Les Miserables - Classics Illustrated (1997 Edition)

Les Misérables—Classics Illustrated 1997

45 pages

Illustrated by Norman Node

Character Checklist:

Eponine: unnamed, in the background only

Gavroche: maybe in one panel, as an unnamed messenger

Enjolras: no (random unnamed revolutionaries)

M. Gillenormand: unnamed, in the background

Both Mlle. Baptistine and Mme. Magloire: yes, but only Mme. Magloire is named

Thénardiers, after the inn: yes

Sister Simplice: no

Azelma: unnamed, in the background

Gavroche's brothers: no

Fauchelevant: yes

Mme. Victurnien: unnamed

Petit Gervais: yes (but unnamed)

M. Mabeuf: no

Toussaint: no

Events Checklist:

Hugo's original preface used

Valjean is in prison at the beginning

Bishop Myriel remains asleep during the robbery (apparently)

Fantine and Félix Tholomyès

Fantine sells her teeth

Fantine becomes a prostitute

Valjean buries his money

Fight at Fantine's Deathbed

The Ship Orion

Valjean meets Cosette at the well

First incident at Gorbeau House

Javert chases Valjean and Cosette

Through Paris

On foot

The second incident at Gorbeau House

Valjean and Cosette see the chain gang

Lamarque's funeral is shown or mentioned

Chase through sewers (no, Javert actually looking for Thénardier outside sewer exit!)

Story continues after Javert's suicide

Marius, after learning Valjean's history, treats him badly

Details Checklist:

Valjean branded
No number mentioned
Works in the galleys (galleys mentioned but not shown)

The factory makes glass beads

The doll, Catherine (not named)

The garden at Rue Plumet (shown, but not named)

Correct address? (not mentioned)

The Luxembourg Garden

The town's name is Montreuil-sur-Mer (called, as in the old editions, M-- sur M--)

The man Valjean saves in Arras is named Champmathieu (not named)
Valjean's name becomes Fauchelevant (not said)
Eponine/Gavroche as Thénardier's child (Eponine is, but she is never named)

Production Notes:

Classics Illustrated, or, as originally called, Classic Comics, was a way to bring literary masterworks to people who normally wouldn't pick up a book. Many high school kids used them as a kind of proto-Monarch Notes. But to say they were a replacement for the originals is hardly the case. Still, they have their role in literary interpretations, so it isn't out of line to compare them to other media.

This updated version of the 1950's attempt has several things going for it--better production values for one thing. It has a glossy cardstock cover, clear four color digital printing, and a squarebound spine. Those are the good points. On the bad side, the book is only 5 1/2" by 7 1/2", so the images are very small and the panels are crowded with dialog and description. On the worse side, the character design again fails appallingly, the pacing is abrupt and most of the main plot points occur in single sentences in the descriptive panels.

As for the other details of the plot:

Yet again, Fantine is not a prostitute, there is no mention at all of Cosette's father, legitimate or not; again, the shop steward fires her inexplicably. The fact that she "is involved in a street fight" is mentioned, but nothing further made of it than the fact that suddenly she's in front of Javert being sentenced.
As neither Gavroche nor Eponine (in any capacity other than background fodder) appears, mysterious "messengers" take messages back and forth, or even bigger coincidences than normal occur. For example, Marius, despondent over losing track of Cosette in the Luxembourg, happens to walk down the right street and sees her in the garden. Lucky duck!
For once, someone gets it right; Javert jumps from the parapet of the quay between the bridges, not from the bridge itself! And there was much rejoicing! Yaaaaaayyy!!

The Best Things About This Version:

As in the other Classics Illustrated version, the best things about this version are all the different little bits that got done right. We see a woman in the background of Fantine's attic room, and know it is Marguerite, the old woman who was with her as her life dwindled to despair; Javert give Marius the guns, Valjean ties the rope around Cosette's waist and hauls her up the side of the convent wall; both Gorbeau House incidents occur. We know the woman who hires and fires Fantine is Mme. Victurnien.

The essay at the end is informative on many points: Victor Hugo's life, the times in which the book exists, the Romantic literature movement to which it belongs. It even discusses several of Hugo's prominent themes, such as law versus conscience, light versus dark, the repetitive theme of water, etc.

The Worst Things About This Version:

Character design again!

One: This version of the book stars Walt Whitman as Jean Valjean, Roger Dimmesdale as Javert, and Aunt Jemima as Fantine.

Two: The Garden at Rue Plumet. In case you ever wondered about the people who modeled the decorative tops for wedding cakes, here you go.

Three: Okay, the difference between Thénardier and Valjean is that Valjean's beard is whiter and he's the one that's tied up.

Even more encapsulated than the other Comics Illustrated. Fewer pages, more stuff.

Gavroche actually appears sort of in one panel, handing Valjean a note from Marius to Cosette, though he is not named and appears nowhere else. However, he is discussed at great length in the essay following the comic.

The Silver Candlestick Awards ("Stickies®")

And the awards go to....

Worst Mistake Ever: The candlesticks only appear in the scene with the Bishop. They don't even make a token ending in Valjean's death scene! Bad enough. But it gets worse: though in the panels they are described as being silver, as you can see they are clearly colored gold. Exhibit A:

Biggest Fashion Victims:

One: Javert in a bowtie.

Two: Cosette wearing a giant clam.

Three: Thénardier wearing a... oh my God.... (and Fantine's name is misspelled. As if that's the worst thing in this panel!)

Last Thing I Ever Wanted To See: a foreground shot of Thénardier's hinder! Yaaaaahhh!!

Where to find this Version

Many comic book stores and some regular bookstores will carry this. Often these can be found alongside the Cliffs Notes and Monarch Notes.

Back to Main Page--Back to Comparison Menu

Review ©2000 Arlene C. Harris. May be distributed, with this copyright notice intact. Jacket art ©the owner of the work, who is not me; it is provided as a visual aid for those trying to tell the difference between one video and another, so don't sue me. I'm trying to help.