How old were you when you started reading the series?

[Birdhead]

That's cool. And so's the musical (Les Mis)- apart from the fact that, well, some of the songs you wouldn't really want to sing in public, for fear of shocking. "At The End of the Day" springs to mind!
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Conservationist, Scientist, and proud of both!
Chocolate lover extraordinaire...
Ahahahaha, ahahahahaha, ahahahaha...
My mission: Bringing Maori to the world!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

[Rad]

I'm 17 right now. I first read SYWTBAW when I was 14. I became a Wizard after reading it (long story) but was forced out of it. Am I too old to be a Wizard again? I mean, kit's sister was 15, and he ssaid she was too old...

~Rad

[db_pr]

I'm eleven right now and I read the young wizards series earlier this year. I bought the Boxedr set and it had the adress to this webpage and that's how I got here.

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on it's dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie."
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep rootsare not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

[Wilf]

I know half the tunes form Les Mis (and varoius other musicals and Disney movies), but not the words. Comes of playing them in bands...

[Rad]

we had a les mis thing in choir for the last 2 years I was there, and I think I kept the music. things like at the end of the day, on my own, etc.

~Rad

[Birdhead]

FUN. You are SO lucky. (my best friend's school is doing Les Mis this year. I am unbelievably envious. It's not fair!!)

You have to admit that some phrases are... a little.... risque. In At the End of the Day, the foreman who you can "see where he stands." Or in Lovely Ladies. OK, that song you can basically not sing a line of in public. "Lovely Ladies waiting in the dark, I really cannot sing the rest because it's a BIT dodge..." just a bit dodge...
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Conservationist, Scientist, and proud of both!
Chocolate lover extraordinaire...
Ahahahaha, ahahahahaha, ahahahaha...
My mission: Bringing Maori to the world!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

personally i hate playing les mis. it was incredibly hard and i was playing percussion at the time so thats saying something. but i dont no the story so perhaps you could fill me in. well thats just me anyway. grazie!

You're only young once but you can stay immature indefintly.

My givin name (from friends) is Psychotic Susan Hardhead. Psycho Susie for short

[Agent M]

what's les mis? db_pr your eleven? I had the impression that you were like 15 or something........ oh well ages are strange, some people thought that I was 14, hah. Nope 2 years younger then that actually. I guess I'm smarter then I thought.
*Agent~M*

EVERYONE MUST READ CITY OF THE BEASTS!!!!! (I sound crazy but I don't care)
"Thank you Jack" "Your welcome" "No not you, we named the monkey Jack" -Pirates of the Caribbean
Look closely at your next subway token. And speak to strangers.- SYWTBAW 20th Ed.
"Do what the night tells you, and read the fine print before you sign!"- DW, Picchu
I lost my marbles, PLEASE HELP ME FIND THEM!!!!!!!

[Birdhead]

Les Miserables is a (brilliant) musical adapted from this immense French book. There are versions in both French and English, and obviously the one I know is English.

It's basically the story of Valjean, a man who is sent to prison for stealing a loaf of bread. He is sentenced to several years in the mines and- amazingly- survives it to be released. However after his release he becomes embittered (OK, embittered-er) by his treatment at the hands of people who can see by the numbered tattoo on his chest that he is a convict. He is invited to rest by a bishop and steals all the silverware before running away, despite the bishop's kindness to him. He is hunted down and arrested by Javert, the Chief of Police, a man with a far-too-rigid moral code who hates Valjean.

Javert drags him before the bishop saying, basically, "here is this thief who stole your silver, good bishop. He's a wrongdoing thief; you shouldn't have been so nice." The bishop, however, replies that he gave the silver to Valjean, and that Javert should not have arrested him. He also gives Valjean two silver candlesticks which, he says, he (Valjean) had forgotten. Valjean is naturally overcome with remorse, breaks his parole, and sets out to be a better man (after much recitative, naturally.)

Several years pass and Valjean, under an assumed name, becomes mayor of a town. He also owns factories and is a rich and respectable man... but his factories are another story. His foreman fires a woman named Fantine from his factory after the discovery that she is sending money to an innkeeper to keep her child for her... and because she won't sleep with him (the foreman). Valjean hears of this but thinks nothing of it. Fantine becomes a prostitute to earn money for her daughter Cosette- who, unknown to Fnatine, is being cruelly mistreated.

