Les Misérables, Tome IV: L'idylle rue Plumet et l'épopée rue Saint-Denis

Les Misérables #4

by Victor Hugo

Volume 4 (books 1-15) of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. There are 5 Volumes in total.

Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean - the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread - Les Misérables (1862) ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them onto the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose.

Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les Misérables gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait which resulted is larger than life, epic in scope - an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.

Genres: Classics, France, French Literature, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Roman

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 1862

About the author

After Napoleon III seized power in 1851, French writer Victor Marie Hugo went into exile and in 1870 returned to France; his novels include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862).

This poet, playwright, novelist, dramatist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, and perhaps the most influential, important exponent of the Romantic movement in France, campaigned for human rights. People in France regard him as one of greatest poets of that country and know him better abroad.

Reviews

[Ebster Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Few Pages of History"

Oh I just noticed I skipped this book, must not have had anything significant. There is a chapter about Enjolras and Grantaire, so I'll have to read it at some point.

This book is basically Victor going through history, politics and economics...plus a bit of character building with Enjorlas and Grantaire at the end.

The history bit was hard for me to get through, mostly because I'm not that familiar with the history of France. I liked it when he talked about politics and economics. He makes a differentiation between a country comprised of people and a country as in government...which I think is interesting mostly because it's not something I think about a lot.

I also think he's finally getting to the point where he's acknowledging that there is not one economic system that's going to fix the problems within society. Capitalism and socialism are policies...the dogma and they're important but what's more important is the way we practice them...or the principles behind the way we practice them, rather:

"Encourage the wealthy, and protect the poor, suppress misery, put and end to the unjust farming out of the feeble by the strong."

The last chapter has to do with Enjorlas giving Grantaire a tiny bit of responsibility and Grantaire screwing it up. Before going back and reading this chapter, I just read the ending of these two characters where Grantaire was wasted through the whole fight, but woke up just in time to see the love of his life was about to be executed and said "hey, wait for me I wanna die for revolution too" and they hold hands and get shot together

Garonatire is just whacked...


"Eponine"

The aftermath of the arrest mentioned in the previous book. Two months later, Eponine and her sister get out of jail and tracks down Marius. Marius is understandibly creeped out (because stalking people is weird, Right Marius???) But she tells him where his chrush lives so its all cool). Oh, and Marius also notices that Epinine has developed secondary sex characteristics, and is no longer ugly.

I like that Eponine is under no delusions at this point. She's flirtatious, but sincere. She knows nothings gonna happen with this guy, but she still likes him and wants to make him smile.

"The House in the Rue Plumet"

This one is all about the relationship between Ultime Fachelevent and his daughter. It's...a bit complicated.

Like, at first glance he's this completely doting, devoted father but he really doesn't have this whole parenting thing quite figured out. He really doesn't do parental guidance, communication or discipline well very well: He basically gives his daughter whatever she wants and refuses to talk about anything that makes him feel uncomfortable.

This puts a strain on their relationship as she hits adolescence and she gets her first crush. They both figure out about Marius independently but they never talk about it openly to each other: Ultime because he can't deal with it, Cosette because she just doesn't know to ask.

Then one day when they go on a daddy-daughter outing and the see a gang of convicts chained up, marching by, and her dad kind of goes through this post tramatic stress episode. He thinks she doesn't notice, but then she asks him the armor piercing question.

At first Cosette came across as a bit unrealisticly princessy and naive; especially for someone who had such a horrible childhood, but now I think she's actually just repressing a lot of stuff just like her dad is. The last line in this book alone indicates that she's incredibly perceptive and intuitive.

"Succor from Below May Turn Out to be Succor from on High"

Gavroche doesn't like begging and he has no problem stealing from people. However, he's also got a generous, kindly spirit. I like that Victor shows us this instead going into a whole monologue like he does with Fantine (She's totes a virgin...just not literally) and Cosette (she's totes got balls but she'll never get to use them).

We meet Montparnasse again and he gets pwned by an old man who he was trying to mug. (That was actually really cool. Like, half Clint Eastwood go ahead make my day , half Obi-Wan Kenobi you ought to go home, think about your life . It's too bad Victor's already told us Montparnasse's gonna grow up to be a master-assassin, I'd really like him to take it to heart.)




"The End Which Does Not Resemble the Beginning"

Cosette starts to get over her crush who she never talked to. Victor treats this like a inevitable defect in her character instead of a normal, healthy reaction to not being in love yet.

Then she starts seeing a figure outside her garden wall every night, and her nanny starts telling her about rapists and rogues and stuff and she gets all scared. Until she finds a paper with a lot of love poems on it and realizes this person is in love with her and goes to meet him.

