Fantine
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What is the most boring...Part of Les Miserables, be it book or musical?
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Orestes Fasting
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Book: that @#$%(*! convent part.
Musical: most of the solos. I like Valjean's soliloquy, especially after seeing Randal Keith, because it actually depicts something happening in his head. But after the emotional impact of IDAD, OMO, or Empty Chairs has faded away from listening on repeat, there's nothing left there. Just pretty orchestrations and an actor chewing scenery as they relate the woe of their tortured soul.
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Jordan
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In terms of the musical, AHFOL bores me to tears. Turning also does.
In the book, god only knows how many pages describing the difference between a revolution and an insurrection. The same with tales of Thenardier's exploits at the Battle of Waterloo.
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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Book:
The entire introduction with the Bishop...
And the whole part describing the Sewers...
Musical/Reasons:
1. At the End of the Day: The first few time it was intresting. Then it got really, really boring.
2. Lovely Ladies: Same here.
3. Castle On a Cloud: Yes, I get it, we should feel bad for her. Now shut up.
4. After hearing the "Do you hear the people sing" bit, I get pretty tired of listening to anything with the ABC Friends. They kill us with scenes where they plan the attack. I could've done with just one scene with them planning.
5. We don't need a dozen scenes with Marius/Cosette singing about how much they love each other. Cut it down to one.
That's about it.
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Pounce
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I cringe everytime they get to "Drink With Me".
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olly
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Lovely Ladies
Castle on a Cloud
A Heart Full of Love
One Day More (Just kidding!)
A Little Fall Of Rain
In My Life
Every Day
Basically, anything and everything with the wretched Marius/Cosette love songs. It gets so repetitively monotonous and boring. This is not open to conjecture... 
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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| Pounce wrote: | | I cringe everytime they get to "Drink With Me". |
I forgot that one.
Yes, that sucks, too. 
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Orestes Fasting
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Really? I think A Heart Full of Love and Every Day are freaking adorable if done right, and On My Own is usually a snoozefest for me.
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piscesmoni
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In the Book: The chapters where he wrote and defined what gamin meant and other such chapters that were completely skippable and filled with too much description.
In the Musical: Turning, Drink With Me
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EponinesRain
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Book: I got bored and skimmed the parts about Marius' relatives, like his grandfather M. Gillenormand and his Aunt what's-her-name. Like Piscesmoni, I probably quickly read over the very minute details and definitions, as well.
Musical: Not much to complain here. Maybe I'm just strange, but I don't care much for Dog Eats Dog, even though that's a pretty integral part of the story, seeing that it's how Marius discovers that JVJ saved him. And Wedding Chorale can't be bothered, either. *ducks* Hehe...Other than that, I love the scores and lyrics of all the songs! 
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Quique
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I found the book thoroughly intriguing from cover to cover.
The only part in the musical that I find myself hoping will pass quickly, is the runaway cart scene.
That's it.
The rest = The Glory and the Dream.
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eponine5
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The book, boring? NO! Why are you trying to destroy my dream cloud? It has a castle on it. 
Realistically, in the book, only the parts about argot and Waterloo. Was I the only one here who actually found all those cute little stories about the convent interesting?
In the musical: The interval.
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olly
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| Quique wrote: |
The only part in the musical that I find myself hoping will pass quickly, is the runaway cart scene.
[/color] |
Really? I love 'The Runaway Cart'; excellent music and 'action' scene.
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Moci
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The book: The lengthy explanation of the Bishop of Digne is a nice part, but really does make it take a long time for the 'actual' storyline to begin. I don't skip it though, unlike Waterloo and Argot which, 50% of the time I'll hurry past.
The musical: I'll get lynched for saying this, but I always feel that 'MOTH' goes on a verse too long. Turning is boring too, although I think it is needed.
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flying_pigs
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When sung by the wrong person, Stars and Empty Chairs do not interest me *ducks*.
I love Marius and Cosette songs, but then I'm a hopeless romantic!
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javertsw
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Book- The Bishop of Digne bit, the Waterloo bit, the description of the Sewers bit. When it comes to reading I have quite short attention span, so unless something is actually happening I don't pay attention. I read pages and then realise I was thinking about something else.
Musical- Drink With Me and sometimes... Bring Him Home. I just want to get to the action...
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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BRING HIM HOME?! Blasphemy!
