Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
I liked one of Victor Hugo's other books, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. What little I do know of this is from Wikipedia and the few songs I know of from the musical by the same name.
4/16 Finished Book First A Just Man
4/24 Finished Book Second The Fall
5/8 Finished Book Third In the Year 1817
5/8 Finished Book Fourth To confide is sometimes to deliver into a person's power
5/9 Finished Book Fifth The Descent
5/9 Finished Book Sixth Javert
Volume I Book First A Just Man
Chapter I M. Myriel: "True or false, that which is said of men often occupies as important a place in their lives, and above all in their destines,as that which they do." M.Charles Myriel is the son of councillor of the Parliament of Aix. Married at 18 or 20. Went to Italy at the beginning of the Revolution. Wife died of a chest malady and he had no children. Came back from Italy a priest. 1804 Cure of Brignolles appointed BIshop of D---- after meeting Napoleon. Has a sister named Mademoiselle Baptistine 10 years younger than him and a servant as the same age as his sister named Madame Magloire.
Ch II M. Myriel Becomes M. Welcome: Palace of D---- was built of stone beginning of last century by M. Henri Puget a Doctor of Theology of Faculty of Paris. Abbe of Simone, former bishop of D---- in 1712. Bishop decided to stay in the hospital and give the palace to the hospital because it was too small for all the patients. Uses most of his money as bishop to help people, he keeps very little for himself. Is called Monseigneur Bienvenu.
Ch IV Works Corresponding to Words: Madame Magloire called him Your Grace (Votre Grandeur). He had a distant relative named Madame la Comtesse de Lo who has three sons and many relatives who were old and near death. Her sons were the natural heirs and she brags about it. A vicar got M. Geborand to donate a sou every Sunday to the beggar-women at the cathedral doors. The Bishop was the same to people of all classes.
Chapter V Monseigneur Bienvenu Made His Cassocks Last Too Long: Mentions his busy schedule.
Ch VI Who Guarded His House For Him: The bishop's house and how he received visitors. The hospital used to be a parliment house of the.
Ch VII Cravatte: A lieutenant of the band of Gaspard and the remainder of the troop. The mayor worries for the bishop with the bandits loose. The bishop visited a small village in the mountains. The pontifical vestments that the village lacked were delivered to them by Cravatte. Stolen from the treasury of Notre Dame d'Embrun.
Ch XI The Brother as Depicted By the Sister. A letter from Mademoiselle Baptistine to Madame Vicomtess de Boischevron. In her bedroom there was a painting of Telemachue knighted by Minerva. "He fears nothing, even at night." Gives examples of this: leaving the house door unlocked. Worries for her brother but is used to his behavior.
Ch X The Bishop in the presence of an unknown Light: Near D---- there lived a man who was a former Convention member named G----. Because he didn't vote for the death of the king he was not exiled. A young shepherdBook Senc who worked for him came looking for a doctor because G---- was dying. The bishop goes to visit. "Dying is a simple affair. One has no need of the light for that." Questions the bishop's character.
Ch XI A Restriction: Mentions that the bishop has two brothers one a general and the other a prefect.
Ch XII The Solitude of Monseigneur Welcome: "The priest is nowadays the only man who can become a king in a regular manner; and what a king." "Who knows how easy it is for ambition to call itself vocation?" Kind of a no room for promotion under the bishop kind of deal. "Be it said in passing, that success is a very hideous thing. Its false resemblance to merit deceives men."
Ch XIII What He Believed: "The Conscience of the just man should be accepted on his word." The Bishop has an excess of love vulnerable by: "serious men", "grave persons" and "reasonable people". Sprained his ankle so he wouldn't step on an ant.
1815 his 75th birthday but didn't appear older than 60. Describes his physical appearance and his leisure activities: gardening in the day, contemplating at night.
Ch XIV What He Thought: A senator mentioned earlier in the story says, "Your love each other is nonsense." The Bishop's reply ,"if it is nonsense, the soul should shut itself up, as the pearl in the oyster."
