Les Miserables

I have read the book
Well done Luckygirl, that is quite a feat!

I remember when DN told me she was reading it (in the original French) at university

I am really enjoying it and think it's brilliant. It has me putting down my tablet, book, phone etc and giving it my full attention and if anything can do that it has to be good. I have seen the musical and this is helping to flesh out the bare bones of the story and giving me a lot more understanding of the storyline. Can't wait for episode 3!

Watching this I have realised that it seems that in those times, woman 1890s and earlier just did not wear their hair short, I had wondered if it was sometimes regarded as a sign of bad woman.

Even much more recently than this, it wasn't normal for women to wear their hair short. Girls wore it hanging down or loosely tied, while adult women wore it fastened up. It was only after the First World War, in the 1920s, that short, bobbed hair it became common in Britain. My Granny, born about 1875, never had her hair cut in almost a century.

Chopping off a woman's hair has often been used to humiliate her and take away her womanliness. Women who were thought to have fraternised with enemy soldiers sometimes had their hair cut off as a punishment and a mark of shame.

I think the 'Eton Crop' came in, in the 1920s and until then women wore their hair long and up. My DM went and had her hair cut short in the Eton Crop (the first young woman to do so in their area) and got into trouble with her employer for not asking permission first!
Then her employer asked her where she'd had it done and went and had hers cropped too.

Women who were thought to have fraternised with enemy soldiers sometimes had their hair cut off as a punishment and a mark of shame.
Wasn't that a scene in Ryan's Daughter (Sarah Miles) grannyticktock?

Happened to a lot of women in N Ireland too at the height of the troubles.

Jalima Russell Crowe was better when he was doing his "father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife" etc., monologue kitted out in gladiatorial gear, he looked positively alright then, albeit the odd Australian overtones creeping in now and again, not something one equates with Rome in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, but at least he didn't sing

Wonderful to see this as a fully blown drama. I have read the book and seen the musical twice and I'm loving the drama.

albeit the odd Australian overtones creeping in now and again
Ah, but he is a Kiwi!

he looked positively alright then
He did!

At the risk of being shot down in flames I hated the film and most of the songs especially when they sing at each other! OK I don't like Russell Crowe which might have had some bearing on it but being open minded I always said the musical might be better though have never actually quite made it. I have tried to watch the film again on TV having learned a 'Les Mis' medley at choir but could not follow the story at all and drifted off again.

Now this TV series I am compelled to watch and I love it. Grim though it is, it feels to be about real people I can care about and I can fit it into my historical knowledge. Luckily I am not distracted by any songs because I do not know where they fit into the story (and most of them I don't know anyway). I can't wait for the next episode, though the one thing I do know is that it doesn't end well!

Oh I ve loved everything, musical, film And now am totally transfixed with this drama I ve never known an hour go so quickly I realise my eyes and thoughts never wander which is really unusual for me I am usually bored if I already know the story but this must be testament to the brilliant writing and acting

My DH loves Les Mis We have seen it several times on stage. Every film there ever was, including the most recent ,twice. We have a DVD of the 25th anniversary celebrations. Often played He is now struggling with the book.First 20 pages are about the Bishop and his candlesticks , ( so he tells me) At the moment he is whistling all the songs. My DD has just bought us tickets to see it at the Cardiff Millennium Centre at Christmas. I should be fed up with Les Mis, but no. Look forward to Sunday evening and am totally engrossed

I'm with you BlueBelle enjoying every minute. It's even held my husband's interest for every episode so far.

I think I am enjoying it but got a horrible feeling it isn’t going to end well

Hated the Russell Crowe film. Liam Neeson one brilliant.

I wondered, having seen the stage show 3 times over the years and watched the most recent film version ,wether to bother watching this adaptation.DH is a huge fan.The only musical he likes !And years of him playing the CD on every long car journey had nearly put me off it altogether.
However it's absolutely riveting, and so well cast.And a whole new dimension added to the characters.
Also made me realise that much as I like Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe well enough in other things I didn't like the film that much.
It's also made me want to rewatch Andrew Davies' War and Peace again.

Well this isn't called "Les Miserables" for nothing, and it is so sad I can hardly bear to watch it.

An ex-colleague has seen the show more than 30 times. He sometimes works in London and one day he was the only person in the audience. It was immediately after terrorist activity and no one was coming to London. He sat in the front row and sang along. At the end the cast applauded him.

There is no comparison with the musical, which I enjoyed to this adaptation which I presume is based on Victor Hugo's book.

What a story pensionpat

Yes it is PP. He sounds addicted, like the Sound of Music groupies! It's a wonder that they didn't cancel the show with just one member of the audience! Bet he's still dining out on that experience.

I decided to watch 4 programme's back to back and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I cannot pick a fault with the acting, casting, costume and make-up departments have excelled , obviously the story is brilliant. As the saying goes ' What's not to like '.

I think Dominic West is portraying Jean Valjean brilliantly likewise Lily Collins as poor Fantine. Who knew we could ever learn to hate Olivia Colman or David Oyelowo but they too have captured Madame Thénardier and Javert judiciously. If it were a pantomime the audience wouldn't stop booing and hissing at them.

I hope the remaining programmes keep the pace and I for one can't wait to watch more .

I didn't like Helena Bonham-Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the Thenardiers in the latest film. I thought they were more like a music hall act than the cruel devious people they were. That said I think Olivia Colman portrays that well hidden cruelty and amorality beautifully.
Also no film or stage performance has ever exactly explained Gavroche, the boy who gets shot. I know now he was one of the Thenardier children.

I loved Helena Bonham-Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen portrayal of the Thenardiers in the film and whosoever it was I saw in the stage musical. But you cannot compare with this. They are two very different genres.

Both wonderful in their own ways. That’s what the performing arts are all about; freedom of interpretation and a willing suspense of disbelief.