The funniest part about this is that the second guy Cosette starts to check out just happens to be Marius' cousin. I don't know if they're meant to resemble each other or something, but he always ends up being compared unfavorably to him.

After Cosette ends up falling in love with Marius, she really starts to hate this other guy. It kind of reminds me of Bella Swan: like, she's totally rude to guys in her school and thinks less of them just because they're not her true love. (It's not like it's their fault, Cosette! He wasn't even checking you out!) But such is the love of young, inexperienced people I suppose...

"Little Gavroche"

So the Thenardier family just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and the characters of the Thenardier parents are finally starting to take shape (IMHO) Mom-Thenardier is mean and messed up, but she still has a heart and a conscience. Dad-Thenardier is dead inside. Like I think he was alive at one point, he obviously loved his wife very much at one time, but now affection only extends to other people when they can do something for them. It's really sad.

You know what else is sad? Gavroche is probably what his dad was like as a kid. Victor's already told us kids like Gavroche do not grow up to be happy. So all that sweetness, generosity, paternal instincts is going to die within him when he becomes an adult and gets beaten down by the world.

#cries

"Slang"

This is basically a big long monologue where Victor reasons himself into a corner. (Bear in mind, this is from someone who largely agrees with everything Victor has to say:) At some point, he's not talking about issues anymore. He's just talking about his own feelings that he doesn't understand.

"Enchantments and Desolations"

Marius is surrounded by people who absolutely adore him. He does not reciprocate these devotions (Not even towards Cosette). In his mind, everything is about himself: what he's going through, and what he wants. Marius is definitely not the hero of this story.

"Whither are They Going"

Eponine has snapped.

Mabeuf...has disaponted me. He's trying to be all noble, but he's being dumb about it.

"The Fifth of June, 1832"

Victor starts telling us the difference between insurrection, an uprising, a riot, a rebellion, and something else but I wasn't paying close attention because I was thinking about how Marius is probably the narrator and O. My. Gosh. That explains so much.

General Lamarque was really awesome. I'll just have to take Victor/Marius' word for it because he never explains why.

Anne Radcliff is mentioned. The one literary reference in this book I can actually get!

"The Atom Fraternizes with the Hurricane"

Looting and a lot of other stuff is going on. Gavroche joins in, actually believes in the principles behind the conflict. Maubeuf joins in too; Gavroche and the ABC (who are familiar with M because he's Marius' friend) think its cool to have an 80 year old guy join their ranks its actually not that cool, its because he has a deathwish (you shoulda kept the money, M...)

The younger Thenardier boys disapear and are never heard from by Gavroche again, and he never finds out they are siblings.

Because we don't find out what happens to them, I'm gonna assume they live long happy lives.

"Corinthe"

I'm pretty sure Garontaire is bisexual, I feel bad for him because he's so pessimistic he sees the end and is going through with it anyway just to support a guy who can hardly stand him.

Speaking of Enjorlas, whatever psychiatric disorder Javert suffers from I think Enjorlas has it too. (A "nice young man capable of being terrible" indeed).

There's a whole little sub plot with Javert hunting down this crime lord called Claquesous, it ended quite to my satisfaction. I have the feeling M. Hugo would be really into Karma. (I sure hope Javert got to watch tho).

"Marius Enters the Shadow"

Marius vaguely ponders politics and morality and tries to fool himself into thinking he's doing something noble. Like he's performing his own brave sacrifice when he really just has a death wish.

The transference between the narrator and Marius is almost tangible at this point.

Then he sees the first dead body. I'd really like to think that at this point sh*t got real for Marius, but I doubt it

"The Grandeurs of Despair"

Things are looking pretty bad for everyone. Javert's police buddies don't but much value on his life cuz they had the chance for a prisoner exchange and decided they'd rather kill one of them than get one of their own back. (Its a good thing Javert wasn't expecting them to, or I'd feel really bad for him. I wonder was this his suicide mission? He didn't even bring any ammo. Why? )

Marius becomes de facto revolutionary leader for a whole two seconds (they are screwed).

Eponine reveals her diabolical plan.

The narriator makes it clear early on Marius could totally use his law degree and make enough money to support himself and a family, but he doesn't because he's a dreamer and doesn't want to put in the effort. Then his girlfriend moves to England, and he'd rather die than get a real job and save up the money to go be with her.

Nice...

"The Rue de l'Homme Arme"

M. Fachelevant already knew about Marius; he didn't know Cosette was writing to him. We're reminded once again that Fachelevant and Cosette are not just father and daughter, their relationship is weird.