Book Second The Fall
Chapter I The Evening of a day of walking: Early October 1815 a man, about 46 or 48. on foot arrives in the town of D----. No one knows him. Stopped to drink water and then stopped by the town-hall for a quarter of an hour. When he enters an inn the landlord refuses to serve him food or give him lodgings despite the fact the man has money to pay for it. Stranger revealed to be Jean Valjean. The process repeats a few times because word has spread about him. Even tried to sleep in the prison. As he's about to give up Marquise de R---- tells him to go see the Bishop.
Ch II Prudence Counselled to Wisdom: bishop of D---- was in his room working on a book of Duties. Madame Magloire has heard the rumors about Jean Valjean and wants the Bishop to lock the house up for the night. The Bishop invites him in when he arrives.
Ch III The Heroism of Passive Obedience: Bishop invites him to dinner. Jean Valjean tells some of his story to the Bishop of how he served 19 years in the galley: 5 for house breaking and burglary and the other 14 for attempting to escape on four occasions. Bishop kindly addresses him.
Ch IV: Details concerning the cheese-dairies of Pontarlier: Letter from Mademoiselle Baptistine to Madame Boischevron talks about the conversation between Bishop and Valjean. Valjean is on his way to Pontarlier, the Bishop mentioned a relative there Monsieur de Lucenet. He talks about the cheese-diaries also known as fruiteres there.
Ch V Tranquility: The Bishop shows Valjean to his room. The Bishop isn't afraid of him when he says he could be an assassin, "That is the concern of the good God."
Ch VI Jean Valjean: Came from a poor peasant family of Brie, a tree-pruner of Faverolles. Mother: Jeanne Mathieu. Father: Jean Valjean or Vlajean. He lost them early mom died of milk fever and dad who was also a tree-pruner fell from a tree. Has an older sister a widow with 7 kids the eldest at 8 and the youngest at 1. Supported his sister. Not far from the cottage they lived in the kids borrowed milk from Marie-Claude. Did whatever he could for work then one hard winter he couldn't find any work.
In 1795 Valjean stole bread, got caught and pronounced guilty. Got 5 years in the galleys. April 22, 1796 was the victory of Montenotte also galley-slaves (Valjean among them) arrived at Bicetre Toulon after 27 days. #24601. Hears news of his sister she's in Paris with only the youngest (a boy at 6 ot 7) Worked as a folder and stitcher. Year 4 first escape attempt plus 3 years, Year 6 second attempt plus 5 years. Year 10 third attempt plus 3 years, Year 13 plus 3 years.
Ch VII:The Interior of Despair: Knows he was wrong for the theft. Not equal the harm he had caused to the harm done to him. His punishment not unjust but vicious. "...life is a war; and that in this war he was the conquered." Went to school at 40 learned how to read, write and cipher.
"Does human nature thus change utterly and from top to bottom? Can the man created good by God be rendered wicked by man? Can the soul be completely made over by fate, and become evil, fate being evil? Can the heart become misshapen and contract incurable deformities and infirmities under the oppression of a disproportionate unhappiness, as the vertebral column beneath too low a vault? Is there not in every human soul, was there not in the soul of Jean Valjean in particular, a first spark, a divine element, incorruptible in this world, immortal in the other, which good can develop, fan, ignite, and make to glow with splendor, and which evil can never wholly extinguish?"
Ch IX New Troubles: "Society, the State, by diminishing his hoard, had robbed him wholesale. Now it was the individual who was robbing him at retail." "Liberation is not deliverance. One gets free from the galleys, but not from the sentence."
Ch X The Man Aroused: Thinking about the six sets of silver and the money he could get. Surveyed the surroundings.
Ch XI What He Does: Sneaks into the Bishop's room. Stared at the Bishop while he slept. Took the silver and fled.
Ch XII The Bishop Works: Bishop is in the garden when Madame Magloire tells him the silver and Valjean are gone. Three men bring back Valjean. The Bishop asks him why he didn't take the candlesticks with the other things he took and gives him the candlesticks. "...you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man." Tells Valjean he no longer belongs to evil but good.
