Les Misérables: Translated by Julie Rose

By: Victor Hugo, Julie Rose - translator

Narrated by: George Guidall

One of the great classics of world literature and the inspiration for the most beloved stage musical of all time, Les Misérables is legendary author Victor Hugo’s masterpiece. This extraordinary English version by renowned translator Julie Rose captures all the majesty and brilliance of Hugo’s work. Here is the timeless story of the quintessential hunted man—Jean Valjean—and the injustices, violence, and social inequalities that torment him.

©2008 Random House (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“Rich and gorgeous. This is the [translation] to read.” ( Times (London))

Stunning. Life-altering. Best Narrator.

I almost never write reviews but this work was so great I felt that I owed it to honor, post-mortem the author, the translator, and last but not least the narrator. Yet how do I write a review on a book that is a Literary Classic already and has been reviewed by countless individuals certainly more qualified than myself? How could I bring anything new to this work? I won't try to attempt this other than point out the excellence of the narrator and some other aspects.

In such an epic masterpiece you need a masterful narrator and I've found George Guidall to be top of his class, par none. Mr. Guidall drew out each character, adding subtle inflections, cadences that brought life to the story in what I imagined Victor Hugo intended when he wrote the book. I can't imagine narrating a book 50+ hours and being so consistent as Mr. Guidall. There was no evidence whatsoever of weariness, he was in a word, awesome.

We all are familiar with movies we've seen that are much longer than the traditional 80 minutes, that perhaps were 3 hours but the time just flew by. This is how I see this version. I have a long commute and with a companion like this audiobook I was taken away to a time long ago, to a character of the highest nobility with a heart as tender as they come - Jean Valjean, a nemesis representing the anthesis of grace - Javert, and redemption all played out on a scale as large as life itself. I was never anxious for it to end and was left feeling like I was leaving someone I got to know that I wouldn't see again. I didn't want to go, I didn't want it to end.

This is and will be I suspect, one of the best audiobooks I have listened to. I have listened to quite a few up to this point.

Thank you Mr. Hugo, Julie Rose, Mr. George Guidall and finally Audible.com.

Best Recording of One Greatest Books of All Time?

Would you consider the audio edition of Les Misérables: Translated by Julie Rose to be better than the print version?

YES. I couldn't get past Hugo's occasional rambling's, but the audiobook version made them tolerable.

Any additional comments?

George Guidall is absolutely WONDERFUL as a reader. His characterizations is absolutely spot on as what I would imagine them to be.

I laughed. I cried. It moved me.

What made the experience of listening to Les Misérables: Translated by Julie Rose the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed the back story to the characters. It made their actions truly come to life and seem like a real possibility. When watching the movie, I question the extreme coincidence that makes everything work together. The coincidence is still there in the book but is plausible. The smallness of the world is what ties everything together even when the vastness of the world diverts attention.

What did you like best about this story?

The basic story is well known through movies and the musical but the intricate parts that Hugo spends time building up, explaining and then tying together are a real masterpiece. I felt we had an entire book on the background of Waterloo that made me wonder why we were there until Thenaldier showed up and then it made sense. If you look close enough, the whole world is tied together in the lives of these characters and nothing is wasted.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

As we got closer to the meat of the book I didn't want to stop listening. I would find excuses to drive so I could catch another chapter. My morning walks became longer and longer. To listen straight through for 60 hours would be ludicrous though so I could not. It took me a month and even now, I miss spending time with Jean Valjean.

Any additional comments?

A story worth the journey. A journey worth the time.

Fabulous performance and translation!

What did you love best about Les Misérables: Translated by Julie Rose?

Having read the novel in French as a teenager, I appreciate how this wonderful translation makes the text come alive for contemporary audiences.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The characters represent absolutes: absolute Good, absolute Evil, absolute Suffering. My favorite character is the narrator, who plays with the reader in his references to himself as the teller of the story, sometimes mentioning historical figures named "Hugo" who are identified as relatives.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Guidall's performance is spectacular. He brings the characters to life in a variety of appropriate accents and just enough change in voice quality to make the dialogues realistic. His French pronunciation is superb. The long historical digressions are much more intereesting to hear than to read--I am sure I skipped many of them when I read it but listening has taught me much. I will look forward to hearing his other performances.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

A particularly compelling scene is where Marius is spying on Thenardier's ambush of "Monsieur LeBlanc". The young man is faced with an impossible choice: saving the noble father of the woman he loves or obeying the dying wish of his own father to protect the criminal who had rescued him at Waterloo.

Any additional comments?

I would never have had the patience to reread this daunting work but the ability to listen while doing other things has made it fresh again.

A great classic and a great performance

What made the experience of listening to Les Misérables: Translated by Julie Rose the most enjoyable?

The narrator has an enthusiastic tone and the plot is memorable

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

His accent and enthusiasm

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it is really long so I was not planning to listen in one day.

Any additional comments?

There are long periods about history and a seemingly irrelevant backstory. this was difficult to listen to after a while but the overall plot is great, so maybe listening to the abridged version would be better

Worth the time

It's an old book that doesn't read like an old book. The story is engaging, the narration is great, and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Outstanding

This story is a beautiful story of redemption. It reminds us that God loves us and cares about us. It also reminds us that we make choices and not responsible for those choices. We can choose to love him or we can choose to turn our backs on him. Jean Valjean chose to love him. Javert chose to turn his back. Jean Valjean received grace. Javert chose the law and death.

Be Jean Valjean.

It was worth the read

hours upon hours of goodness. this took me a few weeks to complete, and I will have to read it again, maybe a dozen times. no wonder this is a classic.

Classic

Guidall brings this book to life. It was an epic tale filled with many digressions, but worth all the rabbit holes to see what grace does to change a person and those around him.

Sublime

Refreshingly like no other book. I appreciate the translators knowing French pronunciations that I don't.