I'm not the world's biggest fan of Les Miserables but culturally it's unavoidable, I've seen plays, movies, and even made it 1/3 way through the book years ago before giving up on the tangents and florid language. This BBC 4 Radio full-cast production from 2002 is a good adaptation if you're looking for concise story without singing and dancing, and retains the feel of the original. The novel is condensed into about 5 1/2 hours of glorious BBC production with professional actors, sound effects and so on. The plot is clear and easy to follow, but also emotionally effective - if nothing else I came away understanding the characters and plot. Still not my favorite but this adaptation finally warmed me to Les Mis. ( )