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I finally saw Les Miserables! This was my first exposure to the story, aside from general osmosis. Sadly, the movie was generally underwhelming in itself--the story made me want to read the book, and the music made me wish I was seeing the stage show. This was a particularly poignant wish because I almost did go see the touring production when it came here a couple months ago, but it would have cost too much to get even a slightly decent seat. I still would've been able to hear it, though. Ugh, it must be so great live. I have recordings I will watch promptly but they'll probably just make me sadder.

I'm considering trying to read the book, which is probably a ridiculous idea. I'm not afraid to skip ahead liberally, though. That's how I got through Tolkien. So I bet I could do it. Mainly I'm concerned about having to hold it up hour after hour, that's going to be hard on my back. (An ebook is out of the question because it makes it too hard to skim ahead and skip to wherever the interesting parts start again.)

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I had wondered how the movie would read to someone who didn't know the show or the book; it was so clearly made by and for people who were fans of both. (Actually, visually it read to me almost like they'd made the zillion-part series of the book and then vidded that to the show.)

And the book is awesome-- I'm rereading it now; it's my ninth time through, but the first time in 17 years, which is a kind of weird experience, and I do recommend it, though it is kind of a ridiculous undertaking. Meanwhile,

skygiants has just finished a five-part series of book recaps-- a she-reads-it-so-you-don't-have-to-- which is HILARIOUS and highly recommended.

Actually, visually it read to me almost like they'd made the zillion-part series of the book and then vidded that to the show.

That's an excellent way of putting it!

It felt very much like shorthand, basically. All those songs with one verse! All those revolutionaries with one line (and no names)!

I think I'm going to tackle the book, but I reserve the right to skip anything, plot-relevant or not, or I'll definitely never finish it. This is the most ridiculous of projects to undertake at a time when I'm having so much trouble reading I can't even finish really awesome fanfic with porn in it, but I'm going to try!

I felt the same way about it. I really hated most of the choices Tom Hooper made-like the single long take of someone's face worked great for Anne Hathaway, but it got old real fast after that. I liked the music though, and wished I could have seen it live. And maybe reading the book will give me insight as to how a slash fandom has sprung up around the guys on the barricade, which I found a little bewildering.

Man, I can't even deal with how great it must be live. Someday :( Really I think the directing would have worked better if most of the actors could really sing. What were they thinking with the casting, honestly? I mean I get that you need stars, I do, but...it's a MUSICAL. It is literally NOTHING BUT SINGING. And yet.

Apparently in the book there's a lot more gay? (And also a lot more named barricade guys.) I have heard people talking about it, tbqh it's half the reason I saw the movie at all.

The barricade boys have personalities, interactions, and massive subtext in the book.

Marius tells one of them "I have come to sleep with you" in my translation.

And that's before you count the guys who are compared to every single pair of classical boyfriends Hugo could fit into his word count, and it's a big word count.

I am reading the book on e-book! And yeah, it is slow going - after three weeks I seem to be 16% of the way through, says Kindle. So far I have mostly felt hugely defensive of female background characters nonstop (if you would like a book spoiler that is not a movie spoiler, I have one at the ready). I am not actually minding the huge passages of filler, so long as it stays in the realm of describing peoples' houses and going on about the economic arrangements of collective cheese manufacturies and occasionally being preachy about poverty. I have already had it up to here with lavish descriptions of wan godly women whose pale skin and fine bones describe to the reader the very essence of heaven on earth as sunlight shining through a leaf etc. etc. etc. oh my god Hugo we get it.