As when I started on the book about a year ago, I again find myself in humble awe at the godly character of the bishop who is introduced at great length at the beginning of the story. Perhaps it was because I was feeling tired or some other excuse, but during that portion of the book I had a number of occasions where I had a definite tightness in the throat and tears in the eyes. I guess I'm a sucker for benevolence, grace, humility and kindness.
The entire length of the story is about 60 hrs of listening time, and I finished 12 within the last couple days. That makes for being a fifth of the way through.
I'm frequently amazed at how descriptive Victor Hugo is (or possibly the translator). I feel keenly aware of how gifted he is, like a great artist or sculptor creating with skill and ease that confounds the average person. I wonder why it is we don't have writers like him these days? Or do we and I'm unaware of it? There is a great deal I'm unaware of.
Key aspects of the story that I've enjoyed are how descriptive he is of the emotions which key characters experience. He describes them in ways that include the external and inward landscapes, sounds, dialogs, and intensities. The high points are exultantly high and low points are abysmally low. Dilemmas are real and complex and fully laid out with many nuances, all having a direct reflection on the Virtues and the character of the perplexed.
I'm enjoying it immensely.
Here's a random picture (to keep up with my running trend).
2 comments:
Nothing wrong with being moved to tears when encountering goodness and mercy. I would say it is a good thing in a man.
I agree. I don't think there is much recent writing that compares to the older classics. It is a sad thing, and I can't help thinking it has something to do with pervasive media and background noise. What would it be like to write during a time when all there was to describe what you could see and feel was words?
Finding some of the older classics to be real treasures is wonderful. I read through this one during the slow hours at Info, and, though some of the longer passages went rather slow (especially the part about the battle field) I really enjoyed it. Your post is quite a good promotion for the book. :)
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