Fachelevant awaits Marius' response at the doorway of his apartment and meets a smark alek kid (Gavroche) in passing (yay!)

The last part is really funny to me. Because Fachelevant looks younger than he is, he has to serve in the national guard. So he really should be out in the streets, trying to contain the riot and break down the barricades with all his reserve buddies. After he gets the letter, he does!

He gloats over the impending death of that "hated individual" and he suits up, and heads out to the street.

I just love how Victor writes this character. He's got a carnal nature just like everyone else, and he has to fight against himself just as much as he has to fight against external forces...of injustice and whatnot. It's lovely XD

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

(English will be after the French.) J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce tome de Les Misérables. J'ai essayé de comprendre l'histoire politique du mieux que je pouvais, puis j'ai lu quelque chose en ligne qui m'a aidé à l'expliquer. Je ne comprenais pas du tout les chapitres sur l'argot des pauvres de cette époque, mais je le trouvais néanmoins intéressant de voir à quel point que c'était logique, qu'il y avait effectivement une sorte de progression dans la façon dont les mots étaient formés.

Quant aux descriptions de Paris à cette époque, il faut constater que Victor Hugo ne ménage aucun détail, aussi infime soit-il ! Difficile pour moi à imaginer, donc j'ai cartographié sur Google Maps l'emplacement de la barricade par rapport au reste de Paris, afin d'avoir une idée générale du quartier. Ce n'était pas loin de la Seine ni du Marais.

J'ai adoré la façon dont Hugo entrecoupait ses descriptions de la société française et de la vie des pauvres avec des personnages et un scénario qui démontrait ce qu'il venait d’écrire.

Quant au drame, la progression du scénario du tome IV est magnifique. Chaque personnage est développé de manière beaucoup plus complète qu’avant, tant par ses actions que par les descriptions de Hugo. Il montre à travers le scénario ce qui se passe lorsque les gens communiquent mal ou restent trop rigides dans leurs croyances et leurs comportements. Par exemple : la scène de Marius avec son grand-père - déchirante ! Les actions de Gavroche amplifient l'admiration déjà exprimée par Hugo pour les gamins des rues. Fantine aide Marius à retrouver Cosette et les protège des voleurs ; puis elle devient jalouse et l'attire vers la barricade pour qu'ils meurent ensemble ; puis elle change d'avis, lui sauve la vie et l'aide à retrouver Cosette. Enfin, tous les personnages sont compliqués et très bien développés.

Jusqu'à présent, c'est mon tome préféré de cette œuvre incroyable.

I really enjoyed this volume of Les Miserables. I tried to understand the political history as best I could, then I read something online that helped explain it. I didn't understand the chapters on the slang of the poor from that era at all, but I nonetheless found it interesting to see how logical it was, how there was indeed some sort of progression in the way the words were formed.

As for the descriptions of Paris at this time, it must be noted that Victor Hugo spares no detail, no matter how small! Hard for me to imagine, so I mapped the location of the barricade in relation to the rest of Paris on Google Maps, to get a general idea of the neighborhood. It was not far from the Seine or the Marais.

I loved the way Hugo interspersed his descriptions of French society and the lives of the poor with characters and a storyline that demonstrated what he had just written.

As for the drama, the progression of the storyline of volume IV is magnificent. Each character is developed much more fully than before, both through their actions and through Hugo's descriptions. He shows through the storyline what happens when people communicate poorly or remain too rigid in their beliefs and behaviors. For example: Marius' scene with his grandfather - heartbreaking! Gavroche's actions amplify the admiration already expressed by Hugo for the street urchins. Fantine helps Marius find Cosette and protects them from thieves; then she becomes jealous and lures him towards the barricade so that they could die together; then she changes her mind, saves his life and helps him find Cosette. In other words, all the characters are complicated and very well developed.

So far, this is my favorite volume of this incredible work.

