Les Miserables (Complete with Illustrations)

Les Miserables Reader’s Guide

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Social problems go beyond frontiers. Humankind's wounds, those huge sores that litter the world, do not stop at the blue and red lines drawn on maps.

Wherever men go in ignorance or despair, wherever women sell themselves for bread, wherever children lack a book to learn from or a warm hearth, Les Miserables knocks at the door and says: More than a quarter of the novel—by one count of 2, pages—is devoted to essays that argue a moral point or display Hugo's encyclopedic knowledge, but do not advance the plot, nor even a subplot, a method Hugo used in such other works as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Toilers of the Sea.

One biographer noted that "the digressions of genius are easily pardoned". The one about convents he titles "Parenthesis" to alert the reader to its irrelevance to the story line. He devotes another 19 chapters Volume II, Book I to an account of—and a meditation on the place in history of—the Battle of Waterloo , the battlefield which Hugo visited in and where he finished writing the novel.

It opens volume 2 with such a change of subject as to seem the beginning of an entirely different work. The fact that this 'digression' occupies such a large part of the text demands that it be read in the context of the 'overarching structure' discussed above. Hugo draws his own personal conclusions, taking Waterloo to be a pivot-point in history, but definitely not a victory for the forces of reaction.

Waterloo, by cutting short the demolition of European thrones by the sword, had no other effect than to cause the revolutionary work to be continued in another direction. The slashers have finished; it was the turn of the thinkers. The century that Waterloo was intended to arrest has pursued its march. That sinister victory was vanquished by liberty. Even when not turning to other subjects outside his narrative, Hugo sometimes interrupts the straightforward recitation of events, his voice and control of the story line unconstrained by time and sequence.

The novel opens with a statement about the bishop of Digne in and immediately shifts: An incident Hugo witnessed in involved three strangers and a police officer. One of the strangers was a man who had stolen a loaf of bread similar to Jean Valjean. The officer was taking him to the coach. The thief also saw the mother and daughter playing with each other which would be an inspiration for Fantine and Cosette. Hugo imagined the life of the man in jail and the mother and daughter taken away from each other.

Vidocq became the head of an undercover police unit and later founded France's first private detective agency. He was also a businessman and was widely noted for his social engagement and philanthropy. In , Vidocq, already pardoned, saved one of the workers in his paper factory by lifting a heavy cart on his shoulders as Valjean does.

He went to Toulon to visit the Bagne in and took extensive notes, though he did not start writing the book until On one of the pages of his notes about the prison, he wrote in large block letters a possible name for his hero: In , Hugo saved a prostitute from arrest for assault. He used a short part of his dialogue with the police when recounting Valjean's rescue of Fantine in the novel.

During the revolt, Hugo walked the streets of Paris, saw the barricades blocking his way at points, and had to take shelter from gunfire. Victor Hugo drew his inspiration from everything he heard and saw, writing it down in his diary. In December he witnessed an altercation between an old woman scavenging through rubbish and a street urchin who might have been Gavroche. He also slipped personal anecdotes into the plot.

The story begins in in Digne , as the peasant Jean Valjean , just released from 19 years' imprisonment in the Bagne of Toulon —five for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family and fourteen more for numerous escape attempts—is turned away by innkeepers because his yellow passport marks him as a former convict.

He sleeps on the street, angry and bitter. Digne's benevolent Bishop Myriel gives him shelter. At night, Valjean runs off with Myriel's silverware. When the police capture Valjean, Myriel pretends that he has given the silverware to Valjean and presses him to take two silver candlesticks as well, as if he had forgotten to take them. The police accept his explanation and leave.

Myriel tells Valjean that his life has been spared for God, and that he should use money from the silver candlesticks to make an honest man of himself. Valjean broods over Myriel's words. When opportunity presents itself, purely out of habit, he steals a sous coin from year-old Petit Gervais and chases the boy away.

He quickly repents and searches the city in panic for Gervais. At the same time, his theft is reported to the authorities. Valjean hides as they search for him, because if apprehended he will be returned to the galleys for life as a repeat offender. Walking down the street, he sees a man named Fauchelevent pinned under the wheels of a cart.

When no one volunteers to lift the cart, even for pay, he decides to rescue Fauchelevent himself.

He crawls underneath the cart, manages to lift it, and frees him. The town's police inspector, Inspector Javert , who was an adjutant guard at the Bagne of Toulon during Valjean's incarceration, becomes suspicious of the mayor after witnessing this remarkable feat of strength. He has known only one other man, a convict named Jean Valjean, who could accomplish it.

The men abandon the women, treating their relationships as youthful amusements. Fantine is unaware that they are abusing her daughter and using her as forced labor for their inn, and continues to try to meet their growing, extortionate and fictitious demands. She is later fired from her job at Jean Valjean's factory, because of the discovery of her daughter, who was born out of wedlock.

