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

[AgualusasL0ver]

Welcome to the first thread of the Les Miserables Read-a-long.

I'll be using the Christine Donougher translation for posting in the main, but it doesn't matter which translation you have, they seem to follow the same breakdown. I have not seen the film, the musical, and have very little knowledge about the book, but suspect I will be doing all of these Christmas 2026.

The only rules
The plan is to read ONE chapter a day and contribute/follow the thread as you see fit. There are c. 365 chapters, so we plan to take the year to read slowly and really get under the skin. Sometimes we have clustered chapters in past read-a-longs, and people do sometimes read ahead. All fine - but No spoilers until the relevant day.

Notes from previous read-a-longs

• How you manage one a day is entirely up to you, some people prefer to store them and read all the chapters for the week at once, some read each day.
• Sometimes these books can go off on a tangent all their own (looking at Mr Tolstoy), stick with it :-)
• All formats and translations welcome. Sometimes the translation discussions are some of the most interesting conversations.
• You WILL get behind at some point, but don't worry, just catch up when you can.
• Tangents, things you discovered down a rabbit hole, articles, pod casts, clips of epic scenes when we get to them all very welcome on the thread.

Spoiler free summary , courtesy of Chat GPT below. Schmoop has book summaries so I will post those at the relevant points.

**

Les Misérables is a classic novel by Victor Hugo that explores justice, compassion, and the struggle for dignity in 19th-century France.
At its core, the book follows the lives of several interconnected characters from different social classes as they navigate poverty, law, love, and moral choice. Rather than focusing on a single hero or plotline, the novel paints a wide picture of society—showing how personal decisions are shaped by systems like the legal system, economic inequality, and social expectations.
Key themes include:

• Justice vs. mercy — how laws affect people differently, and whether strict punishment leads to fairness
• Redemption and moral growth — the possibility of change, even after hardship
• Poverty and inequality — the daily realities of people living on the margins
• Love and sacrifice — care for others as a powerful force for good
• Social responsibility — how individual actions impact the wider community

The novel is known for:

• Deep character development
• Emotional intensity
• Philosophical reflections on society and humanity
• Detailed descriptions of history and everyday life

Overall, Les Misérables is less about a single storyline and more about asking big questions:
What does it mean to be a good person? How should society treat its most vulnerable? And can compassion change lives?

@Neitherherenorthere- I can’t give a definitive answer re the philosophy in literature question, but here are a few observations.

Firstly, I think Hugo does something similar in Notre-Dame de Paris although it’s a long time since I’ve read it. I certainly remember a long passage about Gothic architecture and the printing press.

Then there was a link between philosophy and literature in the 18th century as many of the Enlightment philosophes also wrote novels. These include Voltaire & Diderot (who are mentioned in the chapter), but the best example is probably Rousseau. He managed to revolutionise education through his novel Émile (despite having admitted to abandoning his other children & various other scandals - he wouldn’t get through safeguarding these days). His other celebrated novel was La nouvelle Héloïse - which was both about philosophy and a major best seller because readers loved the romantic story (think Twilight style reception). I guess the philosopher/novel tradition continued in France because in the 20th century you get people like Camus, Sartre & de Beauvoir writing novels.

You could also compare Hugo to Zola as they were roughly contemporary. Zola’s work aims to popularise “modern” ideas in science and economy etc. With Zola though, as a reader I found this a mixed blessing. It does drive some very interesting plots, but I also got a bit fed up with regularly being told how various characters were doomed by their heredity.

As far as today’s chapter was concerned, I found it readable but not as interesting as previous chapters (probably because I’m not as invested in the senator as a character as we don’t know him so well). Then again, the chapter has led me to dredge my memory on links between philosophy and literature and write a long post about it, so even an relatively uninteresting chapter from Hugo still has its power!

I am already behind, but plan a nice Sat morning in the coffee shop catching up.

I think it was @Neitherherenorthere that asked about whether (canon) classics are like this, veering between the mundane to the philosophical and I think @Pashazade about spending so much time on characters that may or may not feature heavily.

To both I would say, there is a reason this book is massive - same with Monte Christo, W&P etc, their style is epic and sweeping and a lot of the writers were writing outside of their novels too espousing various causes and ideas.

