It is true that Hugo's novel in it's full text is daunting, but IT IS WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT!!! He does spend chapters just describing one character or historical refernce, but when he uses these in the action of the book, it is AMAZINGLY POWERFUL! I found myself sitting in awe or in tears or smiling or without breath. The impact is unlike anything I've read in fiction. The reader develops a intimacy with the characters that I long for in other works - they become dear. They become human and you feel their emotion and live their experience.