. I enjoyed it, but more in the second half than the first. I do plan on reading Jane Austen as well.
I have The Scarlet Pimpernel downloaded onto my Kindle app to read (it’ll probably be the next Kindle book I start). We’ve watched the movie and I really enjoyed it!
Lol, no, I wouldn’t know what you would have read. XD Have you read Robinson Crusoe? Treasure Island? The Coral Island (I actually found that one “stalking” Daeus’ shelves on Goodreads)? They’re all very good, though it took me longer to get into Robinson Crusoe than it did the other two.
Ooh, great!
Oh nice. Have you seen the BBC mini-series of it?
Yayyy! Which movie was it you watched; the Anthony Andrews one? (With Gandalf as Chauvelin? XD) That’s the one I’ve seen. We love it. Not extremely accurate to the book (it’s more a melding of a couple of the books), but still great.
I think I read Robinson Crusoe, a looong time ago, and don’t remember it terribly well. I’ve read those other two as well, and didn’t particularly like Treasure Island (I like Kidnapped better, mainly for a particular side character), but I love The Coral Island. Peterkin’s the best. XD There’s a sequel, too; The Gorilla Hunters, about them when they’re older and come together again. Pretty funny. Another book by Ballantyne I really like (or did at least when I read it years ago) is The Norsemen in the West.
@emma-flournoy
Yes, I have. I stopped after the third episode because I was like, “I don’t need to go through this again.” XD And then someone told me how mini the mini-series was, so I finished it anyway. 😉 I actually discovered the book from watching the first episode.
Yes, I believe that was it. 😀 A very young Ian Mckellen. XD
I didn’t like the main character for Robinson Crusoe very much. I liked his man Friday better. I loved Treasure Island. I read it years ago for school, and then again just a few weeks ago. And yes, Peterkin was great in Coral Island. 😀 So fun and sweet yet still vulnerable. Oooh! I’ll have to see if that’s available on Amazon. 😉
Ha! XD
Yup. ;D
Oh yes, Friday’s sweet.
It’s great. 😉
Have you ever seen or read Little Dorrit?
We love the BBC mini-series (there are a lot of BBC mini-series we like XD), and though I haven’t read the book, Kate has and said it’s really good and close to the movie. I want to sometime. Good ol’ Dickens. It’s rather large though, larger than A Tale of Two Cities and some others. Closer in size to Les Mis and CoMC.
@emma-flournoy
I found The Gorilla Hunters free on Amazon and downloaded it! 😀 Also, I started The Scarlet Pimpernell on Sunday. I’m only two chapters in, but I’m enjoying it already. 😀
I haven’t read much (if any) Dickens, and I don’t know if we have that book – I’d have to have a look. If we do though, I might wait a bit before tackling another long book. 😉
Whoo-hoo, double yay!
Heh, I totally understand. 😛 No need to exhaust oneself, no indeed.
@emma-flournoy
I’m currently reading the Peleg Chronicles – probably one of the preachiest trilogies I’ve ever read, and not the best writing, but enjoyable nonetheless. It’s quite silly.
Heh. ;D I’ve heard of that many times. It sounds fun. And preachy. ;P
@emma-flournoy
Very preachy. Definnitely a fantasy book for people who are already Christians, or those who are not but want it shoved down their throat. 😛 XD The realest character, I think, is Fergus Leatherhead. He’s not over-the-top about it, he has internal doubts at times, yet he still has faith. That’s why he’s my favourite character.
Yeah… XD
Neat. He sounds good. Is he the guy who’s sort of like a Noah figure, or am I thinking of something wrong?
@emma-flournoy
lol, no, Noah is the “Noah figure,” even though he doesn’t actually show up in the books. It’s set after the Flood and the dispersion at the Tower of Babel (although the setting feels very medieval, so it’s a bit annoying/confusing). The author didn’t put in any actual Bible figures, as he said he, “personally afraid of adding to God’s word.”
It’s labelled as fantasy, but there’s no magic, and no mythical creatures. But there are dragons, giants and dwarfs, but they are simply dinosaurs, big people and little people.
What really annoys me is that they are often literally quoting Bible verses, more or less, when those words haven’t even been written yet. Like Psalms, thousands of years before David was even born. *shrugs* It just makes the continuity feel off and confusing about what time-period he wants it to be in.
Ohhh got it. XD I think I knew that at one point. Probably got my memories mixed up.
Huh.
Oh no, not that! *headdesk* Ergh. I really don’t like continuity problems. Especially of that sort.
(One thing that’s not really realized sometimes is that dragons ARE dinosaurs… It doesn’t HAVE to be a completely made up thing, because such creatures did exist, at least to some degree. And hey, ravens like collecting shiny things; why not dinosaurs? 😛
And big and little people. Real stuff. I love that most of fantasy is still based off of actual things.)
@emma-flournoy
lol
Yeah. He wants to be historically and biblically accurate, and I’m thinking, “I have no problems with that, just make it so.” XD
Yes, that is true, which is why he has them there. And the dragons he has really seem like actual, flying dragons. And the bible really says there were giants in the land (at least in Genesis before the Flood; and there was also Goliath, and I’m seem to remember the Bible says he had brothers).
Right. 😛
Cool. Yeah. And there were the sons of Anak and the Nephilim too, which I think were supposed to be giants (maybe they were the ones you meant before the Flood, I dunno; been awhile since I was reading in that region of the Bible. ;P).
Have you read any of the Cooper Kids adventure series? I did a looong time ago, and I don’t think I’d like them as much now, but one of them had much to do with Anak. One of the creepiest books I have ever read. The kind that makes you dread going to bed.
@emma-flournoy
I dunno either. 😛 The important thing is that there were giants. 😉
No, I don’t believe I have. What makes it so creepy? The last story I read like that was Phantom of the Opera, and one night I couldn’t get to sleep until I had finished it. XD
Yes. 😉
Well, those books as a general rule are pretty creepy ’cause they have to do with real-ish things, but that shouldn’t be alive/happening anymore. Some Christian things, too; it’s a Christian series. But this one especially was creepy because it HAD Anak in it, and he was stalking them, at twilight, and surrounding factors and just the way it was written were very real and shiver-inducing. And he was a seriously scary dude, not least from the fact that he’s technically not supposed to be alive anymore.
Heh. ;D I’ve never read that, though I’ve heard some songs from the musical. It does indeed sound oddly riveting.
@emma-flournoy
XD
Ah, I see. That sounds like it could be really creepy. I’ll either keep it in mind not to read it, or not to read it at night. 😉
From what I’ve seen of the musical (which is about half) it’s nothing like it at all (of course). But I loved the book, despite its fear-factor, and the characters. Definitely worth staying up until 4am.
😉
Lovely. 😀
@emma-flournoy
lol, yes.