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Orestes Fasting
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Odd, I'm rereading the book and the argot section wasn't nearly as long as I remembered. I think it's kind of cute. And I love the bit about the sewers, though I do have a perverse interest in things like that. Only parts I skip are Waterloo and the convent, and I skim the bits about the Bishop.
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Mademoiselle Lanoire
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| Lazarus (Adam G) wrote: | | BRING HIM HOME?! Blasphemy! |
How so? 
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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That's one of the most popular songs from the show.
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Orestes Fasting
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Yeah, so's On My Own, but that doesn't stop me going to sleep in the middle of it.
I only like Bring Him Home when someone with a really nice voice is on as Valjean. Randal Keith or John Owen-Jones, no problem, I'm riveted. But god help the understudy who has to live up to someone like that.
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musical4eva
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I think the bits about the bishop are good buts theres too much
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Sister Simplice
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| Pounce wrote: | | I cringe everytime they get to "Drink With Me". |
That song makes me want to go to sleep. It's easily my least favourite part in the show.
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La Carmagnole
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Book: the convent part and Marius in love. Such digressions like insurrection/revolution, sewers or Waterloo were fairly enjoyable (but only while reading the novel for the 3rd time. Reading it first, I couldn't wait till the proper action is back).
Musical: Bring Him Home and In My Life. Right, they're important for the story, but I still get bored during them. Even AHFOL seems more interesting to me.
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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I can't stand the "Bring Him Home" from the Symphonic recording. That Valjean really, really sucked. I can't remember his name at the moment.
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Jordan
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| Lazarus (Adam G) wrote: | | I can't stand the "Bring Him Home" from the Symphonic recording. That Valjean really, really sucked. I can't remember his name at the moment. |
Gary Morris.
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eponine5
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That's another thing. It sometimes depends on the actor playing the role. For example, at the moment, I absolutely love Bring Him Home, because John Owen-Jones is the current Valjean.
When I listen to different recordings, the same thing happens. In the CSR I always listen to Attack on Rue Plumet, but then skip ahead of it as soon as I reach Gary Morris' part *cringe*. I rarely listen to the first disc of the CSR, but with the TAC I do prefer the first disc because of Ruthie Henshall.
Oh yeah, when watching the musical live I also get bored before it starts, because I alsways make sure that I get to the theatre insanely early. I forgot that in the interval there's ice cream, so it's really not that bad
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PublicFlogging
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Waterloo.
aaaggguuuurrrrggggg..... 
All that. Over 50 pages... all for one importaint paragraph at the end.
aaaggguuuurrrrggggg.....
And that part in the begining about the bishop? Holy crap, after 5 pages I got it, he's a nice charatable guy! Okay, stop, thats enough, I get it, show me Valjean now!!
The only part I accutally skipped though was the intestine of the levithan, the part about the sewers.
I enjoyed the unnessicry discription of the nuns in the convent though. I was like "Wow" when I read it.
In the musical:
On My Own. Its not that I dislike the song, its just... Its my best audition song, because its perfect for my voice.... so I'm just sick of it, even when its somebody else thats singing it.
I Saw Him Once/In My Life. I accutally somewhat enjoy A Heart Full of Love, I find it sweat and cute... but other then that, the other love songs seem pretty unnessicry.
Stars: Okay, Javert. Your gods gift to earth and everybody who's not perfect like you sucks... uh-huh...
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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STARS?! That's one of my favourite songs.
DIE!
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olly
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| Lazarus (Adam G) wrote: | STARS?! That's one of my favourite songs.
DIE! |
Mine too.
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La Carmagnole
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| olly wrote: | | Lazarus (Adam G) wrote: | STARS?! That's one of my favourite songs.
DIE! |
Mine too. |
And mine too.
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Orestes Fasting
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I hate Stars. Unless someone really good is singing it, it's a freaking pointless infodump. Javert isn't a flat, evil villain? He's only adhering to a rigid definition of right and wrong?! Maybe they could've expressed that better in his interactions with the other characters instead of having him wax poetic about it to the starry sky!
Also, Javert as a singleminded religious fanatic with no sense of humor pisses me off.
Of the Javerts I've seen and heard, I can only think of three whose 'Stars' didn't bore me to tears: Roger Allam, Philip Quast, and Pierce Peter Brandt. Granted, the only production I've seen live more than once was the US 3rd national tour in its last six months, but in all the recordings I've amassed, 'Stars' never stood out to me.
