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. Marius pulls out a fistful of notes and flings it at Thnardier's face. Social problems go beyond frontiers. The Thnardiers have also moved to Paris and now live in poverty after losing their inn. The novel as a whole is one of the longest ever written,[9] with 655,478 words in the original French. Rose. I like the "jarring modernism" of Rose's translation. Valjean loses the will to live and retires to his bed. Fantine discovers that Cosette is not at the hospital and fretfully asks where she is. He informs Valjean that he cannot release Cosette without a note from the child's mother. Valjean, feeling responsible because his factory turned her away, promises Fantine that he will bring Cosette to her. And then, how the hell does he do the rounds by post chaise in such mountainous terrain? What is the moral lesson of the story Les Misrables? One-volume edition, paperback, 1,232 pages (Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1982-1987). As the barricade falls, Valjean carries off the injured and unconscious Marius. Thnardier, hoping to swindle more out of Valjean, runs after them, holding the 1,500 francs, and tells Valjean he wants Cosette back. 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. Donougher's is the best translation I've read. : Les Misrables by Victor Hugo (2009, Trade. When Fantine arrives at Montfermeil, she leaves Cosette in the care of the Thnardiers, a corrupt innkeeper and his selfish, cruel wife. Based on your criteria I'm going to say Denny (1976). [11] The topics Hugo addresses include cloistered religious orders, the construction of the Paris sewers, argot, and the street urchins of Paris. Meanwhile, the Thnardiers' monetary demands continue to grow. While imprisoned in the Bagne of Toulon, Valjean, at great personal risk, rescues a sailor caught in the ship's rigging. There have been eight English translations, six of them are still read, and two are in the public domain. I've read the Norman Denny translation and to me he truly grasped the poetry and drama of Victor Hugo's writing. The novel is divided into five volumes, each volume divided into several books, and subdivided into chapters, for a total of 48 books and 365 chapters. No one could say; all that was known was that, when he came back from Italy, he was a priest.In 1804,5 Monsieur Myriel was the cur of Brignolles.6 He was already old and lived like a real recluse in profound seclusion.Around the time of the coronation, a small parish matterwho can remember what now?took him to Paris. . "[33] The Goncourt brothers judged the novel artificial and disappointing. There are no roads. Meanwhile, Cosette informs Marius that she and Valjean will be leaving for England in a week's time, which greatly troubles the pair. None of the adaptations can do the book justice. The bishop fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to the hospital director.Monsieur, he said, how many beds do you think you could get in this room alone?Monseigneurs dining room? cried the astonished director.The bishop sized up the room, giving the impression he was taking measurements and making calculations by eye alone.It could easily hold twenty beds! he mumbled, as though talking to himself. They had no children. Down with the pope! . Denny is sometimes regarded as the best, most poetic translation, though it is abridged, as it removed about 200 pgs of (if i remember right) something like descriptions of sewer systems. Les Misrables has been popularized through numerous adaptations for film, television and the stage, including a musical. 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. Valjean (Mayor Madeleine) intervenes and orders Javert to release her. Insulted, Marius leaves. At the same time, his theft is reported to the authorities. Javert orders her to be quiet, and then reveals to her Valjean's real identity. I've always wanted to read this monster of a novel, but I've noticed there are a couple translations out there..so which one is the best, in your opinion? I've been DYING to read it, and finally have the time - so I want the best experience! I'm reading the Hapgood (1887) translation because it's on Project Gutenberg. Cookie Notice He instructed them to build on his earlier success and suggested this approach: "What Victor H. did for the Gothic world in Notre-Dame of Paris [The Hunchback of Notre-Dame], he accomplishes for the modern world in Les Misrables". One day when the emperor was visiting his uncle, the worthy cur, who was waiting in the anteroom, found himself in His Majestys path. On one of the pages of his notes about the prison, he wrote in large block letters a possible name for his hero: "JEAN TRJEAN". At last!The same night, the bishop wrote a note, which he handed to his sister. Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. Valjean goes to Fantine, speaks to her in an inaudible whisper, kisses her hand, and then leaves with Javert. None of the adaptations can do the book justice. Donougher still felt true to the original while also keeping the text accessible. 70,089 free ebooks. Marius lives there as well, next door to the Thnardiers. As I was reading it I couldn't stop thinking, "Why do they teach Shakespeare when every single line of Hugo is this deep, poetic, profound truth?". [26] He also informed himself by personal inspection of the Paris Conciergerie in 1846 and Waterloo in 1861, by gathering information on some industries, and on working-class people's wages and living standards. Julie Rose, translator. After the death of his father, Colonel Georges Pontmercy, Marius discovers a note from him instructing his son to provide help to a sergeant named Thnardier who saved his life at Waterlooin reality Thnardier was looting corpses and only saved Pontmercy's life by accident; he had called himself a sergeant under Napoleon to avoid exposing himself as a robber. