Les Miserables

This magnificent book will test your commitment to reading only unabridged versions. Working through the six chapters on the history of the Paris sewer system will try even the most determined--but I suppose it's ok to skip over some of the long lists of names of French engineers.

I read this after watching the musical, because I wanted to know how come M. Thenadier, the innkeeper, and his wife, became so rich at the end of the show. The book answered that question, and also provided a rich and haunting story that so inspired me, it changed my life. The nobility of the character of Jean Valjean will always remain an inspiration to me.