I read that Les Mis was released in 10 instalments, apparently he insisted on cheaper editions that the less affluent could access. It seems it was truly a blockbuster, with police controls when a new volume was released.

@Benvenuto Wow! Thank you for your post, really informative 🙏

I think the Bishop’s response to the Senator is one I will come back to several times as the novel progresses.

@AgualusasL0ver That’s really interesting background information to help me form an impression of what Hugo is doing. I did wonder at the beginning if Hugo was an author in need of a good editor! 🤣 Turns out he is writing on an epic scale 😊

Chapter Nine

Oh dear… Baptistine is not fully on board with the Bishop’s ideas about living simply.

I love that the women have found the paintings and Mme Magloire has removed baize and layers of paper to reveal a picture that sounds a little risqué!

…To obey is to disappear… surely echoing the traditional marriage ceremony??

Interesting to see Baptistine's perspective on Bienvenu, although I was expecting a little scandal at least! In context of the time it is curious as to why Baptistine hasn't married into a comfortable family (if not a wealthy one for safety's sake!). Her love of her brother does really seem to be pure and selfless thus far.

The bishop would probably not recognise it as such but he is a remarkably selfish man, I think it is the blinkers of belief that do not allow him to see the distress his behaviour causes because he feels everything will be handled by god, but through no fault of their own the two women do not have that same unwavering belief, they perhaps have a better awareness of the world……I very much dislike the fact that his sister feels she will die if he does, it’s not healthy or balanced. I guess the whole letter shows how imbalanced their lives are, that the women are subjugated to the bishops desires/beliefs, he cares greatly for everyone but himself and those who have to keep his household running, because he seems to believe that by extension they should struggle as he does.

What's that saying about the children of cobblers go unshod?

I've just read this week's chunk. Chapters 3-9.

I'm loving it. I always thought classics like this would be boring, wordy and inaccessible. Obviously it is wordy. But it's not boring or inaccessible at all. I love the opposing chapters of almost mundane descriptions of people and things, and the deep philosophical thinking that follows.

I think the Bishop is just an actual good guy. I don't think he's pretending in any way. He just is. And thats not because he's a Bishop. I know enough ordained ministers to know that they aren't all inherently good. But there are the odd few who are. I also know people of other faiths and none who are genuinely good people.

It's just wonderful.

Oooh, I didn't consider that the discovered painting was a bit risqué - how fabulous! I also hoped to find out a bit more of their pre-revolution days or some scandals but wasn't to be. At the end of the letter, sounds like family friends were in the neighbourhood - hopefully meant she could eat better and have some actual fun for a few days!

I agree Baptistine is very self effacing, nowadays we view it as very odd that her life is subsumed by her brother’s (not even her husband fgs) and she has no autonomy really. It seems to contribute to her saintliness. In fact it just means she is the human support robot we sometimes talk about on the Feminism boards - she has no purpose other than to support him. Her only bit of characterisation is that she likes art and furniture (a bit of colour and beauty) but this is probably interpreted in its day as feminine frivolity or weakness. I don’t blame the « character » of her brother in the book, I blame Hugo and the society of the time for this dearth of independence.

Well, I'm glad I read Chapter 10 now as I clearly wasn't paying much attention and had no clue we were after the Revolution until that point!

Today’s was a long one compared so some previous ones and involved a lot of googling of the references to history and events! I knew some of them due to reading about the Revolution last year, but others were v obscure to a non French reader I think. Today was definitely a school day!

I've only just discovered the Notes at the end of the book (Penguin, Christine Donuogher), it has explanations of who all those people were, in today's chapter, otherwise I'd be none the wiser!

Lots if them are in Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety . Didn't help much , just made me think 'Oh yeah him, and also him.'

I let the names wash over me and assumed you guys would give me any info I really needed 😄 A nice development on the conversation with the Comte a couple of days ago - the bishop has learned that even an atheist republican revolutionary can have the same philosophy as a good Christian - help those in need, and there is (or could be) some higher power even if it’s not god.

Chapter Ten

Well I learnt more about The Terror of 1793 than I had known before @Piggywaspushed 🤣

Bienvenu was admirable in his ability to listen to the arguments of the representative of the Convention and actually acknowledge a different perspective on what happened in ‘93 and take it on board.

