The title is french, translating in english to the wretched ones. Born in 1802, the son of a high officer in napoleons army, victor hugo spent his childhood against a background of military life in elba, corsica, naples, and madrid. I have just finished reading this book, and can say it was as good as i expected but wow it isnt exaggerated that it is long. Les miserables by victor hugo, first edition abebooks. Jean valjean, the protagonist of les miserables, is seen in the beginning as nothing but hateful. Les miserables study guide from litcharts the creators of. He is seventyfive years old and lives only with a sister baptistine, ten years younger than he, and an old servant, madame magloire, the same age as his sister.
Summary of the novel set in the postnapoleonic era just after the french revolution, les miserables is the story of jean valjean, a convict, who has just been released from prison after serving. Hugo uses this chapter to reunite a number of different. Les miserables is one of the longest novels in european literature. Les miserables is a novel by victor hugo that was first published in 1862. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary. The convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent. Instant downloads of all 1297 litchart pdfs including les miserables. The best study guide to les miserables on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes. According to bellos, wraxall, a historian who fancied himself an expert on waterloo, did not hesitate to alter the meaning of hugos novel. In the 19th century as the population and literacy grew, the association of literature and the elite began.
Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. The novel emphasizes fantines innocence and goodness, despite her. First american edition and first edition in english of victor hugos masterpiece. If a writer wrote merely for his time, i would have to break my pen and throw it away, the largerthanlife victor hugo once confessed.
The convict jean valjean is released from a french prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. The book begins in 1815, following napoleons defeat by the. Free chapter notes book summary chapter summaries with notes analysis fantine book first. Les miserablesa book that almost immediately attained worldwide success. Myriel had arrived with his sister, mademoiselle baptistine, a spinster ten years younger than he was, and with a servant of the same age, madame magloire. Years later, he returns to his homeland as a priest. This is the meaning of hugos long novel and its slow tempo heavy with. As his cab takes him without destination through the streets of the latin quarter, marius is hailed by a fellow student, bossuet. Les miserables is the lifestory of jean valjean, a rehabilitated criminal. Les miserables, by victor hugo, is an epic historical novel that, though titled les miserables, which translates to the miserable people, is also a story about undying love set largely against the backdrop of the june rebellion, also known as the paris uprising of 1832.
The literal meaning of les miserables is the miserable ones. The most famous and revealing scenes in victor hugos les miserables get underway fairly late in the novelon page 1,280 in the pleiade. The story of jean valjean, a poor french boy who is arrested at the age of 19 for stealing a loaf of bread for his family, and who is sentenced to the quarries for seven years. The music in this book isnt for beginners, and with alot of effort an intermediate pianist could play the music. Gillenormand, by threatening to disinherit marius, has forced georges. Les miserables i have been posting quotes from this book for a while now. Without cosette, valjeans life loses its meaning and he slowly withers away. Charles francoisbienvenu myriel has been bishop of digne for nine years.
Free online study guide summary for les miserables by victor hugobook notes chapter summary synopsis booknotes study guide analysis online notes. Practically the only significant characters in the book who owe nothing to anyone are father myriel, father mabeuf and gavroche. The characters are french and the book is centered around their lives. The music of les miserables is incredibly captivating, and being able to play it makes it even better. The book is a conscious attempt to advance the appreciation of sadness.
Marius is a seventeenyearold who lives with his grandfather, m. Les miserables study guide contains a biography of victor hugo. Free study guide summary chapter notes synopsis plot analysis download. Analysis book eight develops the highlight of the marius section when thenardier plots to rob and kill leblanc and mariuss discovers that his fathers benefactor really is a crook. Kathryn grossman, head of the french department at penn state university, states that released from prison after serving a lengthy, unjust sentence, jean valjean is a ticking time bomb when he arrives on the bishops doorstep in digne. He finds fulfillment in loving his adopted daughter and helping people who are in difficult situations, even when it.
Mademoiselle baptistine is a respectable woman, not pretty, but deeply good, though her goodness seems to make. I know because i made the initial mistake of getting the abridged version. Ive switched now, and the other edition has illustrations, which are a lovely addition to the story. Les miserables, brochure and handbill from the musical, by alain boublil and claudemichel schonberg based on the novel by victor hugo. Childhood innocence and courage little gavroche, eponine and their two little brothers whom gavroche protects but does not know all portray the innocence and courage that children are capable of when plunged into a. I wont bother too much with the plot, since its so wellknown everywhere. In some cases, readers cant stand the way he follows any.
The bishop gives him a place to stay and even forgives him. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Here, it is the bishop of digne who sets the spiritual keynote for les miserables. In this story of the trials of the peasant jean valjeana man unjustly imprisoned, baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the magnificently realized. To this end, hugo frequently uses animal imagery to describe javert, particularly when he likens him to a tiger. Although he is a man of logic, he is impassioned about his work. On one level les miserables is a detective story in which the relentless inspector javert obsessively pursues the escaped convict jean valjean. Born in 1740 to a wealthy aristocratic family, myriel is forced to flee to italy during the french revolution of 1789. He tells him of his difficulties, but bossuet, though full of goodwill, is unable to help since he himself is homeless.
The strange power of les mis, the book the new republic. It has been said that victor hugo has a street named after him in virtually every town in france. In a nearby town, georges pontmercy, marius father, a hero of the napoleonic wars, lives in retirement. Les miserables study guide contains a biography of victor hugo, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. However, several alternatives have been used, including the miserables. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including les miserables.
You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Charles francoisbienvenu myriel has been bishop of. Plus, there is a great biography of victor hugo at the front of. Victor hugo might be a great poetic writer, but hes also a man of facts. This version has just over 1450 pages, and claims to be the only complete and unabridged version.
Through one very strong relationship with a child is he able to find worth in life. Les miserables or, as it is often shortened, les mis is a novel by victor hugo, published in 1862. His struggles to adhere to the truth and to restorekeep his honor continue to push him down. The book is nearly 3,000 pages long and considered an epic. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Detailed summary, analysis and reading guide ebook. One day, an ex convict wanders into the bishops village and cant find any food or lodging because everyone turns him away. True to javerts nature, he makes this decision not with any emotional hysterics, but rather with a cool determination. Valjean is an exconvict who leaves behind a life of hatred and deceit and makes his fortune with his innovative industrial techniques. Indepth summary and analysis of every chapter of les miserables. The books opens by describing the life of a really upstanding dude named bishop myriel. On another level, it is a drama of crime, punishment and rehabilitation set against a panoramic description of french society after napoleon.
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