[Betül · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tüm dünya klasikleri ayrı saygın olsa da hepsi okunduğunda her insana "şahane" dedirtmez. Bana bunu dedirtenlerin başında Victor Hugo geliyor. Nasıl desem, Sefiller hem Fransız tarihine bir yolculuk ve Paris'in farklı yüzlerini tanıtan bir ayna, hem başta ahlak ve vicdan olmak üzere insani değerleri sorgulama aracı hem de aşkın, sevginin en masum hallerini hissettiren bir roman. Roman kelimesi bile az kalıyor sanki onu tanımlamama. İnsanoğlunun ne bencil ne adi bir varlık olduğunu ve bu yüzden dürüstlüğün insana avantaj değil her zaman dezavantaj kazandırdığını iliklerinize kadar hissettiriyor. Size tavsiyem okumadan önce Fransız ihtilali yani 1789'dan 1848 yılı arası Fransız tarihi hakkında kısa bir bilgi edinmeniz. Çünkü bu sayede anlatılan bir çok şeyi daha iyi anlıyorsunuz. Çoğumuz sanıyor ki ihtilalden sonra herkes eşit ve adil mutlu mesut yaşadılar. Fakat yok öyle bir şey, sonra kralcılar tekrar başa geçiyor sonra cumhuriyetçiler farklı farklı zamanlarda tekrar devrimler gerçekleştiriyorlar. Bu sayede öğrendim ki şu ana kadar Fransa'da 5 farklı cumhuriyet dönemi yaşanmış. O kadar güzel bir kurgu var ki hayran kaldım kitap boyu. Bir Fransız olsam çok çok daha etkilenirdim kesin. Bir diğer önerim de ciltler arasına zaman koymadan okumanız. Ben ilk cildi epey önce okumuştum, ara ara dönüşler yapıp detayları hatırlama ihtiyacım oldu. Zaten aralıksız okumak da ayrı bir güzel oluyor😊Sonuç aynı şahane duyguları tatmak için okuyun diyorum 😊😉

[Kristina Šoklovački · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I’ve finished reading this part of Les Misérables, I can say the following:
The relationship between Jean Valjean and Cosette is definitely not normal. From my perspective, those moments when he takes her old belongings and cries over them because she is getting married feel quite unhealthy.
Marius ignores everything questionable about Jean Valjean simply because Valjean saved his life, and that somehow justifies all of his actions?
I can say that I liked the story and that it has a lot of potential, but certain things keep it from being a 5-star read — for me, it’s a solid 4. I especially enjoyed how Hugo connects personal stories with broader social themes and how much emotion he manages to convey.
The pacing is sometimes uneven, but the overall impact remains strong.
We all make mistakes and should forgive one another, but where is the limit?
Even with all its flaws, it’s a book that stays with you long after you finish it.
That’s all from me.

[alek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok no to krótka recenzja podsumowując całą fabułę, nie tylko ten konkretny tom;

it was awesome.

Mimo że przed zaczęciem czytania znałam większość najgłówniejszych wydarzeń + większość śmierci, to czytanie ich wciąż mocno ruszało, jeśli nie nawet bardziej.

I wprawdzie niektóre fragmenty typu dwudziestostronny opis kanałów podparyskich na razie pomijałam, żeby skupić się na fabule, ale może kiedyś je też przeczytam.

A poczucie humoru pojawiające się co jakiś czas jest piękne, naprawdę XD

(a Mariusz jest jeszcze bardziej zmienny niż śnieg w tym roku)

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Valjean, care a trecut prin nenumarate nenorociri, este in sfarsit invins sufleteste de posibilitatea ca fiica sa are un iubit.

[Nihan Kanar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sadece roman değil tarih okuyorsunuz, bütün insanlığın okuyup ders çıkarması gereken bir ders kitabı okuyorsunuz. Müthiş müthiş müthiş, böyle bi eserin yazılmış olması hem de 150 yıl önce, gerçekten inanılmaz🙌🏼

[Veronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was für ein wilder Ritt diese Geschichte ist! Ich weiß gar nicht wo ich anfangen soll.
Erzählerisch ist Hugo wie üblich unübertroffen, er spannt ein Netzwerk aus Charakteren, Begebenheit, Philosophien, Tatsachen und Moralen und verknüpft es miteinander wie nur ein wahrer Künstler es kann.
Jean Valjean bekommt endlich mal eine (storytechnische) Pause und darf sich mit Cosette ein wenig erholen. Die Momente wo man den Alltag der beiden sieht oder sie miteinander bonden waren wunderschön und ich habe sie ihm von Herzen gegönnt.

