A common New Year’s tradition is creating resolutions and striving to achieve them throughout the year. This is a tradition I have adopted for the past couple of years as an incentive for me to take care of myself and find ways I can effectively use my time.
As the year 2023 came to an end, I decided to make it my emphasized goal to finish the book Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I was first introduced to the movie version of Les Misérables when I was six years old. Since then, I have grown to enjoy the plotline, relish listening to the soundtrack and admire the characters portrayed. In fact, I watched the musical at the San Diego Civic Theater with my mom for my 17th birthday on Oct. 14, it was a remarkable experience.
Written in 1862, the book was originally written in French and debuted in 1980 as a musical production. The plotline spans 17 years revolving around Jean Valjean—a convict in 19th-century France—who is released from prison and reformed as an industrialist while constantly being pursued by inspector Javert, an officer who’s heavily strict on morality. The timeline fast forwards to the June Rebellion, an uprising in Paris against the rule of King Louis-Philippe triggered by economic hardships countless disadvantaged individuals faced.
Although the vague description of the plot sounds insufferable, the book itself may not be as unbearable—for some. It is divided into 5 volumes, each volume divided into 48 books and subdivided into 365 chapters. During my winter break, I took the opportunity to get a head start on my reading.
When I began reading the first pages of Les Misérables, I was caught off guard by its approach to the story in comparison to the musical and the movie. A major difference I noticed was the book’s prominent details that are not portrayed in the musical or the movie. As far as it goes, the character and historical details were precise, in a way that I could easily envision the narration. However, I found myself rereading sentences out loud like a broken record; I truly appreciate the details Hugo decided to add to the settings, conversations and characters.
As the book follows an extremely slow pace of the timeline, I take the chance to immerse myself into my thoughts and emotions, something I am not able to do often. I am provided with space to reflect on the present. My ongoing journey of reading Hugo’s book further allows me to understand and appreciate small details not only in the story but also in life.
Just like the majority of the population, I live in a fast paced environment—whether it be scrambling to finish my school work, finishing my chores or getting ready to go out. This can create a challenge for me to catch my breath and find purpose in the work I am doing.
As much as I am enjoying the process of reading Les Misérables, I hope to find meaning and appreciation in various aspects of my life. Although it takes an extra sense of commitment, practicing gratitude can be important, allowing us to cultivate and find appreciation for the little things. Moreover, I hope to be more mindful of my feelings and thoughts—allowing me to be more present in the moment. Of course, it doesn’t take a cent to be able to acknowledge or embrace some of the simplest pleasures in life. For me, my daily routine of making a cup of matcha latte or watching my favorite TV show may be mundane, but something I will always look forward to.
