The 2018 Reading Challenge - #13 - A Book that is also a Stage Play or a Musical

Hello bookworms :)

Its Wednesday again and that brings a new review for my Reading Challenge.

Today its my choice for the category - A Book that is also a Stage Play or a Musical.

There are soooo many options you could read 50 book only for this category ^^

My choice is a classic, a book many read and probably loved and a book which was adapted for many stages also a book which is in my reading list for a very long time so finally I am actually reading it ;)

Les Misérables

by Victor Hugo

Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862. It is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, i.e. The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. Les Misérables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for the stage, television, and film.

Again the summary from goodreads:

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"Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean—the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread—Les Misérables ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it, Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them to the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose. Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier, and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les Misérables gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait that resulted is larger than life, epic in scope—an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart."

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I´ll give it a 8 out of 10

Don´t get me wrong here I really loved this book but I have to go down in my rating a bit mainly because I just did not like it all the way through...and it was so hard in some parts to keep on reading...everything in this book is in someway important for the story and the connections between historic events and characters but reading all about the battle of Waterloo is yes interesting but also sooo well boring...don´t know how to describe it better...I mean if you are a huge fan of such historical events that´s amazing but I never really was ;) shame on me...a bit. and yes when you keep on reading you will see that it´ll be kind of important for motives and characters later on.
I love all the details in the story just as much as I find them annoying...its that Tolkien thing ;) the balance between too much and just enough detail in the description ^^
I don´t know how precise the battles and everything historic are described in this book but if everything is correct than I think its an amazing way to learn about the time and its events.
Its described in an amazing and interesting way and yes I feel like I´m stultify myself too ^^ haha
I just want to say its an amazing style in writing, I absolutely love the characters and I think its definitely something everyone should read once in ones life ;) Its just really hard to read it on one week and yes I still have like 150 pages left but I feel like I can say enough about it to write this review. If you have and take time to read this you will love it ^^

For a little more inspiration and some alternatives ^^

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Carrie by Stephen King

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

and of cause all the books which are actually written as plays...Shakespeare and Goethe and all of these (question is...do these count since they are actually stage plays)...all the Jane Austen and Bronte Sisters Books and the Charles Dickens ones...just many many of the classics of literature are adapted as Stage Plays or even as Musicals.

there is an amazing list on Wikipedia with Novels which are also Musicls or use this goodreads list for inspiration

Which book did you choose for this category?

Did you read Les Mis or did you watch the movie or see it on stage?
What do you think about it and which kind of storytelling is your fave - did you read any other book that is also a stage play or a musical before and can you recommend it?

With lots of love

♥♥♥

Ella