Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Summary:
This is the story of Jean Valjean, a convict freshly out of prison after serving nineteen years hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread. The original sentence was five years; unsuccessful escape attempts and the resulting additional time pushed it to a grand total of nineteen years. He believed that his sentence was grossly out of proportion to his crime, and by the time of his release he had built up a tremendous bitterness toward society. This bitterness was only intensified by the rejection and scorn which he experienced in attempting to find work and lodging immediately after his release; he was determined to have his revenge against society and against God in some form or fashion. But an unthinkable act of mercy and generosity by a saintly small-town bishop drastically alters the trajectory of Valjean’s life. From that point on, Valjean determines to live as an honest man, and through the rest of the story he struggles–quite imperfectly at times–to become an honest man. Javert, an extremely zealous police chief who once supervised Valjean’s work gang, is never far behind, and is determined to have Valjean back in prison for breaking parole. Monsieur and Madame Thenardier, the owners of an inn in Montfermeil, are also pursuing Valjean for their own corrupt and dishonest ends. The story takes us from one end of France to the other, from the very top of Parisian society to the very bottom, from Waterloo to the July Revolution of 1830 and the student-led uprising of 1832 which serves as the story’s climax.


Introspection:


"You are my brother. You no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I bought your soul. I've ransomed you from fear and hatred."


Those were the words of Bishop Myriel to the ex-convict Jean Valjean who robbed him after giving him food and shelter. Instead of demanding justice for what Valjean did, Bishop Myriel gave him compassion. Because of that single act of kindness by the bishop, the cruel convict who described himself a "criminal" became a reformed man giving kindness to all of those he met.

Every single time I read it, I become humbled. I become renewed. I am reminded that it is always better to be kind than to be right. The society could be very cruel; and man could be very unjust. The law that is made to protect the people is always unmerciful and unforgiving. This book shows that the law is blind - it follows its own rules and disregards the human sufferings and the reasons behind each crime committed.

How different this world would be if we all follow the examples of Bishop Myriel and Jean Valjean.
Instead of demanding for justice and self-satisfaction, we should give compassion - compassion to the less fortunate - compassion to the wicked - compassion to the sinners. Before we condemn people, we should try to know what made them act in such ways. If only we open our eyes and open our hearts to feel what others feel, we would understand, and compassion would be easier to give. I weep as I realize what a wicked world we have - and I, too, am a part of it. I, too, am un-compassionate, uncompromising, unforgiving, merciless at times.

Jean Valjean is a selfless human being who puts everybody's welfare above his.
He couldn't let an old man die being crashed by a carriage, so he helps him even if it means exposing himself to the scrutinizing eyes of Inspector Javert that missed nothing. That is a selfless act - he puts other's welfare above his.
He couldn't let another wretched man to be sentenced of a lifetime imprisonment for his crimes, so he exposed himself. That was a selfless act - he doesn't want to someone else pay for his crimes.

He snatched the poor, helpless Fontaine from the cruel clutches of Javert's justice, and nursed her back to health. He is an examplary man. Admirable. Humble. Selfless without taking credit to himself.

All throughout his life as a reformed man, he does nothing but good to people, yet his criminal past continues to haunts him. I weep for him. I weep for this cruel world. Even until the end, he sacrifices his own safety and freedom to save the man that his adoptive daughter loves. Such an unforgettable selfless act. He decides to sacrifice himself so that two people might live and love.

In the end, his kindness triumphs, and pinch through the heart of the unfeeling justice.

Inspector Javert is a different kind of man - He is a stern man: unforgiving, even to himself. But he is honorable. He categorizes man as law-abider or law-breaker. He doesn't believe in reform or second chances. He is fanatical with the law, and often strikes with merciless iron hand. He represents the blind justice. Yet, in the end of the story, Jean Valjean beats him with kindness. He could not bring himself to persecute a man who despite his numerous, endless attempts of destruction, still saves his life - the man who showed him the kindness he doesn't deserve. Inspector Javert is so convinced that he is right, and Valjean should be arrested for being an ex-convict who escaped on parole. Yet, in the end, he knows that it is so wrong. Valjean's saving his life, and his arresting his won savior is something he could not live with. So, he ends his own life to free the man he has come to respect.

This is a very powerful book of humanity. Everyone should read it, and re-read it as a guidance on how to truly live.

Sarum - A Masterpiece

BOOK REVIEW:

Sarum is a sweeping epic that tells the tales of the five families whose lives are intertwined throughout history:

The Porters – the descendants of a proud Roman called “Porteus”.

The Masons – the devoted stone-craftsmen who were involved in the building of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.

The Godfreys – the noble descendants of the Norman family of “de Godefrois”.

The Wilsons – the gutter-fighters who rise from medieval serfdom to local lordship.

The Shockleys – honest, hardworking farmers whose family feud with the Wilsons lasts for generations.                                          

Their bloodlines run back to as far as the pre-historic times when a nomadic hunter leads his family south from what is now northern England at the onset of Ice Age in search of better hunting, and settles in the area, carefully avoiding conflict with the local hunting bands. He becomes one of their ancestors.

The history of Salisbury (Sarum is the ancient name for this area) – stretching from prehistoric times up to the present day, for a span of over ten millennia – is marvelously orchestrated through countless events, including the construction of both Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. The bloody history of England is splattered across the pages of this book – from the barbaric invasions of the Romans and Normans to the tragedy of the deadly "Black Death". The book features generations of the same families who share the same traits – Wilsons are always deceitful and shrewd; Masons are always short, fat and bald. It shows how their actions shape history and consequently, how history also affects their lives.

This is a masterpiece skillfully crafted by the master story-teller.

Edward Rutherfurd hypnotizes his readers with his historical accuracy and vivid imagination. His research with England’s history is astounding and groundbreaking in its precision.

This book is not be picked up lightly ... per se, it has 1400 pages, and it is a long narrative saga of British rich, tumultuous history.

The Stonehenge

(The below information about Stonehenge is from Wikipedia)

 

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Archaeologists have believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. Radiocarbon dating in 2008, however, has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400–2200 BC whilst another theory suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC.

Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. This multiplicity of theories, some of them very colourful, are often called the "mystery of Stonehenge"

There is little or no direct evidence for the construction techniques used by the Stonehenge builders. Over the years, various authors have suggested that supernatural or anachronistic methods were used, usually asserting that the stones were impossible to move otherwise. However, conventional techniques using Neolithic technology have been demonstrably effective at moving and placing stones of a similar size. Proposed functions for the site include usage as an astronomical observatory, or as a religious site.