How to Read Victor Hugo

So I just finished reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. It only took me seven days. How did I do it?

1. I took advice from people who had read it before. It really is 50% social commentary and history that you don't really need to know to understand the story.
   
2. Find someone to mock you. I got my friend, Susanna, to mock me. I didn't ask her for it. But she'd read it before and she knew that I was reading it. So she teased me and mocked me. And it motivated me.
3. Find someone to cheer you on. For me, that was my friend's little sister. She thought it was the most impressive thing ever how fast I was reading the book. So she was basically my personal cheering section.
   
4. I was listening to the musical soundtrack.
   
5. And I skimmed through the history stuff. It was boring and dry and unnecessary.
   

And I finished the book quickly.