Marius und Cosette (die mir im Musical beide so auf den Keks gingen!) sind hier durchweg zauberhaft. Sie sind so jung, emotional, anrührend in ihrer Naivität und Unschuld. Sie sind der metaphorische Sonnenstrahl in einer Welt des Elends (jap, der Titel ist wirklich gut gewählt), in der alle anderen Menschen zynisch und verzweifelt sind.
Okay nicht alle. Hugo hat ja ein bemerkenswertes Talent dafür in der finstersten Gosse die schönsten Blumen wachsen zu lassen. Gavroche und Eponine gehören dazu, denn tiefer sinken und mehr ins Elend verfallen als diese beiden Geschwister kann man eigentlich nicht mehr, und doch bewahren sie bis zu ihrem Ende eine tiefe Menschlichkeit, die einem das Herz zerlegt. Gavroche ist dreist und frech und gleichzeitig offenherzig und mitfühlend, Eponine ist bitter und eifersüchtig und doch in der Lage tiefe Liebe zu empfinden. Wie Gavroche sich um die beiden kleinen Jungen kümmert (ohne zu Wissen, dass es seine Brüder sind!!) und das wenige was er hat, noch mit ihnen teilt - und wie Eponine Cosettes Haus beschützt, das Haus ihrer Rivalin! - mein Gott.
Dann natürlich Marius Großvater! Man möchte ihn packen und schütteln und gleichzeitig bricht er einem das Herz. Dieser sture, alte Klotz, der nichts anderes tut als zu schimpfen und zu zetern und Marius zu vergraulen - und dem es dann das Herz bricht, dass Marius nicht mehr da ist und er nie wieder sehen wird! Agonie!
Des Weiteren natürlich Enjolras! Der schöne, edle Enjolras, der Menschen erschießt, die seine Moral verraten und sich dann gleich selbst verurteilt, weil er einen Mord begangen hat. Enjolras, der keine Frauen liebt, sondern nur Frankreich, aber vielleicht auch ein kleines bisschen seinen hässlichen Freund Grantaire. So ein faszinierender Charakter.
Ich bin so froh, dass ich noch einen Band vor mir habe, denn wenn man einmal in Hugos riesige Welt eintaucht, ist es schwer wieder ganz aus ihr aufzutauchen.

[Esme Roa · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mejor tomo hasta ahora, es mucho menos descriptivo.
Más de la historia de Cosette y Marius y mucho más descripción de la barricada, los amigos del A, B, C, y de Gavroche.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

I made the proofreading the 1st edition of this book in English for Free Literature, published by Little, Brown and Company, in 1887.

Vol 4: The Idyll and the Epic

The original file was provided by Internet Arquive.

Page 20:
In such a case, this is what occurs to political philosophers: at the same time as wearied men claim rest, accomplished facts demand guarantees, for guarantees for facts are the same thing as repose for men. It is this that England asked of the Stuart after the Protector, and what France asked of the Bourbons after the Empire. These guarantees are a necessity of the times, and they must be granted. The Princes concede them, but in reality it is the force of things that gives them. This is a profound truth and worth knowing, which the Stuarts did not suspect in 1662, and of which the Bourbons did not even gain a glimpse in 1814.

Page 25:
In this way they say peace is secured after the revolution, that is to say, the necessary time for repairing the house and dressing the wounds. A dynasty hides the scaffolding and covers the hospital. Now, it is not always easy to obtain a dynasty, although the first man of genius or the first adventurer met with is sufficient to make a king.

Page 261:
Slang is the language of the dark. Thought is affected in its gloomiest depths, and social philosophy is harassed in its most poignant undulations, in the presence of this enigmatical dialect, which is at once branded and in a state of revolt.

[Veronica Gavilanes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este, el penúltimo tomo, es la parte de la historia de Jean Valjean en la que surge la historia de amor entre Marius y Cosette. Este encuentro, por un lado, hace que Marius se distancie de sus ideales ligados a la imagen de su padre. Y, por otro lado, provoca cambios en la relación entre Jean Valjean y Cosette. Simultáneamente, crecen las tensiones sociales, económicas y políticas.

Lo que me gustó: Hay una parte muy interesante en la que Victor Hugo defiende el uso de la jerga en la producción literaria porque le da autenticidad a los diálogos y porque refleja cómo hablan ciertos grupos. Esta es una discusión que se mantiene hasta hoy, así que me sorprendió ver que comenzó hace tanto tiempo. Personalmente, estoy de acuerdo con el autor en que es pertinente utilizar ese tipo de lenguaje, aunque puede ser más difícil para el lector.

Lo que no me gustó: Este tomo es el que menos me ha gustado de Los Miserables hasta ahora, probablemente porque la historia de amor no tiene sentido para mí. Aunque es muy común en la literatura, nunca puedo conectar con las relaciones amorosas que parten de una idealización del amor mismo y de la otra persona. Marius y Cosette no solo se enamoran de forma gratuita y sin conocerse, sino que Marius tiene actitudes horribles y el autor las considera románticas. Y bueno, este personaje tampoco me gusta en general. Es demasiado idealista y no hace nada con su vida, ni trabaja, ni estudia, ni lucha. Además, las partes del libro donde se habla de los amigos de Marius me parecieron de relleno.