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Mademoiselle Lanoire
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| Orestes Fasting wrote: | I hate Stars. Unless someone really good is singing it, it's a freaking pointless infodump. Javert isn't a flat, evil villain? He's only adhering to a rigid definition of right and wrong?! Maybe they could've expressed that better in his interactions with the other characters instead of having him wax poetic about it to the starry sky!
Also, Javert as a singleminded religious fanatic with no sense of humor pisses me off.
Of the Javerts I've seen and heard, I can only think of three whose 'Stars' didn't bore me to tears: Roger Allam, Philip Quast, and Pierce Peter Brandt. Granted, the only production I've seen live more than once was the US 3rd national tour in its last six months, but in all the recordings I've amassed, 'Stars' never stood out to me. |
Without any exposition, how can it count as 'infodump'?
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BroadwayBaby0202
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The whole thing.
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Orestes Fasting
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| Mademoiselle Lanoire wrote: | | Orestes Fasting wrote: | I hate Stars. Unless someone really good is singing it, it's a freaking pointless infodump. Javert isn't a flat, evil villain? He's only adhering to a rigid definition of right and wrong?! Maybe they could've expressed that better in his interactions with the other characters instead of having him wax poetic about it to the starry sky!
Also, Javert as a singleminded religious fanatic with no sense of humor pisses me off.
Of the Javerts I've seen and heard, I can only think of three whose 'Stars' didn't bore me to tears: Roger Allam, Philip Quast, and Pierce Peter Brandt. Granted, the only production I've seen live more than once was the US 3rd national tour in its last six months, but in all the recordings I've amassed, 'Stars' never stood out to me. |
Without any exposition, how can it count as 'infodump'? |
Infodump about his character, not the plot. Javert gives his mission statement in life; meanwhile, everyone who's seen the show before and knows he's not a villain can go to sleep.
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Mademoiselle Lanoire
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Ah. Got it.
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EponineMNFF
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Waterloo is most definitely the most boring part. I had to take a hiatus from reading when I got there because I was soooo bored.
In the musical... Master of the House gets a bit old, just because it's nearly the same thing every time, and by that point I'm very ready for Cosette to grow up.
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JulieJordan
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Book- Waterloo and the Sewers.
Musical- "A Little Fall Of Rain" (it takes an amazing actress to make me care), "Castle On A Cloud" (once you've seen one Little Cosette, you've seen them all) and I'm not the biggest fan of "Bring Him Home." *Ducks*
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Jordan
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| BroadwayBaby0202 wrote: | | The whole thing. |
Yeah um... I think we're going to ignore facetious comments. Cheers all the same.
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PublicFlogging
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Ahh, please don't hurt me, I'm allowed to have an opinion... *runs into a bomb settler to avoid being torn apart by rabid Javvy-fans*
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theminutepast
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The book: The parts where Hugo delves into French history. Also, most of the parts describing Marius' wallowing in misery. It just gets repetitive. I heard that writers during that time period were paid per word; this would explain why Hugo wrote repetitively and elaborately. Has anyone else heard that before?
The musical: "Drink with Me" and "Turning." However, I have recently come to like "Turning" more.
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The Very Angry Woman
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"Turning" is not everything it should be because it was written last-minute -- Cameron Mackintosh didn't want to pay the female ensemble for doing so little, so he wanted them to have another number.
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Fantine
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I don't understand why people seem to dislike Drink With Me so much... The staging may be a little boring, perhaps... But would anyone like to fill me in?
On the TAC, it gets me everytime.
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Elin
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I feel like I'm the only person on the planet who likes Turning ...
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LesMisForever
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Hello
I don't find any part boring in the musical. It is true that some songs i don't like that much, but i wouldn't say that any is downright boring.
As for the book. Well, i kind of disagree with so many of you here. I LOVED "The Bishop", and i thought his conversation with the old dying member of the "original" French Revolution is one of the best parts of the book.
I also LOVED Waterloo. It is a wonderful piece of writing, and very poetic description of the battle. It actually made me SO interested in the details of the battle that i spent quite a lot reading and researching about its details.
I think that those digerssions are the REAL soul of the book. Without them we are left with a story which is highly melodramatic with an incredible and ridiculous amount of coincidences. But Hugo's observations, depth of characters and beautiful language is what make this book great.
Having said all that, sometimes they do get on nerves. My pick would be "The Sewers".
