I recently learned that Jean Valjean and Javert from Les Mis are based off of one single person and it’s had me thinking about their relationship within the book ever since. I think it enforces the “two sides of the same coin” trope in a much more poignant way. I almost wish this fact and the real man’s story was included before you read the book.
Eugene Francois Vidocq was a criminal who turned himself in to the police on the caveat that he would be a police informant and be treated special. After he was released, he spent time creating a network of criminals turned law enforcement and has been accredited with creating undercover police work.
I love that Victor Hugo pulled apart that duel nature and showed Javert as having such a black and white nature. This new fact almost makes me want to read the book again. Have any of you found out a fact that made you either want to reread a book or look at it differently?
by katthecurious
3 Comments
The Bible is an amazing work of fiction. It’s got laughs, cringe worthy moments, sex, murder, and everything else a growing boy needs. Just don’t take it too seriously or you’ll end up screaming at the top of your lungs about something you think is wrong while secretly doing said wrong thing when in private.
All books by Anne Perry.
I read a few of them before I watched Heavenly Creatures.
Since then I always read them a bit differently.
Not me personally, but I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and have suggested it to many people, who also loved it with one exception… My friend, part of the way through it found out that the author didn’t really have any credentials or experience with autistic children and decided that the book was no longer any good, even though he enjoyed it up to that point. I’ve since seen that this is a common criticism of the book. A criticism that I find superficial and unfounded.