Fantine is slowly dying from an unspecified disease. A dandy named Bamatabois harasses Fantine in the street, and she reacts by striking him. She begs to be released so that she can provide for her daughter, but Javert sentences her to six months in prison. Valjean Mayor Madeleine intervenes and orders Javert to release her.

Javert resists but Valjean prevails. Valjean, feeling responsible because his factory turned her away, promises Fantine that he will bring Cosette to her. He takes her to a hospital. Javert comes to see Valjean again. Javert admits that after being forced to free Fantine, he reported him as Valjean to the French authorities. He tells Valjean he realizes he was wrong, because the authorities have identified someone else as the real Jean Valjean, have him in custody, and plan to try him the next day.

Valjean is torn, but decides to reveal himself to save the innocent man, whose real name is Champmathieu. He travels to attend the trial and there reveals his true identity. Fantine discovers that Cosette is not at the hospital and fretfully asks where she is. Javert orders her to be quiet, and then reveals to her Valjean's real identity. Weakened by the severity of her illness, she falls back in shock and dies.

Valjean goes to Fantine, speaks to her in an inaudible whisper, kisses her hand, and then leaves with Javert. Later, Fantine's body is unceremoniously thrown into a public grave. Valjean escapes, is recaptured, and is sentenced to death.

More drawings of Joly with birbs 🕊️

The king commutes his sentence to penal servitude for life. While imprisoned in the Bagne of Toulon , Valjean, at great personal risk, rescues a sailor caught in the ship's rigging. Spectators call for his release. Valjean fakes his own death by allowing himself to fall into the ocean. Authorities report him dead and his body lost.

Valjean arrives at Montfermeil on Christmas Eve. He finds Cosette fetching water in the woods alone and walks with her to the inn. Valjean leaves and returns to make Cosette a present of an expensive new doll which, after some hesitation, she happily accepts. He informs Valjean that he cannot release Cosette without a note from the child's mother. Valjean and Cosette flee to Paris. Valjean rents new lodgings at Gorbeau House, where he and Cosette live happily. However, Javert discovers Valjean's lodgings there a few months later.

Valjean takes Cosette and they try to escape from Javert. They soon find shelter in the Petit-Picpus convent with the help of Fauchelevent, the man whom Valjean once rescued from being crushed under a cart and who has become the convent's gardener. Valjean also becomes a gardener and Cosette becomes a student at the convent school. Lamarque was a victim of a major cholera epidemic that had ravaged the city, particularly its poor neighborhoods, arousing suspicion that the government had been poisoning wells.

30 reasons why Les Miserables has lasted 30 years

One of the students, Marius Pontmercy , has become alienated from his family especially his grandfather M. Gillenormand because of his liberal views. At the Luxembourg Garden , Marius falls in love with the now grown and beautiful Cosette. To impress him, she tries to prove her literacy by reading aloud from a book and by writing "The Cops Are Here" on a sheet of paper. Marius pities her and gives her some money.

The philanthropist and his daughter enter—actually Valjean and Cosette. Marius immediately recognizes Cosette. After seeing them, Valjean promises them he will return with rent money for them. Javert gives Marius two pistols and instructs him to fire one into the air if things get dangerous. Marius returns home and waits for Javert and the police to arrive. Valjean tries to escape through a window but is subdued and tied up.

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He also orders Valjean to write a letter to Cosette to return to the apartment, and they would keep her with them until he delivers the money. It is during this time that Valjean manages to free himself. Valjean manages to escape the scene before Javert sees him. She leads him to Valjean's and Cosette's house on Rue Plumet, and Marius watches the house for a few days. He and Cosette then finally meet and declare their love for one another.

One night, during one of Marius's visits with Cosette, the six men attempt to raid Valjean's and Cosette's house. Hearing this, they reluctantly retire. Meanwhile, Cosette informs Marius that she and Valjean will be leaving for England in a week's time, which greatly troubles the pair. The next day, Valjean is sitting in the Champ de Mars.

Unexpectedly, a note lands in his lap, which says "Move Out. He goes back to his house, tells Cosette they will be staying at their other house on Rue de l'Homme Arme, and reconfirms to her that they will be moving to England. Marius tries to get permission from M. Gillenormand to marry Cosette. His grandfather seems stern and angry, but has been longing for Marius's return.

When tempers flare, he refuses his assent to the marriage, telling Marius to make Cosette his mistress instead. The following day, the students revolt and erect barricades in the narrow streets of Paris. Gavroche spots Javert and informs Enjolras that Javert is a spy. You would have said, to see the thoughtful reflection of his eye, that he had already, in some preceding existence, passed through the revolutionary apocalypse. And I was right. I went to an exhibit on engraving at the National Gallery and I only ever want my art to look like that now. JavaScript is required to view this site.

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Empty Chairs At Empty Tables - Joly edition

Most recent Most popular Most recent. Filter by post type All posts. Grid View List View. Enjoltaire Enjolras Grantaire drawing illustration Les Miserables les mis les amis les amis de l'abc birthday. We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

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