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musical4eva
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i agree with you about the musical,
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Aimee
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Book, the convent bit,
Show...... erm......
....... erm.........
....... erm.........
....... erm.........
Can't think of one.
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Cloudy This Morning
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I'm more of a book fan myself...
Waterloo can suck it.
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happyguava
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| Elin wrote: | | I feel like I'm the only person on the planet who likes Turning ... |
I didn't used to like it much, but now that I'm singing it and have got to explore it a bit more I really like it!
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lesmisroxmysox
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The Book: that whole intro with the bishop! dear lord!
Musical: um... honestly can't think of anything.
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Cloudy This Morning
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I can't really think of anything in the musical that is really boring, but there is one thing that annoys the bloody hell out of me. That stupid, stupid line in 'Castle on a Cloud'
'There is a room that filled with toys/
There are a hundred boys and girls' 
What. The. Bloody. ----? Whoever chose not to rhyme that should die.
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EponinesRain
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| Cloudy This Morning wrote: | I can't really think of anything in the musical that is really boring, but there is one thing that annoys the bloody hell out of me. That stupid, stupid line in 'Castle on a Cloud'
'There is a room that filled with toys/
There are a hundred boys and girls'
What. The. Bloody. ----? Whoever chose not to rhyme that should die. |
I've always wondered why they didn't just switch words in the second line, too! It's so annoying, indeed! 
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Orestes Fasting
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I don't really care that it doesn't rhyme--most of the rhyme schemes in the musical are inconsistent anyway. The same lines that are supposed to rhyme in Fantine's death don't do so in On My Own, and so on.
And besides, rhyming 'toys' with 'boys' wouldn't even fit into whatever inconsistent rhyme scheme that song has--there's no point in the song where the first and second lines of a verse rhyme.
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Lazarus (Adam G)
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I never got that, but it never really bothered me.
I still some of the lyrics suck, but the good overshadows the shite.
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Jordan
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| EponinesRain wrote: | | Cloudy This Morning wrote: | I can't really think of anything in the musical that is really boring, but there is one thing that annoys the bloody hell out of me. That stupid, stupid line in 'Castle on a Cloud'
'There is a room that filled with toys/
There are a hundred boys and girls'
What. The. Bloody. ----? Whoever chose not to rhyme that should die. |
I've always wondered why they didn't just switch words in the second line, too! It's so annoying, indeed! |
It has actually been sung both ways round. I can't think but it's either on the OLC Vs CSR or CSR Vs TAC, I'm certain one has the lines the other way around.
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Somewhere
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In reference to the incosistent rhyme in Castle on a Cloud, I read in The Musical Worlds of Boubil and Schonberg that it was for a reason. The reason being that it was to make it unexpected for the audience, and they also remarked on how in her circumstances, Cosette wouldn't exactly have a structured and uncluttered mind. It in a way made the song that much more interesting. If I could find the quote, I'd find it-but the book's not on me at the moment.
Anyway, as for most boring moment in musicals-I'm afraid I agree with a few on here about Stars: it's enjoyable the first few times, but after that, it's the same old story to quote "Turning". The only time it doesn't send me to sleep (or at least skip the track), is when I'm watching PQ's performance of Stars on the TAC DVD. I'm another one who also likes Turning, but if its not performed all that interestingly, I get bored. Bring Him Home usually bores me too *ducks*.
As for the book-probably the bishop part at the beginning-I wanted to get to JVJ already! The Waterloo bit bored me to tears too. Interesting for a war historian maybe, but not for me.
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soph-les-mis
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| Orestes Fasting wrote: | Yeah, so's On My Own, but that doesn't stop me going to sleep in the middle of it.
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When I listen to Les Mis while taking the bus or something, I ALWAYS fall asleep when I come to On My own... It's a standard! And listening to the CD, I often skip MOTH, but it was a lot of fun to watch it on stage
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Fantine
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Wow, this has really been brought back from the dead 
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Set_Buildin_Dad
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I didn't find any part of the show to be slow or boring.
In the book I finally wound up skim reading the parts about Waterloo and the sewer descriptions. I didn't think they really supported the plot in a significant way (especially the part about the sewers). The Waterloo part did give some insight about things to com with Thenardier.
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The Pirate King
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| Set_Buildin_Dad wrote: | | I didn't think they really supported the plot in a significant way (especially the part about the sewers). |
Valjean's journey through the sewers is an allegory of the journey he takes throughout the novel.
