Today, I finished it.
It's worth every single minute--even the minutes involving 19 pages of the history of Paris' sewers (I'm a firm believer that you need to go into a book assuming every single word is there for a reason). I feel accomplished and completely satisfied. Dear reader, you must know this book. It is, in a word, vast--every single aspect of the book, from the characters to the setting, is complete in every detail, no matter how briefly it appears. It's staggering. I can't believe it only took him 17 years to write it. I'm at a loss for words to fully capture how awesome this book is (as evidenced by my disconnected and understated sentences).
If you read no other books in your life other than the Bible and Les Miserables, I think you'll be okay.
"If we want to be happy, monsieur, we must never understand duty; for, as soon as we understand it, it is implacable. It is as though it punishes you for understanding it; but no, it rewards you for it; for it puts you in a hell where you feel God at your side. Your heart is not quickly lacerated when you are at peace with yourself."
