I feel intellectual...

I'm re-reading Les Misérables for the third time. I first read it in high school (in less than a week), then read it a second time sometime after I graduated, when one of Lar's teachers gave her a copy that she was getting rid of. Mira's been working on modding his Stikfas lately, and has wanted me to keep him company for a couple hours or so. So I read Heavenly Answers to Earthly Challenges by Joyce H Brown (a near-death experience), then decided to re-read Les Mis because I wasn't sure how long he would take to finish his mods, and the book has over 1000 pages, so I figured it would give me some time to finish.
The story I know and love is probably only half of the book, if that. Most of the rest of the book is filled with history, political talk of the French Revolution, etc. If you have the time and the patience, I recommend you borrow a copy from your local library. You can even read it online if you know where to look. But if you don't have the time or the patience, you can read an online Cliff's Notes-esque treatment at Spark Notes.