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Set_Buildin_Dad
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| The Pirate King wrote: | | Set_Buildin_Dad wrote: | | I didn't think they really supported the plot in a significant way (especially the part about the sewers). |
Valjean's journey through the sewers is an allegory of the journey he takes throughout the novel. |
I never thought about it that way. Perhaps I'll go back and re-read that section of the book.
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mastachen
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This is an interesting thread, but for me, there really isn't a scene where I wish the show would just hurry up and get that scene over with.
The book is a different story. I had to write a book report on it, but maybe got through 10% (probably 500 pages ) of it, got bored, and had sparknotes help me the rest of the way. After reading this forum though, it really makes me want to pick it up again.
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Orestes Fasting
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| The Pirate King wrote: | | Set_Buildin_Dad wrote: | | I didn't think they really supported the plot in a significant way (especially the part about the sewers). |
Valjean's journey through the sewers is an allegory of the journey he takes throughout the novel. |
Not to mention a metaphorical journey through the darkest bowels of human despair and misery, yet more history of the old Paris that Hugo loved so much, and a vicious and thinly disguised condemnation of Napoleon III's regime (namely, that sh*t can be gilded and organized and made to flow in accordance with the most modern technology, but it's still sh*t). It's my favorite digression in the book.
Now that this thread's been dragged up from the dead and I've seen the show more times than I can count, what scenes in the musical bore me really depends on the actors. At the moment, Judy Kuhn and Megan McGinnis don't act at all through their big solo numbers, so I Dreamed a Dream and On My Own are really boring. Back in June I would sleep through Alex Gemignani's Bring Him Home, but now JOJ has taken over I start looking forward to it halfway through the barricade scenes. And it's not just individual actors; Master of the House can be interminable with a bad ensemble, but a good ensemble can overcome a boring Th�nardier and make the scene amazing.
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music is my life!!!
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ABC yadayada.... Valjean's Soliquoy - nothing happens, apart from his eagerness to escape, which could be explained in one line... Lovely Ladies - yes we all know Fantine is going to protetute herself to save Cosette - get over yourself, dude
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Orestes Fasting
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| music is my life!!! wrote: | | Valjean's Soliquoy - nothing happens, apart from his eagerness to escape, which could be explained in one line... |
You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking.
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Kragey
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| Orestes Fasting wrote: | | music is my life!!! wrote: | | Valjean's Soliquoy - nothing happens, apart from his eagerness to escape, which could be explained in one line... |
You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking. |
I know this means I'm going to Hell, but...I hate that song, too. XD
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mastachen
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It's not the best song in the show, BUT it's very important in character development of both Valjean and Javert.
What are some opinions of the best number in the show? I happen to think that if acted well, On My Own could be the best and most heartfelt.
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Orestes Fasting
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| Kragey wrote: | | Orestes Fasting wrote: | | music is my life!!! wrote: | | Valjean's Soliquoy - nothing happens, apart from his eagerness to escape, which could be explained in one line... |
You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking. |
I know this means I'm going to Hell, but...I hate that song, too. XD |
It's not blasphemy to hate it, just blasphemy to claim that nothing happens in it. If all you get from it is "Valjean wants to escape," I have to wonder if we're listening to the same song.
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Quique
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Oh dear. :S
Valjean's Soliloquy is quite possibly one of the most moving songs in the show for me.
And without it, the show simply CAN'T go on, because then it wouldn't make even the least bit of sense.
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Fantine
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I think OMO has little depth to it. Valjean's Soliloquy for example has more depth.
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ErikProuvaire
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The dullest bits of the book were the parts about argot and the convent.
What is the purpose of describing in great detail a convent that is not ver important in the grand scheme of things and a dialect of the streets spoken by like three characters and translated in footnotes?!
And the most boring bit that wasn't a random historical rant was the bit where Valjean and Cosette were escaping to the convent and there was all the crap about Valjean hiding in the grave, etc.
In the musical, Master of the House, though amusing, is a little excessively long.
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music is my life!!!
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| Quique wrote: | Oh dear. :S
Valjean's Soliloquy is quite possibly one of the most moving songs in the show for me.
And without it, the show simply CAN'T go on, because then it wouldn't make even the least bit of sense. |
ok, it's not the most boring for me, but i just don't follow it sometimes...