[Manuel Sotomayor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un clásico

La descripción de las escenas... la muerte de Eponine magistral. Comprender desde dentro la gestación de la post revolución, la concepción del amor idílico entre Marius y Cosette. Te deja claro el panorama social y psicológico de todos los personales, ahora viene el último de los 5 libros, Jean Valjean.

[Mariana LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention to detail is amazing, but sometimes it makes the plot advance more slowly. Perhaps it is because the style of writing belongs to a different time.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The king taking over France after the 1789 Revolution were slow granting social freedoms, and when he was kicked out, was a win for the people although monarchists came in to cancel everything.
St Antoine, 1832. Whispers are heard about an upcoming violent uprising. And the ABC society is getting ready for it.
Marius is looking for the blonde girl, while Patron-Minette gang's Eponine, find out where is Cosette, and helps Monsier Mabeuf in exchange of Marius address.
Eponine, madly in love of Marius, find him and seeing that she isnt loved back, she give him Cosette's address.
After Fauchelevent's death, Valjean and Cosette leave the convent.
Now, Gavroche spends days without eating. He overheard Monsier Mabeuf talking about not having more credit nor money for food. Then he saw how an old guy was being robbed although the old man defend himself and turn to have under control the robber, donating his money to him after giving him a speech. Gavroche grabbed that money and leave it for Monsier Mabeuf to find.
So, now back to Cosette and Marius, he left a note to her and they spend the whole night together... talking. At the end of the night they finally know their real names. Bravo!
La Magnon take care of the 2 smaller kids from the Thenardiers. As she is a criminal, gets arrested. The 2 kids come back home to see it locked. Gavroche decide to help them, not knowing they are family, and take them to his unusual home, inside a statue, where he have to deal also with rats.
Big time noise wakes up Gavroche to find Montparnasse and he will end helping his own father, Thénardier, to break prison.
In the meantime, Valjean still have no idea that Cosette and Marius are sharing so much time together madly in love.
Eponine's scene shows so much loyalty to Marius and try to defend him, and Cosette, from the enemies, even defying her father.
Bad news, Valjean decides to take Cosette to England and Marius doesnt have money to follow her. Although, he turns to his grandpa Gillenormand for help, and he advices to make Cosette her mistress. Marius: "offense taken, ciao".
And the moment came. Revolution, barricades, Eponine giving her life to save Marius, Valjean thinking on killing him or saving him, the darkness in war.

[Laura Cunha · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://leiturasdelaura.blogspot.com/...

Então, seguindo um dos Desafios Literários desse ano e aproveitando para juntar com outros, resolvi esse mês me desafiar de verdade e ler todos os 5 tomos de "Os Miseráveis" no original em francês. Explico. Um dos desafios era ler um livro grande, outro, ler um clássico do século XIX e outro ler 52 livros no ano (esse é o mais fácil porque todos os outros desafios ajudam rsrsrs). Fiquei pensando: que clássico do século XIX pode realmente ser considerado um livro grande? Juntando os 5 tomos (que muitas vezes vem distribuídos em 2 volumes físicos), "Os Miseráveis" é uma obra que soma aproximadamente umas mil páginas, o que, convenhamos, é um livro grande independentemente do quanto você está acostumado a ler, logo ele pode ser classificado como grande sempre.

Então mergulhei numa saga que eu já esperava que me tomaria o mês inteiro, inclusive por boa parte do caminho eu fiquei muito preocupada em não conseguir ler tudo dentro do prazo que estipulei para mim mesma. Porque ler os miseráveis é uma Experiência com "e" maiúsculo.

"Os Miseráveis" não é apenas uma obra icônica de um autor icônico, não é apenas uma história que virou musical e filme e que absolutamente todo o mundo conhece pelo menos um pouco dela (aliás, nem sei porque coloquei o "spoiler free" lá em cima...), não é apenas uma história que faz parte do imaginário coletivo ocidental, "Os Miseráveis" é um tratado sobre a humanidade, e mais especificamente um tratado sobre a história da França e de Paris.

Dito isso vamos ao que interessa. "Os Miseráveis" apesar do apelo dos musicais e filmes definitivamente não é uma leitura tranquila, e nem é um tipo de livro que agrade a maior parte dos leitores atuais. É um livro difícil e por diversos (e longos) momentos é muito chato. O autor resolveu fazer uma obra que não dá para classificar: é romance? é tratado filosófico? é livro de história? É tudo isso junto e misturado. Misturado no sentido de que ele pula de um tema para o outro quase que a seu bel prazer. E eu digo "quase" porque as interrupções na história dos personagens que todos amam e conhecem acontecem quase sempre de forma intencional, visando sempre um melhor entendimento do leitor do contexto em que as coisas estão acontecendo. Claro que no meio do caminho tem algumas interrupções que poderiam ser completamente suprimidas que não fariam a menor falta (tipo a história do sistema de esgotos de Paris ou como o local da batalha de Waterloo ficou mais de 30 anos depois da batalha).