I think we are seeing what an emotional man Bienvenu must be - with so much empathy for his fellow man that he can see an equality in the atrocities committed by both sides during the revolution.

I admired that Bienvenu listened enough to realise that he had many of the same aims in life as this dying man - whose stance he had previously despised.

Bienvenu is such a mild character that he was stern for possibly the FIRST time in his life!!!! No wonder he suffered a ‘mysterious and terrible blow’ that made him become a priest! He must have been a real old softie even in his privileged life before the revolution.

I really enjoyed the part about the Terror being essentially a symptom of the Revolution and hate being a part of justice.

Still pondering the bit about the infinite 🤣

I really liked chapter ten. It was quite the meeting of minds. The Bishop underwent quite a change during this encounter and it seemed like he shook off the last of his human failings/prejudices here.

It was quite the history lesson too! I have a sketchy knowledge of the French Revolution. There is a lot more to it than I know about.

Chapter nine was a bit bishopcentric (!) sadly. I liked the image of the two ladies peeling away the layers of years off the ceiling and walls to discover old paintings and comparing their place with the residence of Comtess de Quiconque (Whoever).

Chapter Ten is the first time the bishop has been shown as properly flawed in any way, that a male reader/writer would connect with (Who was Hugo’s readership, would he have expected women to be reading his work??). His distinct reluctance to visit the member of the convention and his judgement of him, not very Christian at all. He comes out of it well I think although only after having been shaken, which I feel can be no bad thing.

I agree that Chapter 10 finally shows the Bishop to be human rather than the paragon portrayed until now. He has preconceptions and has made a judgement. However, he is willing to listen and revise his opinion and in that period when revolutionaries and royalists held entrenched positions that would not have been an easy thing to do.

@EmbroideredGardener- I agree it’s curious why Baptistine hasn’t married. I did wonder if this was due to the family losing its fortunes in the Revolution, but have just looked back at the first chapter and worked out that she would have been 39 in 1789 so it can’t be that. I’m also wondering why she didn’t enter a convent.

Bienvenu, however, is also older than I thought. If he is 75 in 1815, then he must have been 49 in 1788, which means that the première partie de sa vie avait été donnée au monde et aux galanteries lasted a lot longer than I initially imagined! It also makes his trip to the remote area where he met the bandit Cravatte more impressive given his age!

Perhaps she isn’t even his sister in reality? Perhaps she too has a “past” like Bienvenu??? Just a thought?

I think she may be just a plot device.. sometimes it’s convenient for the author to place a sister/ helper to give another point of view? We want to flesh her out because we care about a female character but to Hugo maybe she just serves a plot or narrative purpose.. 🙄

In today’s chapter we learn that M Bienvenu has two brothers! One a General, one a retired Prefect who lives in Paris. Which, if we go back to Baptistine, makes us wonder why she is staying with Bienvenu rather than one of them - did she have a choice or did she just end up as the unmarried sister being taken on by the most « selfless » sibling? (Who might have wanted a hand around the house…)

We also see he’s relatively neutral in politics, perhaps.. he doesn’t seem ardent about Napoleon but is magnanimous enough to employ a loyal Bonapartiste ex soldier when he is sacked by the Mairie..

I agree that Ch10 was a cracker - I enjoyed hearing the old revolutionary (iI gave him the name Gordon!) talk and expound his ideals... probably the first time he's done that for many a year but it was clear and certainly opened the Bishops (and my) eyes! As mentioned above, I certainly lean more towards the 'beasts' viewpoints on many things so was good to see the Bishop considering his opinions so fully.

I also agree it was definitely a 'school day' as I thought that the revolution was a sort of 'once and done' type affair - the storming of the Bastille, Napoleon bunged in charge, loose ends tied up including the killing of the monarchy. Obviously, obviously, it wasn't as smooth or quick as that - they completely changed their country - but it certainly comes across like that in most modern references.

I was also fascinated that he has also has two brothers.. love that this often happens in older novels, random family members crop up all the time.

He must have been a real old softie even in his privileged life before the revolution.
See, on this point @Neitherherenorthere, i think its because of his privileged life that he could afford to be a softie.. sounds like regular life was brutal for the plebs!

I really enjoyed chapter 10 too. A meeting of minds of 2 thoroughly decent people recognising that in each other despite their different sides. Alongside the regret of not having visited earlier.