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Elin
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Musical: The intermission.
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herkind
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Like Orestes said it really has to do with the actors. I never really enjoyed Master of the House until I saw the revival. Daniel Bogart should do a one man show devoted to his facial expressions.
As far as the novel goes I'm still trying to figure out the masochistic nuns part.
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Orestes Fasting
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| herkind wrote: | | Daniel Bogart should do a one man show devoted to his facial expressions. |
Agreed infinitely. Love that man.
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lesmisloony
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Was he perhaps the one sitting next to Mike Evariste in Master of the House? Because I spent that entire scene cracking up at some strange faces that guy made...
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Orestes Fasting
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Dan was the incredibly prim and fastidious Traveller #1, at the middle table, who kept making shocked and horrified faces at everyone and who got molested by Jenny at the end of the song. The guys at the table with Mike were Doug Kreeger, Don Brewer, and Anderson Davis.
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curlyhairedsoprano32
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Hmm ... I think the musical is brilliant, however:
It has 2nd act problems ... a lot of the barricade scenes seem somewhat pointless.
Castle on a Cloud -- annoying rhyme scheme, goes on for a verse too long
On My Own -- meh. It's a good song, but ... Eponine's character annoys me *quickly removes self from the path of flying objects*, and the song seems kind of redundant.
... That's it!
Love,
Cosette
PS I adore "A Heart Full of Love" and "Every Day." Marius and Cosette are my favorite pair ever, and I think those songs are beautiful and adorable.
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lesmisloony
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| Quote: | On My Own -- meh. It's a good song, but ... Eponine's character annoys me *quickly removes self from the path of flying objects*, and the song seems kind of redundant.
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| Quote: | | Marius and Cosette are my favorite pair ever, and I think those songs are beautiful and adorable. |
OH MY GOD WELCOME TO THIS FORUM SO MUCH.
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curlyhairedsoprano91
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Aww, thanks, Loony!
*feels accepted*
Love,
Cosette
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EponineMNFF
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Hahah wow! You're going to fit right in. Don't worry; basically everyone is annoyed by Eponine or is a bopper.
(And yes I realize this is odd coming from me, but as LesMisLoony heard me explain, I pride myself on being one of the few real fans who isn't a bopper. But let's not get into this.)
The world definitely does need some more Cosette/Marius shippers.
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curlyhairedsoprano91
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Thanks, Eponine!
Haha, yeah ... everyone I know who likes this show is all over me for being more of a Cosette than an Eponine ... "OOOOMG Eppie is sooo much cooler. Cosette's a loser, she didn't deserve Marius ... I mean, Eppie has a SONG about UNREQUITED LOVE ... and then she dies ... Isn't that soooo sad?? Don't you just want to BE HER??" And I'm like, "Um, thanks guys?"
Hehe, I'm more peed off at the fact that the musical has given her this cult following, when actually she was a creepy toothless stalkerchick. Or something.
Anyway ...
Love,
Cosette
<<Cosette needs a signature>>
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lesmisloony
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| Quote: | | I'm more peed off at the fact that the musical has given her this cult following, when actually she was a creepy toothless stalkerchick. |
I already love you.
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mastachen
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 wrote: |
Haha, yeah ... everyone I know who likes this show is all over me for being more of a Cosette than an Eponine ... "OOOOMG Eppie is sooo much cooler. Cosette's a loser, she didn't deserve Marius ... I mean, Eppie has a SONG about UNREQUITED LOVE ... and then she dies ... Isn't that soooo sad?? Don't you just want to BE HER??" And I'm like, "Um, thanks guys?"
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I never understood why people say that they would love to be Eponine. Aside from the fact that she's a creepy toothless chick, why the hell would anybody want to be a girl that can't get a guy, and then ends up dying prematurely?
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Quique
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 wrote: | Hehe, I'm more peed off at the fact that the musical has given her this cult following, when actually she was a creepy toothless stalkerchick. Or something.
Anyway ...
Love,
Cosette |
The only two things that annoy me about the musical's Eponine are the bubbly, whiney performances by certain actresses who portray her, and the fangirls who immerse themselves in unnecessary self-pity and think that's all it takes to play the character well.
I don't mind that she's been heavily adapted from the novel, those who enjoy the character, or those who find her moments in the show touching.