Por conta disso tudo, é um livro que me deixou dividida. Eu entendo e consigo apreciar a genialidade do autor e da obra, mas por diversos momentos fiquei irritada e fiz uma leitura dinâmica do texto porque não aguentava mais algumas passagens. Fora alguns momentos (compreensíveis por conta da época em que foi escrito) de puro machismo em que precisei respirar muito fundo para continuar lendo.

Então, para quem quiser passar por essa Experiência, segue uma concisa descrição dos tomos para uma preparação psicológica: ATENÇÃO, SPOILER A FRENTE (para aqueles que conseguiram nunca ouvir falar da história)

O Tomo 1 se chama "Fantine", mas é necessário muita paciência para esperar ela aparecer na história, porque conta basicamente sobre como o Jean Valjean (precisa de paciência para esperar ele aparecer também, ele só surge depois de um quinto do livro) se tornou quem ele é, e só depois toda a história da Fantine. Pelo menos a história dela é contada toda nesse tomo. O Tomo 2 se chama "Cosette", e adivinha, conta a história dela, mas antes conta toda a história do Sr. Thénardier, com direito a uma descrição completa e detalhada da batalha de Waterloo. Mas não se preocupe, isso faz sentido e é parcialmente relevante para a história lááááááá na frente, e esse tomo vai até o resgate da Cosette e como ela e Jean Valjean se instalam em Paris. O Tomo 3 se chama "Marius" e conta toooooooda a história desse personagem, começando pelo avô e pelo pai dele, e depois a sua infância, depois juventude e como ele resolve ser independente, e, claro, como ele "conhece" a Cosette, mas precisa de uma certa paciência porque antes de contar a história de Marius, existe toda uma explicação detalhada sobre a alma de Paris, para o leitor entender o contexto histórico da trama que vai se desenvolver nos tomos seguintes. O Tomo 4 se chama "Idílio da Rua Plumet e epopeia da Rua Saint-Denis", ele descreve como Cosette e Marius finalmente se conhecem e depois como Paris entra em polvorosa com as barricadas do motim de 1832, com direito a divagações filosóficas sobre as diversas vertentes políticas existentes na época e sobre as questões morais que alguém numa barricada precisa encarar. Finalmente o Tomo 5, que se chama "Jean Valjean", trata sobre como Marius e Jean Valjean conseguem se safar das barricadas e como o livro chega no seu desfecho, com o casamento de Marius e Cosette e o triste fim do personagem título. No meio do caminho tem mais questões filosóficas e uma descrição detalhada da história dos sistemas de esgoto de Paris (se esse livro tivesse sido publicado na época do Tolkien certamente teria um mapa).

Então, se você quiser a versão resumida da história, basta ver uma das montagens do musical ou um dos filmes, que você não vai perder quase nada da trama (que perde sim alguns detalhes para simplificar a história e caber em um espetáculo/filme de 3h), mas vai perder todo o resto e o prazer de ler a prosa de Victor Hugo.

Nota 9, porque apesar da genialidade e grandeza da obra, ela não consegue não ser chata em alguns momentos, me fazendo uma pessoa extremamente feliz por ter conseguido sobreviver à sua leitura.

[Susana Loriente · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comienzo del idilio entre Marius y Cosette, descrito casi al estilo del amor cortés, casto, puro y religioso. Valjean, por su parte, tolera mal esta situación y reacciona como un amante celoso. De hecho, la descripción de esos celos ofrece uno de los momentos más memorables de la prosa de Hugo. Me ha emocionado el encuentro de los hermanos Thénardier, la casa/elefante y la generosidad de Gavroche, uno de mis personajes preferidos. También lo es el abuelo de Marius, un anciano orgulloso y testarudo que pierde el amor de su nieto por negarse a mostrar sus sentimientos. Demasiado larga la parte dedicada al argot aunque interesante e instructiva. Al final de este libro, estalla la insurrección de junio de 1832. Comienza la acción!

[Léopold Oursel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean Jean's bizarre adventure : Revolte is unbreakable & Love sur le champ de bataille

"Si nous étions forcés à l’option entre les barbares de la civilisation et les civilisés de la barbarie, nous choisirions les barbares."

