Dear Mr. Hugo,
Every time someone mentions your masterpiece Les Miserables, my eyes water. Well, maybe not every time. It does have a great effect on me, though. I cannot think of a more complex novel, filled with freedom and enslavement, love and hatred, death and rebirth. The characters are so genuine and have such depth, especially Jean Valjean and Fantine. Their lives of suffering are so dreadful and somewhat painful to read, yet are very powerful stories. Often when I listen to the soundtrack and Fantine sings “I dreamed my life would be so different from this hell I’m living,” I cry. I simply cannot imagine a life where I am so desperate that I must sell myself as a prostitute. Fantine sacrifices everything she has, her dignity, her lifestyle, her beauty, and even her life so her Cosette can be taken care of. The irony is the innkeeper and his wife treat Cosette like a slave. They express the selfish heart of man.
It’s incredible the way you reveal God’s love and grace in countless situations ranging from the bishop forgiving Valjean to him sparing Javert when he had the chance to kill him. Without forgiveness and mercy, this world would never move forward. This story always encourages me in my faith. I am less likely to give up hope when I think of Les Miserables. The fact that Fantine continues to love God even when she is in the deepest hole and nearly dying, encourages me. I used to be one who was quick to judge others, but this book has helped me to see them from a different light.
Also, I have learned not to take things for granted all the time. I am so blessed to live in the Land of Opportunity with an abundance of food, and I have clothes to keep out the chill. For centuries, the citizens in France fiercely fought for their freedom. Even though they were poor and had next to nothing, they sacrificed what they did have. I’m thankful that I live in a free country where I don’t have to be afraid to stand up and raise my voice.
Of course, every good story needs a love story. It just doesn’t always have to be a romance between two lovers. You clearly illustrate the love of the father. Even though Cosette is not his own, Valjean cares for her as if she is. He makes sure no one harms her as long as he is living. When Marius is hurt and close to dying, he prays for his safety and explains that he is the like the son he might had known if God had granted him a son. He is willing to die for Marius.
One of my favorite characters who grows and develops throughout the story is Javert. When he was first introduced in the story, I hated him. He was mean, callus, cruel, and I found nothing to like about him. But as the tale goes along, he grows to realize God is forgiving. Valjean finally has the chance to fulfill his vengeance and to take Javert’s life, but he simply lets him go free. At this point Javert realizes the beauty and sincerity of God’s amazing grace. Though it is his duty to find Valjean and to arrest him, he believes this man is forgiven and therefore struggles deciding between duty and justice. He cannot live with this controversy and kills himself.
Your book has made me such a different person, Mr. Hugo. I have read countless books, but none are as clever and as moving as Les Miserables. You have shown me the realities and the horrors of this world. But you have also shown me that there is always hope and that the love and grace of God is unending. Thank you so much for this.
With all sincerity,
Joanna Bernardini