Ch XII Little Gervais: Valjean meets Little Gervais. Little Gervais wanted to get his money back but Valjean is out of sorts. Later Valjean looks for the boy to return the money.Gives money to a priest he encounters for the poor. He's unsettled by the Bishop's words. He couldn't find the boy. He cried for the first time in 19 years. A carrier saw a man praying in front of the Bishop's door.
Book Third In The Year 1817
Chapter I The Year 1817: Relates historical facts about 1817. "...there are no trivial facts in humanity, nor little leaves in vegetation."
Ch II A Double Quartette: Introduces us to Felix Tholomyes and Fantine the Blonde, Listolier and Dahlia, Fameuil and Zephine (Josephine) and Blachevelle and Favourite. Fantine is the youngest, has no family and came to Paris at 15. Tholomyes is 30 wrinkled and toothless, he's the head of the men group.
Ch V. At Bombarda's: The four couples went to a restaurant.
Ch IX A Merry End to Mirth: The surprise that the four men had for their women that they promised them chapters ago was a letter saying they were going back home. Fantine finds out she is pregnant by Tholomyes.
Book Fourth To Confide is sometimes to deliver into a person's power
Ch I. One Mother Meets Another Mother: Fantine was left alone. She didn't know how to write and could barely read. Dressed in linen she gave her daughter better things to wear. Meets Madame Thenardier and her two little girls. Fantine tells a modified version of her story (that she was married). Asks Madame Thenardier to keep her daughter for seven francs a month while she looked for work.
Ch II First Sketch of Two Unprepossessing Figures: The Thenardiers possess dark souls. The man said he had been a soldier, a Sargeant. His wife is 12 or 15 years younger than him. Their daughters Eponine is 3 (same age as Fantine's daughter, Cosette) and Azelma.
Ch III The Lark: "It is not all in all sufficent to be wicked in order to prosper." They needed Fantine's money. Pawned Cosette's clothes for money when they needed more. Gave her rags to wear, fed her " little better than the dog a little worse than the cat." She ate under the table with the dog and cat. Thenardier lied about Cosette doing well and asked for more moeny (from seven francs to twelve) from Fantine. The mother loved her daughters and hated Cosette. They beat Cosette. Eponine and Azelma were also cruel to her. Before Cosette became five she became their servant.
Book Fifth The Descent
4/16 Finished Book First A Just Man
4/24 Finished Book Second The Fall
5/8 Finished Book Third In the Year 1817
5/8 Finished Book Fourth To confide is sometimes to deliver into a person's power
5/9 Finished Book Fifth The Descent
5/9 Finished Book Sixth Javert
Volume I Book First A Just Man
Chapter I M. Myriel: "True or false, that which is said of men often occupies as important a place in their lives, and above all in their destines,as that which they do." M.Charles Myriel is the son of councillor of the Parliament of Aix. Married at 18 or 20. Went to Italy at the beginning of the Revolution. Wife died of a chest malady and he had no children. Came back from Italy a priest. 1804 Cure of Brignolles appointed BIshop of D---- after meeting Napoleon. Has a sister named Mademoiselle Baptistine 10 years younger than him and a servant as the same age as his sister named Madame Magloire.
Ch II M. Myriel Becomes M. Welcome: Palace of D---- was built of stone beginning of last century by M. Henri Puget a Doctor of Theology of Faculty of Paris. Abbe of Simone, former bishop of D---- in 1712. Bishop decided to stay in the hospital and give the palace to the hospital because it was too small for all the patients. Uses most of his money as bishop to help people, he keeps very little for himself. Is called Monseigneur Bienvenu.
Ch IV Works Corresponding to Words: Madame Magloire called him Your Grace (Votre Grandeur). He had a distant relative named Madame la Comtesse de Lo who has three sons and many relatives who were old and near death. Her sons were the natural heirs and she brags about it. A vicar got M. Geborand to donate a sou every Sunday to the beggar-women at the cathedral doors. The Bishop was the same to people of all classes.
Chapter V Monseigneur Bienvenu Made His Cassocks Last Too Long: Mentions his busy schedule.
Ch VI Who Guarded His House For Him: The bishop's house and how he received visitors. The hospital used to be a parliment house of the.