There is a sequence of confused events, yada yada- and then Javert (remember him? Chief inspector?) sees the mayor do something which connects him with escaped convict Valjean. But Javert can't prove it. So he arrnages to trial a man who looks something like Valjean and tells the mayor so- knowing that the mayor's honour would lead him to reveal himself. Meanwhile Valjean meets Fantine dying in a cell of TB and promises to hel her daughter. Then he sings a very dramatic very gorgeous song, Who am I, reveals himself to Javert by showing him his convict's tattoo (I'm 2 4 6 0 1!!!!) and escapes off into the sunset. He picks up Cosette and the dash off to Paris where he assumes yet ANOTHER name and lives a rich life protecting Cosette. More years pass.

Cosette falls in love with.. oh god, I can't remember his name, but he's a revolutionary (there is a subplot with a very cool character called Eponine here.) There is a mess of confused plots but Cosette falls in with the revolutionaries, and so does her "father." There is a confused deal with Javert, who infiltrates the revolutionaries. But he is denounced and Javert is handed over to Valjean- who sets him free. Javert is miserable and confused. The revolution happens. It fails. Everyone dies except Handsome Revolutionary, Cosette, Valjean and Javert. However, Revolutionary is injured and Valjean has to carry him through the streets to safety.

BUT they are arrested by Javert- who, racked with guilt, lets them go and then shoots himself, because he's all confused. (Long story.) there is more confused action. Cosette and Revolutionary get married, I think, and then go to talk to Valjean because Cosette wants to know the truth about her past. Valjean says hi, tells them the story, sings sad songs (Oh, I think it's Revolutionary who sings this AWESOME song Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. SAD...) and then dies. And Goes to heaven, rah rah rah, everyone's dead but Cosete and handsome Revolutionary. Whose name I still can't remember because I'm PRETTY sure (pretty sure...) thatit was his companion, not him, who was Enjrolas. Oh well.
Love that musical, but I left out all the dirty bits.
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Conservationist, Scientist, and proud of both!
Chocolate lover extraordinaire...
Ahahahaha, ahahahahaha, ahahahaha...
My mission: Bringing Maori to the world!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

[Agent M]

Cool. Yeah I think my mom was talking about that a while ago...

*Agent~M*

EVERYONE MUST READ CITY OF THE BEASTS!!!!! (I sound crazy but I don't care)
"Thank you Jack" "Your welcome" "No not you, we named the monkey Jack" -Pirates of the Caribbean
Look closely at your next subway token. And speak to strangers.- SYWTBAW 20th Ed.
"Do what the night tells you, and read the fine print before you sign!"- DW, Picchu
I lost my marbles, PLEASE HELP ME FIND THEM!!!!!!!

[papercrane]

[Birdhead]

*giggles* Sorry about the insanely long summary...

Yeah, Eponine ROX. But unfortunately in a broken down plot summary she isn't hugely important, so all I could do is mention here. Ilike her songs but I like others more- Do you Hear the People Sing, At the End of the Day, Who am I, and others.
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Conservationist, Scientist, and proud of both!
Chocolate lover extraordinaire...
Ahahahaha, ahahahahaha, ahahahaha...
My mission: Bringing Maori to the world!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

[papercrane]

I was so sad for Eponine. Seriously. I couldn't stop talking about her for a looong time after I saw Les Mis. Hey, I'm still talking about her!
I liked Do You Hear the People Sing but I didn't specially like the others...not that they're bad, they just didn't stand out in my mind. Except maybe Who am I.

I am what I am
I'm super fortified hundred proof girl with a band
and I'm a velveteen rabbit made of steel with a plan...
I'll save the planet change the world
I'll make a one girl stand
--Superchic[k], 'Real'

[Birdhead]

Who am I just has the most AMAZING rhymes. I'm a sucker for majestic lyrics, so I realy liked
And must my name until I die/be no more than an alibi/must I lie or My soul belongs to god I know/I made that bargain long ago/he gave me hope when hoe was gone/he gave me strength to carry on. Mind you that particular tune is fabulous..

Yeah, yeah, I know.
T

Tuibird in Aotearoa
Conservationist, Scientist, and proud of both!
Chocolate lover extraordinaire...
Ahahahaha, ahahahahaha, ahahahaha...
My mission: Bringing Maori to the world!
Spelling Freak and Typo Queen

[papercrane]

Whoa, did I just kill this thread? I mean, I show up and after two posts...well, it's been four days. Maybe I'm manifesting my hidden thread-killing talent--post once to maim, twice to kill. Or maybe I'm paranoid and have a short attention span.

I am what I am
I'm super fortified hundred proof girl with a band
and I'm a velveteen rabbit made of steel with a plan...
I'll save the planet change the world
I'll make a one girl stand
--Superchic[k], 'Real'