Hi Dulciana
I saw Les Mis at the Palace theatre just off Shaftesbury Ave in 1985, it hadn't long opened and as I remember didn't receive glowing reviews. However, I thought it was utterly magnificent and the memory of that night has stayed with me. I read the book when very young, loved that too, and was delighted that a film was being made but anxious that it would be too Hollywood glitz. I saw it at an IMAX cinema and wasn't disappointed. I loved it, though Hugh Jackman's and Russell Crowe's singing made me wince a couple of times!
I do think though that it is a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. My daughter had just finished the book and was eager to see it but the singing dialogue left her cold!
There's nothing like a good musical to lift your spirits (echoes of the Deadwood Stage being sung as she tackles the hoovering!!).