Ch VII Cravatte: A lieutenant of the band of Gaspard and the remainder of the troop. The mayor worries for the bishop with the bandits loose. The bishop visited a small village in the mountains. The pontifical vestments that the village lacked were delivered to them by Cravatte. Stolen from the treasury of Notre Dame d'Embrun.
Ch XI The Brother as Depicted By the Sister. A letter from Mademoiselle Baptistine to Madame Vicomtess de Boischevron. In her bedroom there was a painting of Telemachue knighted by Minerva. "He fears nothing, even at night." Gives examples of this: leaving the house door unlocked. Worries for her brother but is used to his behavior.
Ch X The Bishop in the presence of an unknown Light: Near D---- there lived a man who was a former Convention member named G----. Because he didn't vote for the death of the king he was not exiled. A young shepherdBook Senc who worked for him came looking for a doctor because G---- was dying. The bishop goes to visit. "Dying is a simple affair. One has no need of the light for that." Questions the bishop's character.
Ch XI A Restriction: Mentions that the bishop has two brothers one a general and the other a prefect.
Ch XII The Solitude of Monseigneur Welcome: "The priest is nowadays the only man who can become a king in a regular manner; and what a king." "Who knows how easy it is for ambition to call itself vocation?" Kind of a no room for promotion under the bishop kind of deal. "Be it said in passing, that success is a very hideous thing. Its false resemblance to merit deceives men."
Ch XIII What He Believed: "The Conscience of the just man should be accepted on his word." The Bishop has an excess of love vulnerable by: "serious men", "grave persons" and "reasonable people". Sprained his ankle so he wouldn't step on an ant.
1815 his 75th birthday but didn't appear older than 60. Describes his physical appearance and his leisure activities: gardening in the day, contemplating at night.
Ch XIV What He Thought: A senator mentioned earlier in the story says, "Your love each other is nonsense." The Bishop's reply ,"if it is nonsense, the soul should shut itself up, as the pearl in the oyster."
Book Second The Fall
Chapter I The Evening of a day of walking: Early October 1815 a man, about 46 or 48. on foot arrives in the town of D----. No one knows him. Stopped to drink water and then stopped by the town-hall for a quarter of an hour. When he enters an inn the landlord refuses to serve him food or give him lodgings despite the fact the man has money to pay for it. Stranger revealed to be Jean Valjean. The process repeats a few times because word has spread about him. Even tried to sleep in the prison. As he's about to give up Marquise de R---- tells him to go see the Bishop.
Ch II Prudence Counselled to Wisdom: bishop of D---- was in his room working on a book of Duties. Madame Magloire has heard the rumors about Jean Valjean and wants the Bishop to lock the house up for the night. The Bishop invites him in when he arrives.
Ch III The Heroism of Passive Obedience: Bishop invites him to dinner. Jean Valjean tells some of his story to the Bishop of how he served 19 years in the galley: 5 for house breaking and burglary and the other 14 for attempting to escape on four occasions. Bishop kindly addresses him.
Ch IV: Details concerning the cheese-dairies of Pontarlier: Letter from Mademoiselle Baptistine to Madame Boischevron talks about the conversation between Bishop and Valjean. Valjean is on his way to Pontarlier, the Bishop mentioned a relative there Monsieur de Lucenet. He talks about the cheese-diaries also known as fruiteres there.
Ch V Tranquility: The Bishop shows Valjean to his room. The Bishop isn't afraid of him when he says he could be an assassin, "That is the concern of the good God."
Ch VI Jean Valjean: Came from a poor peasant family of Brie, a tree-pruner of Faverolles. Mother: Jeanne Mathieu. Father: Jean Valjean or Vlajean. He lost them early mom died of milk fever and dad who was also a tree-pruner fell from a tree. Has an older sister a widow with 7 kids the eldest at 8 and the youngest at 1. Supported his sister. Not far from the cottage they lived in the kids borrowed milk from Marie-Claude. Did whatever he could for work then one hard winter he couldn't find any work.
