It's one of my favs. The musical scratches the surface, basically just the highlights but is a good starting point for people that might be intimidated by the sheer size of this tome of a book.

I found that the depth in this book astonished me. I wasn't prepared to be totally lost in it. Lost in a good way. The depth of the characterization, the backstories of these people, just makes them unforgettable. Fantine was already a tragic figure in the musical, but my god when you read her backstory--none of which is really touched on in the musical--it makes you appreciate the despair you hear in the songs she sings in the musical (provided it's acted well).