Rating: 
Summary: The French Revolution from all sides
Review: This historical fiction is a wonderful introduction to the personalities, background and history of the French Revolution. It is not complete by any means but Hugo brings out the ideals of each side and the tragedy and triumph caused by the French Revolution. It is hard to bring humanity and context to something that happened so long ago but this book is as vivid as it was one hundred years ago. It is a great read and I highly recommend it to those intereded in France, the French Revolution of Victor Hugo and his brillant style of writing.
Rating:
Summary: The French Revolution from all sides
Review: This historical fiction is a wonderful introduction to the personalities, background and history of the French Revolution. It is not complete by any means but Hugo brings out the ideals of each side and the tragedy and triumph caused by the French Revolution. It is hard to bring humanity and context to something that happened so long ago but this book is as vivid as it was one hundred years ago. It is a great read and I highly recommend it to those intereded in France, the French Revolution of Victor Hugo and his brillant style of writing.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read, But Sounds Too Contrived
Review: This is a great read, but certainly not one of Hugo's best. As this was one of the last books he wrote, he took full liberties with how the story unfolds, both in pandering to his fans and in following his whims. As his name was firmly established, he probably figured he could get away with all the outlandishness of Ninety-Three. Thus the storyline sounds too contrived. Hugo's grandess goes overboard, and most every situation is too all-or-nothing extreme. But please note that I have given this tome four stars. Where it does sound contrived, it is still a very entertaining read, and has most of the elements which makes Hugo so great- mysterious character and plot development, fusing disparate scenes into a cohesive equation, and bringing out the details of a bygone French world (here- the great Revolution). For the literary minded, first read Toilers of the Sea, then Les Miserables. For those who are new to grand historical fictions, this tome might be a good place to start; It is relatively short, steeped in drama and therefore an entertainment piece.
Rating: 
Summary: The short-attention-span Les Mis
Review: This little dandy has everything you might find in Les Miserables, but is much more succinct. Hugo, whose poetic bent is overwhelmingly apparent in some of his longer works, still writes with his distinct flavor for detail, but paces the action with the hand of a master. The book is frankly gripping. In his life, Hugo had opportunity to realize that heroism is a quality apart from political standing, or sometimes even from basic right-and-wrong. This book is perhaps his monument to heroism; the reader will root for both the main characters, at war with each other. Only Hugo has ever so clearly delineated the difference between what is great in a man, and what is great in Man.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest novels ever written!
Review: Victor Hugo is my all-time-favorite novelist. Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Nolte Dame, and Ninety-Three are his three best and my top three favorites. Read Ninety-Three for a real treat. His characters are giants, heroes! Nobody but nobody can out-do Hugo on plot construction. Ninety-Three is an excellent introduction to Hugo. Just witness the way he takes such seemingly disparate stories and blends them into one of the greatest climaxes in all of literature. This is one of those edge-of-your-seat, can't-put-it-down novels that will keep you up late at night. I just can't recomment it high enough! Mike Porter
Rating:
Summary: A Thrilling Historical Novel
Review: Wonderful book about a clash of values among people during the French Revolution. The phrase "a loose cannon" comes from this novel. Definitely NOT about "the guy next door." The characters in this novel, even the villians, are truly heroric in stature and integrity. One of my favorite books that I read again and again
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