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curlyhairedsoprano91
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| lesmisloony wrote: | | Quote: | | I'm more peed off at the fact that the musical has given her this cult following, when actually she was a creepy toothless stalkerchick. |
I already love you. |
Teehee. I love you too! *loves, and is loved*
Also: I mean no offense to the Eponine fans. I think it would simply be nice if people took her for who she was, and gave up the martyr stuff. =P
Love,
Cosette
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herkind
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Honestly, I think 95% of the time Eponine is miscast and poorly directed in the musical. I'm not sure if as many people would see her as a martyr if more actresses were directed to play the role like Celia Keenan-Bolger. Her Eponine was pathetic not admirable.
I happen to adore Eponine when she's played well but I'm sometimes reluctant to say that given all the crazies that latch on to her. But frankly the "You're not dirty and toothless and living on the streets etc." response is becoming just as annoying as "OMG i am JUST LIKE Eponine!!11!!"
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curlyhairedsoprano91
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Much agreed, Audrey. I have not had the privilege of seeng Celia, but I agree with you entirely about the nitpicky response to "I'm just like Eponine." ... It's not about whether or not your life mirrors that of Eponine's ... it's about whether the character of Eponine is something to be emulated at all.
Love,
Cosette
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lesmisloony
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| Quote: | But frankly the "You're not dirty and toothless and living on the streets etc." response is becoming just as annoying as "OMG i am JUST LIKE Eponine!!11!!"
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Ouch. I thought we were friends.
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Quique
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| Quote: | | But frankly the "You're not dirty and toothless and living on the streets etc." response is becoming just as annoying as "OMG i am JUST LIKE Eponine!!11!!" |
Both are equally annoying to me, as well.
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lesmisloony
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| Quote: | I know she comes off as kinda crazy at first glance in the Book, but I started to notice that, when I was around an older, unattainable boy I liked (when I was Eponine's age) I rambled on and on and tried to show off and generally embarrassed myself in exactly the same way she does. And when you see Eponine in the Book, you almost always see her near Marius. I like to assume Eponine kicks herself for seeming crazy the moment she turns her back on him. And as for muttering to herself--I do that, too, and in other languages when I can! She's very talkative (rambly, rather) and jarring to see, but I don't think, Hugoverse, she's completely mad. I think she's a perfectly-characterised teenager with a hopeless crush and a frustrating case of foot-in-mouth. --Up until she defends Marius from the Patron-Minette. I think something happened while she was in prison, and we slowly see her lose her footing there toward the end, but I'm going to guess it was because she let her infatuation with Marius consume too much time, and she lost touch with reality. ...That's something else that happened to me a few times in high school.
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...I wrote that about a month ago in reviewing a fanfic that did nothing but make Eponine look deranged.
I know, I know, no one is *actually* attacking me, but I realise I may be a bit brief in my general Eponine-bashing around this forum, so I thought I'd make it clear that, for the record, I hate *Eppieboppers* and, almost always, the musical version of the character, but I have actually spent time and thought on Hugo's Eponine, and I kinda like the little bugger.
I also know people may disagree with that interpretation, but no one can argue my assertion that I acted like Eponine in high school, to an extent, so I'm mostly convinced that she was only "crazy" around Marius.
And now that we've opened *this* bag of worms--or bag of whores and vipers, as it were...
Any other thoughts on Eponine?
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Orestes Fasting
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"But what are your thoughts on Eponine?" = LM fandom's equivalent of "But what are your thoughts on yaoi?"
For my part I don't think Hugo intended for his audience to put themselves in Eponine's shoes--she's like, say, M. Gillenormand in that the readers are meant to react to her, not relate to her. If anything it's the juxtaposition of her wretchedness and weirdness and creepiness with the near-universal emotion of unrequited love that makes her who she is.
Of course, the musical changed all that. Not least by downplaying the impact of social class, which is such a big part of the purpose she serves in the book that eliminating it reduces her to a caricature: oh, woe is me, I love this guy who doesn't love me back.
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herkind
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| lesmisloony wrote: | | Quote: | But frankly the "You're not dirty and toothless and living on the streets etc." response is becoming just as annoying as "OMG i am JUST LIKE Eponine!!11!!"
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Ouch. I thought we were friends. |
We are! How could I not be friends with a fellow Montparnasse obsesser?
Anyway, I wasn't referring to you. Just the comment in general. I don't have a problem with people not liking Eponine it's just those comments get old after awhile.