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. A somewhat abridged translation that many find appealing, but some sentences are shortened or simplified, some paragraphs eliminated, and Hugos provocative section on slang and the criminal world (IV, 7, 1-4) shunted off to an appendix. A template for Hugo's novel was Les Mystres de Paris (The Mysteries of Paris), a serial novel of similar length which enjoyed great success on its appearance in 184243, by Eugne Sue. Everything about it was on the grand scale, the bishops apartments, the drawing rooms, the bedrooms, the main courtyard, which was huge, with covered arcades in the old Florentine style, and the gardens planted with magnificent trees. It is during this time that Valjean manages to free himself. New York: Modern Library, 2009. I have Simon & Schuster enriched classic version, (complete and unabridged). Fahnestock and McAfee is the best unabridged translation, and, along with Denny, often regarded as the best one. In addition to being a terrific translation, it has extensive annotation n the many historical and literary references in the novel. "BBC News Bon anniversaire! Richmond, Virginia, 1863. The episcopal palace was a vast and handsome town house built in stone at the beginning of the previous century by Monseigneur Henri Puget, doctor of theology of the faculty of Paris and abb of Simore,1 who had been bishop of Digne in 1712. He was also a businessman and was widely noted for his social engagement and philanthropy. However, a man covers the muzzle of the soldier's gun with his hand. The other 28 chapters in that Book are highly relevant to the novels major themes (as are Hugos sections about convents, criminals slang, and the Paris sewer system), but they can seem heavy to first-time readers. His grandfather seems stern and angry, but has been longing for Marius's return. Hapgood. Fantine is slowly dying from an unspecified disease. Greedy and tight. Donougher sits nicely in the middle in my opinion - accessible and conversational style but very true to the original text. A lot of good it did him to be given money, he never had any. We transcribe here the note written in his hand.household expenditureFor the small seminary 1500 livresMission congregation 100 livresFor the Lazarists of Montdidier 100 livresSeminary of foreign missions in Paris 200 livresCongregation of the Saint-Esprit 150 livresReligious institutions in the Holy Land 100 livresSocieties of maternal charity 300 livresFor the one at Arles 50 livresFor the betterment of prisons 400 livresFor the relief and release of prisoners 500 livresFor the release of fathers of families imprisoned for debt 1000 livresSalary supplement for poor schoolteachers in the diocese 2000 livresUpper Alps public granary 100 livresLadies Association of Digne, Manosque, and Sisteron,3 for the free education of poor girls 1500 livresFor the poor 6000 livresMy personal expenses 1000 livrestotal 15000 livresThe whole time Monsieur Myriel held the see of Digne, he made almost no change in this arrangementwhat he called, as we shall see, taking care of his household expenses.Mademoiselle Baptistine accepted the arrangement with absolute submission. Valjean accedes to Marius' judgment and his separation from Cosette. Marius overhears Thnardier's plan and goes to Javert to report the crime. with the very best personal fishing guides available to Les Ambassadeurs' members across a range of idyllic locations. Monsieur le comte, things will only come good when the emperor has delivered us from these pious swine. ponine comes in and announces that a philanthropist and his daughter are arriving to visit them. According to Wikipedia: "Les Misrables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century. Authorities report him dead and his body lost. The work was a commercial success and has been a popular book ever since it was published. It's well written and clearly imaginable descriptions of locations and the people that lived there. or ask your favorite author a question with The informational footnotes from the French edition by Marius-Franois Guyard are useful but far too rare. A practical note: Editions fall out of print, but you can often find a used copy online through sites such as these: Bookfinder / Biblio / AbeBooks / Alibris. Vidocq became the head of an undercover police unit and later founded France's first private detective agency. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The appearance of the novel was a highly anticipated event as Victor Hugo was considered one of France's foremost poets in the middle of the nineteenth century. The first was by a contemporary and friend of Hugo in 1862; more than a hundred . Vidocq also inspired Hugo's "Claude Gueux" and Le Dernier jour d'un condamn (The Last Day of a Condemned Man). If you're looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our Weekly Recommendation Thread, Suggested Reading page, or ask in r/suggestmeabook. 2. Thnardier emerges from the darkness. Monsieur Myriel was the son of a councillor of the Aix parliament, a member of the noblesse de robe.2 They reckoned his father had put him down to inherit his position and so had married him off very early in the piece when he was only eighteen or twenty, as they used to do quite a lot in parliamentary families. I'm currently reading the Denny translation, and it is amazing. Valjean hands Thnardier Fantine's letter authorizing the bearer to take Cosette. Helpful. When the book was finally written, Trjean became Valjean. Denny has more prose and beautiful language. Isabel Hapgood, translator. Valjean arrives at Montfermeil on Christmas Eve. Captures the poetic, thoughtful nature of Hugos writing without feeling hard work to read. They feel like digressions, although they really are not. 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. There are many film adaptations of the book, and the stage and movie musical version, but the book is so much richer. Monsieur Myriel Becomes Monseigneur BienvenuThe episcopal palace of Digne was next door to the hospital. Javert walks down the street, realizing that he is caught between his strict belief in the law and the mercy Valjean has shown him. My first impressions: Christine Donougher's translation reads very smoothly.

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