"Malheur, hélas ! à qui n’aura aimé que des corps, des formes, des apparences ! La mort lui ôtera tout. Tâchez d’aimer des âmes, vous les retrouverez."

"La misère d’un enfant intéresse une mère, la misère d’un jeune homme intéresse une jeune fille, la misère d’un vieillard n’intéresse personne. C’est de toutes les détresses la plus froide."

[Noel Stalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a labor of love. It is sometimes difficult to read especially if you can’t read or pronounce French words. Victor Hugo like many authors of his time dwells on historical details and places that don’t have the meaning they did when this was written to his audience. But the story of Cosette and Jean Valjean is beautiful and tragic and I found myself quite affected several times, especially towards the end.

[Myriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans la même veine que les tomes précédents, j'ai particulièrement aimé suivre l'histoire de Cosette, Jean Valjean et Marius. J'ai apprécié aussi certains passages plus éloignés de l'action comme le livre sur la linguistique. Je me perds parfois un peu dans les sujets liés aux contextes historiques mais cela ne gâche pas la lecture outre mesure. J'ai bien l'intention de finir la série de livre des misérables.

[Lisa Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

es war ein schwanken zwischen gähnender langeweile und tollen kapiteln! besonders die liebe zwischen marius und cosette hat mich überraschenderweise sehr begeistert - also mehr als im musical. eponine ist trotzdem mein herzchen.

[Laura Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplemente una obra magistral

[Sarah Gaudenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A

[Cécile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cf les autres tomes

[Milan Kovačević · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth part of this amazing book is so good, that I couln not not take a breath until I finish it.

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

ejzu chryste matkoboska

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

School read

[Jovana Boskovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Nista je umreti, strasno je ne ziveti.”

[Mimine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mon nez est en larmes
Mon ami Bugeaud
Prêt’- moi tes gendarmes
Pour leur dire un mot
En capote bleue
La poule au shako
Voici la banlieue
Co-cocorico!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of Les Miserables deftly answers many questions of the third volume, and continues the plot threads therein. This volume offers the resolution of the cliffhanger which ends the third volume, turns Marius and Cosette’s love affair into a material thing, and shows the revolution of 1832 through the eyes of both history and the characters. This volume shows more of the characters which interested me the most in the third volume. Patron-Minette, the Friends of the ABC, Gavroche, and especially Eponine.

In this volume, Marius and Cosette meet in person for the first time. It shows Cosette’s viewpoint, which is a bit basic. Some parts of it are relatable considering Victor Hugo was a man who held some sexist attitudes of his time. However, Cosette isn’t as interesting a character as most of the others in this character-stuffed book. The relationship between Marius and Cosette isn’t physical. They put each other on a pedestal and see each other as the holiest beings in existence. Although this text provides some of the greatest quotes on love because of this romance, it is still a little boring. I might even have preferred that Marius end up with Eponine.

Eponine is a tragic anti-heroine, a compelling flawed character, and possibly my favorite character in this whole novel. Eponine was raised by the abusive Thenardiers, and while she was raised a criminal, she knows deep down that isn’t the way to be. She falls in love with Marius, who is everything she can’t be and is also dating the woman Eponine essentially switched places with. Everyone can relate to unrequited love. Eponine certainly isn’t perfect. She’s jealous, envious, brazen, and slightly amoral. However, her flaws are way more interesting and unrealistic than Cosette’s vanity and passive nature. Her character has a desperate sadness to it that exemplifies this novel.

The revolution begins in this volume, feeling like a long-awaited restructuring of society. The revolution is portrayed as complex too. It leans more on the heroic side, however. It is an epic rush throughout Paris, and the description is just as much felt as read. Although it is a meager student-led rebellion, it feels like the miserable people rising up and saying “enough is enough!” Enjolras and Gavroche make a great duo as well. It’s a very French attitude towards revolution.

The romance is flawed and reeks of 19th century idealism, but the rest of this volume is pretty great. The fates of some characters weren’t what I wanted, but the volume ends with an action by Valjean, who hasn’t been featured enough in this volume, and I want more. More Les Mis. This volume might be the weakest one I’ve read so far, but I still loved it, even if I know what happens to some characters.

[Hafsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

je suis devenue accro au misèrable, j'adore jadore j'adore ...
L'histoirebest très captive je peux pas m'arrêter de la lire, d'habitude j'aime pas trop les roman classique surtout les frznçais , mais avec Victor Hugo il est vraiment un génie de la litterature.
maintenant il me reste un Tôme et je veux pas le lire tout de suite .