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lesmisloony
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A fellow Montparnasse obsessor from the same state, even...
I know, I was (kinda) kidding there.
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Quique
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Yeah, for the record, same here. I wasn't referring to you. =)
I also don't have a problem with people not liking musical Eponine. It's just the Eponine-related comments in general that are made to newbies that sometimes seem overly harsh, and yeah, get old. But so do the fangirls. So, it works both ways.
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curlyhairedsoprano91
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*smiles* Oh, Eponine.
Musical!Eponine gets on my nerves. But you all probably know that, even in the brief time I've been here.
It's like Boublil and Schonberg decided to create an entirely different character than Hugo did, and name her Eponine... and make her this beautiful smudgy-faced heroine only to be contrasted by the general (teen girl) population with "Cosette, the whinyprissybitch" ...  
Also, the badfic. Eponine fic is just as viable as any other kind of fic ... but when the Eppieboppers bring their Eppie/Marius shipping into the world of fic (My God, it's everywhere ... no, seriously, the same thing over and over, "Eppie miraculously didn't die, Marius dumped Cosette, they got married and had lots of little babies and I know this didn't really happen but it would have been sooo much better if it did ..." GAH!!!) ... and then when they start up with the Eppie/Enjolras fic. ... Eponine was not meant to have any man other than maybe Montparnasse. That's a coupling I would be okay with ... except I think maybe Montparnasse could do better.
Tha's all for now!
Love,
Cosette
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jetblack_diva
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| Lazarus (Adam G) wrote: | Book:
The entire introduction with the Bishop...
And the whole part describing the Sewers... |
I agree as for me the whole chapters explaining everylittle detail bores me greatly
| Lazarus (Adam G) wrote: | Musical/Reasons:
1. At the End of the Day: The first few time it was intresting. Then it got really, really boring.
2. Lovely Ladies: Same here.
3. Castle On a Cloud: Yes, I get it, we should feel bad for her. Now shut up.
4. After hearing the "Do you hear the people sing" bit, I get pretty tired of listening to anything with the ABC Friends. They kill us with scenes where they plan the attack. I could've done with just one scene with them planning.
5. We don't need a dozen scenes with Marius/Cosette singing about how much they love each other. Cut it down to one.
That's about it. |
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mastachen
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The curlyhairsoprano person has a lot of pent-up hate.
At least she's directing it towards Eponine. hehe
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lesmisloony
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| Quote: | | Eponine was not meant to have any man other than maybe Montparnasse. That's a coupling I would be okay with ... except I think maybe Montparnasse could do better. |
That's my OTP. Except I do like to toss Eponine around to the rest of the Patron-Minette... but not Babet. Because (this is where I'm gonna start sounding really pathetic...) I kind of like to think that Babet thinks of himself as a sort of mild father-figure type for Montparnasse, like a role model. Like, in the scene where they're all looking for Thenardier outside the prison, Montparnasse is the one saying, "We HAVE TO FIND HIM." Everyone else is rolling their eyes behind his back, but they sort of send Babet over to talk him down with the "Let's open a bottle of wine together" speech. And then, at the Rue Plumet, Monty is grumbling about how he *totally* would have stabbed Eponine if they'd given him the chance, and Babet says, "Not me. I don't hit ladies." Which could be construed as a little scolding. You know?
What am I rambling about?? 
Maybe this entry should have been in the You Know You're Obsessed W/ LM When... topic.
BASICALLY... I'm going with the "Eponine was sexually abused" movement. And an unofficial mistress for Monty. Possibly used by Gueulemer and Claquesous (especially Claquesous) but... not Babet?
SHUT UP LOONY. JUST SHUT UP.
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curlyhairedsoprano91
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It is nice to think that maybe 'Parnasse had a father-figure of some sort, isn't it?
Anyway, it's not entirely unlikely that Ep was "whored out" or abused in some manner by her father's gang. I think that as the youngest (closest to Eponine's age) the most potential for actual friendship or a relationship was def. with Montparnasse.
Yeah, actually, I take back what I said before, I like the Eponine/'Parnasse pairing. It works.
Love, Cosette
PS Haha, no hatred here, mastachen. I agree that I've been a bit harsh towards Eponine, but you must take into account that, among my friends, the only ones I know who like Les Mis are minor-league Eppieboppers ... and it's annoying. I'm sorry if I sounded harsh or hate-filled.
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