Why I Hate Laura Kalpakian's Cosette, The Sequel to Les Misérables

by MissFiyerabaMeponineWholock

Laura Kalpakian wrote, what she calls, "The Sequel to Les Misérables". The book, entitled Cosette, does not deserve the title of 'sequel' and can, in my opinion, barely even qualify as a fanfiction at best. Here are my notes on each chapter and the reasons why I hate this 'book'.

1. Chapter 1

Reasons Why I Hate Laura Kalpakian's "Cosette, The Sequel to Les Misérables"

Chapter 1

Firstly, Kalpakian goes back and rewrites the ending of Les Misérables, as if Hugo's genius wasn't good enough.

(page 5 [which the story starts on])

Cosette is already annoying, just read the letter she writes to Marius and tell me that she doesn't come off as needy. I dare you.

(page 6)

In which she completely changes the character of Toussaint. Toussaint, in the brick, is timid and stuttering, here she is outspoken and even tells off the coachman.

(page 7)

Laura Kalpakian has now changed Cosette's character. Cosette would never speak to Valjean the way she does here, nor would she, to paraphrase Kalpakian, "Envy the coachman his swearing." One of the only personality traits of Cosette is her innocence. Here, she has lost that.

(page 8)

Cosette's character is made to be more outspoken, which she certainly never was in the brick. Now, we also see Kalpakian change Valjean's character (He says to Cosette: "You are a girl, Cosette, and there are many things you can't understand." which is something he certainly wouldn't have said in the brick.). Valjean hardly speaks to Cosette with respect in this.

(page 9)

There is the sentence, said by the coachman, "They say you shit yourself blue with the cholera, and die in a few hours." Victor Hugo made a point of not swearing in his writing, of retaining innocence in his work. Laura Kalpakian has now completely disregarded that.

(page 10)

Cosette loses even more of her innocence as she thinks about Marius and his body pressed against hers. Excuse me? I don't think so! First of all, they kissed only once or twice. Secondly, Hugo even wrote that "Cosette had leaned over and the fastenings on her dress had loosened, revealing the swelling of her breasts. Marius looked away." Kalpakian writes, "The wall still held the afternoon sun, even after dark, and the warmth of Marius' body radiated over her breasts and the warmth of his hands penetrated her silk robes." Marius and Cosette hardly had any physical contact in the brick. They hardly even dared to hold hands!

That concludes chapter one, page by page.