In 1795 Valjean stole bread, got caught and pronounced guilty. Got 5 years in the galleys. April 22, 1796 was the victory of Montenotte also galley-slaves (Valjean among them) arrived at Bicetre Toulon after 27 days. #24601. Hears news of his sister she's in Paris with only the youngest (a boy at 6 ot 7) Worked as a folder and stitcher. Year 4 first escape attempt plus 3 years, Year 6 second attempt plus 5 years. Year 10 third attempt plus 3 years, Year 13 plus 3 years.
Ch VII:The Interior of Despair: Knows he was wrong for the theft. Not equal the harm he had caused to the harm done to him. His punishment not unjust but vicious. "...life is a war; and that in this war he was the conquered." Went to school at 40 learned how to read, write and cipher.
"Does human nature thus change utterly and from top to bottom? Can the man created good by God be rendered wicked by man? Can the soul be completely made over by fate, and become evil, fate being evil? Can the heart become misshapen and contract incurable deformities and infirmities under the oppression of a disproportionate unhappiness, as the vertebral column beneath too low a vault? Is there not in every human soul, was there not in the soul of Jean Valjean in particular, a first spark, a divine element, incorruptible in this world, immortal in the other, which good can develop, fan, ignite, and make to glow with splendor, and which evil can never wholly extinguish?"
Ch IX New Troubles: "Society, the State, by diminishing his hoard, had robbed him wholesale. Now it was the individual who was robbing him at retail." "Liberation is not deliverance. One gets free from the galleys, but not from the sentence."
Ch X The Man Aroused: Thinking about the six sets of silver and the money he could get. Surveyed the surroundings.
Ch XI What He Does: Sneaks into the Bishop's room. Stared at the Bishop while he slept. Took the silver and fled.
Ch XII The Bishop Works: Bishop is in the garden when Madame Magloire tells him the silver and Valjean are gone. Three men bring back Valjean. The Bishop asks him why he didn't take the candlesticks with the other things he took and gives him the candlesticks. "...you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man." Tells Valjean he no longer belongs to evil but good.
Ch XII Little Gervais: Valjean meets Little Gervais. Little Gervais wanted to get his money back but Valjean is out of sorts. Later Valjean looks for the boy to return the money.Gives money to a priest he encounters for the poor. He's unsettled by the Bishop's words. He couldn't find the boy. He cried for the first time in 19 years. A carrier saw a man praying in front of the Bishop's door.
Book Third In The Year 1817
Chapter I The Year 1817: Relates historical facts about 1817. "...there are no trivial facts in humanity, nor little leaves in vegetation."
Ch II A Double Quartette: Introduces us to Felix Tholomyes and Fantine the Blonde, Listolier and Dahlia, Fameuil and Zephine (Josephine) and Blachevelle and Favourite. Fantine is the youngest, has no family and came to Paris at 15. Tholomyes is 30 wrinkled and toothless, he's the head of the men group.
Ch V. At Bombarda's: The four couples went to a restaurant.
Ch IX A Merry End to Mirth: The surprise that the four men had for their women that they promised them chapters ago was a letter saying they were going back home. Fantine finds out she is pregnant by Tholomyes.
Book Fourth To Confide is sometimes to deliver into a person's power
Ch I. One Mother Meets Another Mother: Fantine was left alone. She didn't know how to write and could barely read. Dressed in linen she gave her daughter better things to wear. Meets Madame Thenardier and her two little girls. Fantine tells a modified version of her story (that she was married). Asks Madame Thenardier to keep her daughter for seven francs a month while she looked for work.
Ch II First Sketch of Two Unprepossessing Figures: The Thenardiers possess dark souls. The man said he had been a soldier, a Sargeant. His wife is 12 or 15 years younger than him. Their daughters Eponine is 3 (same age as Fantine's daughter, Cosette) and Azelma.
Ch III The Lark: "It is not all in all sufficent to be wicked in order to prosper." They needed Fantine's money. Pawned Cosette's clothes for money when they needed more. Gave her rags to wear, fed her " little better than the dog a little worse than the cat." She ate under the table with the dog and cat. Thenardier lied about Cosette doing well and asked for more moeny (from seven francs to twelve) from Fantine. The mother loved her daughters and hated Cosette. They beat Cosette. Eponine and Azelma were also cruel to her. Before Cosette became five she became their servant.
Book Fifth The Descent