Les Miserables read-a-long 2026 | Première Partie (1)

It’s a tricky one, an old dilemma ever since atheism started to be spoken about overtly (that is, since society stopped being overwhelmingly religious). I think the Senator has clearly been selfish and not hesitated to enrich himself and make his life easy. But some of the things he says are not, in today’s terms, that unusual, and you have to question whether atheism always equals a lack of moral responsibility. Likewise, as you hint @DuPainDuVinDuFromage , perhaps you don’t need to believe in a deity to have a moral conscience. It’s interesting, and I think readers in the mid 19thC would probably have had different views to a lot of people today.

I do like Hugo’s dry humour, as shown at the start of chapter 8 (the senator ignoring “such hindrances as conscience, good faith, justice, and duty”). But then the chapter gets serious (and philosophical). I took from this that Hugo disagrees with the humanist view of there being nothing after death, so we should all make the most of life - but maybe he was being more subtle and showing that the senator’s way of looking at things is missing the point, and that doing good for others is worthwhile whether you believe in life after death or not?

@MotherOfCatBoy I thought of the Comte and Luigi Vampa too! 😄

Your post reminded me of reading Famous Five to my daughters. We talked a lot about how we could enjoy the story because the adventures were fun, but still recognise that the way that girls were written about (among other things) isn’t great!
We turned it into “Aren’t we lucky that we can be girls and not have to pretend to be boys if we want to join in with the adventure- we can be girls and make our own choices.” Which I realise isn’t maybe totally true but I want my girls to believe they can do anything!

@Benvenuto Yes - I was indeed forgetting the make up and hair powder too 🤣

You’re right that is a beautiful sentence 😊

@Neitherherenorthere- don’t forget that he would have had make-up and hair powder too!

I also enjoyed today’s chapter and was laughing out loud at the Bishop’s conversation with the Mayor.

My favourite sentence though is the one that describes the beautiful things that Cravatte left for the Bishop, the things that were so tempting to steal to help the poor. Can’t help wondering if Cravatte suspected what would probably happen to the treasure.

C’étaient là de bien belles choses, et bien tentantes, et bien bonnes à voler au profit des malheureux.

I also want to thank @AgualusasL0verfor the thread, as I have now read in French for every day for a week, which I’m very pleased about! I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much though, nor to be transcribing so many sentences - but I guess that’s a tribute to the calibre of the book.

His ease and savoir faire with bandits reminds me of Le Comte (de Monte Cristo) and desr old Luigi Vampa!

I’m late to the party, joining today. I’m catching up on the Wilbour translation I just got while I wait for the French one to come then I will try to resurrect my uni French and do a combo. Thanks for the push.

Going back to the toilet items that are keeping Bienvenu a little more human for us, AI says he would have had

• Nécessaires de Toilette (Toiletry Kits):Wealthy men carried travel cases holding essential grooming tools like toothbrushes, razors, shaving brushes, combs, and mirrors, often beautifully crafted from materials like ivory, ebony, or mother-of-pearl.
• Shaving Gear: Oval shaving bowls with crescent cutouts for lathering, ewers, and basins were standard for home grooming.
• Hygiene Tools: Toothbrush holders, tongue scrapers, and soap boxes were common components of a gentleman's personal grooming set.

And of course chamber pots/commodes but I think Hugo meant the items above?

Chapter 7 - Cravatte

I enjoyed today’s chapter. Reading this I think safety for Bienvenu and the women he lives with is simply not a consideration in his mind. Bienvenu has complete faith in God’s will. He faces the bandits in the mountains and is rewarded with the cathedral treasure. He believes God and not the devil sent him stolen goods from violent men.

Re leaving the house unlocked and endangering the women - I think perhaps Baptistine trusts Bienvenu’s view of their safety or believes it herself whilst Madame Magloire would have the bedroom door wedged with something or keep a knife to hand? 🤣

It is the very definition of faith from Bienvenu.

Yet I like the fact that he calculates that the hospital needs the cathedral treasure and identifies a choice to be made here. So it must have been sold on.

Bienvenu is very worldly with his need for cold hard cash for the poor over simply returning the treasure to the cathedral.

(As the last line of the chapter says
« La question est de savoir si cela doit faire retour à la cathédrale ou à l’hôpital. »)

Wider than a door frame if Baptistine didn’t have a sofa, just a huge chair 🤣

https://www.chezpluie.com/products/pair-of-large-louis-xv-bergere-armchairs-19th-century?srsltid=AfmBOoqHoMSYfVHd6uRqJfP8HYFmB6UcJXxOCzLT1oWhepGz4p8ejIb4

I was trying to link to these, as the kind of thing… I was once told the front of the chairs at this time had to be wide to accommodate the dresses the women wore??

www.1stdibs.com/fr/meubles/si%C3%A8ges/berg%C3%A8res/paire-de-chaises-en-soie-rembourr%C3%A9es-de-la-maison-jansen-attribu%C3%A9e-%C3%A0-la-maison-berger/id-f_45311492/

Ah @MotherOfCatBoy thank you so much for linking to that picture! Somehow I failed to post my link 🙄

I was trying to give us all some illustration to put all of this in ´technicolour’ and to enjoy the French culture 😊 Also I want Baptistine to have something nice!!!

That sofa is amazing! It's beautiful 😍
If I were Mlle Baptistine, I would try to invite the curé around as often as possible to get a proper dinner!

@MotherOfCatBoyThat sofa is fabulous! Agree about wanting to know Mlle Baptistine’s story too.

I wish we knew Mlle Baptistine’s story too. Did she flee to Italy as well, or did she stay home and witness the destruction and scattering of her family? Did she have to look after aged parents while they missed their son? Did she lose the chance to marry, as well as eventually losing her family home and income? She must have been glad when her brother was promoted to Bishop but perhaps didn’t expect to be living in such straightened circumstances - but then perhaps she’s glad to be alive.
I imagine she just wants a nice sofa to sit on and quietly read a book. A room of her own.

I’m seeing something like this
a.1stdibscdn.com/antique-mahogany-louis-xvi-sofa-settee-w-schumacher-jacobean-fabric-for-sale/f_51252/f_323819821674527843904/f_32381982_1674527844644_bg_processed.jpg?disable=upscale&auto=webp&quality=60&width=640

I like the idea of his man-shed 😄

Also annoyed that he imposes his piety on the women to the extent that they’re not able to feel safe in their own house (particularly given that there are actually some valuables, now that we know about the silver!) - that, combined with poor Mlle Baptistine’s chair almost made me think we were supposed to feel critical of him, but actually I think Hugo just doesn’t notice / care about the women’s vulnerability and lack of agency 🙁

This is my favourite quote of the chapter (speaking also as a physician)
"Am not I a physician like them? I also have my patients, and then, too, I have some whom I call my unfortunates."

Lol at his sitting out in the cow shed to keep warm in the winter, to save spending money on wood.

At this point he seems adorable but slightly ridiculous. I'm finding those slightly luxurious toilet items to be a saving grace keeping him from being a complete sap.

I imagine Baptistine’s chair as a scruffy version of this 😄

Aw, I like the idea of the Bishop growing his flowers without the foggiest idea of what he's doing but enjoying pottering and bringing beauty to their extremely austere home.

And I completely agree with his sentiment that beauty is just as important as usefulness and sometimes even more so - the world would be an awful place without 'art', whatever form that takes...

That’s very well put! 😊

*previously aristocratic life

Did anyone else think that Mademoiselle Baptistine had brought her previously gilt bergère with her from their previous aristocratic because it had had to be lifted through the window of her bedroom? And if so, Bienvenu must have allowed her this???