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?

New Woes and The Man Awakened

Well, it’s true, when a person owes you money the feeling of injustice does prey on your mind! You also always remember the amount 🤣 So I understand JV’s feeling of being wronged. And that’s without eighteenth century French prison conditions added into the mix 😬

JV’s mental torment is really well described in today’s chapter. I was thinking about this kind of animal impulsiveness as he fights the urge to steal the Bishop’s silver.

I think Hugo wants us to understand that JV often acts from raw feelings that are subconscious. There is a moral logic telling him that the Bishop’s kindness doesn’t deserve to be repaid with the theft of the silver - but all this exists, unarticulated, in a mental fog beneath the raw and habitual instinct he has been living on for maybe his entire life? Certainly the last 19 years. Resisting urges…. Interesting stuff!

If anyone is interested I found a website that goes deep into Les Miserables analysis. I’ll post the link in a minute.

https://sites.google.com/view/readlesmis/home-menu/transcripts#h.hkurshbc5g2p

An American lady. University Lecturer I think? Very in-depth literary criticism transcriptions of her podcast devoted to reading the unabridged translations or the French original.

I enjoyed her point that JV’s iron bar was a ‘chandelier de mineur’ in French. A miner’s candlestick, that gives no light. Unlike the Bishop’s candlesticks which come to illuminate JV’s life in ways we are yet to discover.

Good to hear from you @AgualusasL0ver Thank you so much for this thread 🙏

You made me smile with the thought of all of us at the theatre in December 🤣 I did look at the Les Mis website but it is only booking to October? Have people found it on Ticketmaster etc?

Come on @EmbroideredGardener! I’m rooting for you! The more the merrier 🤣

Thank you @Neitherherenorthere I've just caught up, and ended up reading a day or two ahead I think. I got confused by the numbers after part 1 and didn't want to read here in case I ruined the plot for myself! I can relax a bit now, and Im going to make it a part of my morning routine to read while I eat breakfast in my car!

The description of the iron miner's candle holder made me.wonder if it was the precursor to the crowbar - perhaps I couldn't handle the suspense!

Ok, I cracked and have read to end of Monday! Who could stop?

I am really enjoying this - also couldn't resist reading to end of book 2!

Of course I had to read on! Impossible not to!

It’s getting really interesting. I will miss the bishop though as the narrative moves on. Hugo has some really interesting ideas about the penal system and how valjean was brutalised rather than reformed by it.

He was genuinely threatening when he stole the silver - did anyone else feel that he was capable of violence there?

I read a short description of the chandelier de mineur that said the prisoners were sometimes set to work in the quarries around Toulon and the candlestick is an iron bar with a narrowed, pointed end which was used to work the stone - so yes, pretty much a crow bar. You’re right @Neitherherenorthere to point out the irony.

Yes I thought him capable of violence - the book does say, Il semblait prêt à briser ce crâne ou à baiser cette main (lovely rhyming for emphasis in the French) - he seemed ready to break this (the Bishop’s) skull or to kiss his hand (with the Bishop’s ring on it).

Poor Valjean.

I stopped at the appropriate place as she jumped out the window. I really was sitting here going ‘why???? What have you done?’

I definitely think in the moment he would have been capable of violence. It wasn’t a straight binary choice though was it, he did agonise, but given his experience he has no evidence to suggest that just because they were welcoming last night that they would be so the following day, so I guess he had to decide what was best in the moment and the only person he can trust is himself. He knows he will need more money at some point, another bed, another meal and the only reliable person is himself to make sure that happens.

Next week’s schedule:

Mon 26 Jan
P1, Fantine - B2, The Fall - ch 12 | The Bishop at Work

Tue 27 Jan
’’ ‘’ - ch 13. | Petit Gervais (7 whole pages)

Will post Schmoop for end of book 2

Wed 28 Jan
P1, Fantine - B3, In The Year 1817 - ch 1 | The Year 1817

Thurs 29 Jan
‘’ ‘’ - ch 2 | Two Foursomes

Fri 30 Jan
’’ ‘’ - ch 3 | Haphazard Pairings

Sat 31 Jan (woop 1 month done)
’’ ‘’ - ch 4 | Tholomyes is so Happy, He Sings a Spanish Song

Sun 1 Feb
’’ ‘’ - ch 5 | At Bombarda’s

I've also stopped as he leapt out the window... and I also thought he might stop himself. Agree that he was more than capable of violence and thought that was why he took the miners spike with him (didnt even think about breaking into the cupboard but of course, Jean wouldnt have known about the Bishops lack of security). I'm glad he did just grab the silver and leave...

I'm going to miss the Bishop - despite casting aspersions on him earlier, I really grew to like him and hope he reappears at some point..!

Thank you @MotherOfCatBoy I hadn’t explained very well at all. It was the irony of the French word for the crow bar/pick tool used for mining work - chandelier de mineur. The irony of this as JV was eyeing up the Bishop’s silver including candlesticks….

I’m enjoying all of the “light” imagery and the cinematic descriptions of moonlight etc. Hugo was very ahead of his time with that! 🤣

The plant damaged by JV in his escape through the garden after stealing the silver…

In the notes of the Donougher translation it says Hugo made up the plant name but borrowed a real plant family - the ‘Cruciferae’ from cruciferous meaning cross bearing (the plant having four petals like a cross).

JV has damaged the burdens he carries, the cross he bears. They cannot remain as they were before, now that the bishop has shown him such kindness. The Cruciferae plants also heal scurvy. JV is not yet healing from the evil in his life but he has had a brush with a means of healing…

Loved the image of Madame Magloire running to the chapel ‘In a twinkling, with all that spirited old girl’s spryness’ 🤣

‘En un clin d’œil, avec toute sa vivacité de vieille alerte Madame Magloire courut à l’oratoire…’

Really enjoyed that translation!

Oops seem to be a Chapter ahead of the schedule 😬

Hi all. I fell behind with my "read 7 chapters on a Friday" so have just caught up to Friday, IYSWIM. The last chapter i read was Book Second, Chapter 9, New Troubles. (Chapter 10 is called "A Man Aroused" in my version rather than awoken)

Of course being behind also means I've missed the discussion somewhat, but never mind.

The appearance, and shunning of Jean Valjean made me feel really sorry for him, but that's because I know (from the musical film) that he isn't dangerous, plus in my head he looks like Hugh Jackman which is no bad thing. So of course I'd take him in. Only I wouldn't would I, because everyone else has told me he's a dangerous ex-con and I'm not stupid.

I went straight on to the chapter after, I just couldn't stop myself. So I punished myself with no chapter yesterday!

Amidst all the drama I enjoyed Madame Magloire’a blatant blasphemy! “Grand bon Dieu! Elle est volée!” And when the Bishop says the silver belongs to the poor and who was that man but a poor man, she explodes “ Hélas Jesus!” Of course he doesn’t say a word.

I like being able to absorb some of the layers in French, such as the gendarmes addressing Valjean as tu and the Bishop always uses vous. Such an important difference for showing someone respect.

I’m reading it in French which is hard work for me, so grateful for this thread which has motivated me for the challenge and a chapter a day is a good pace. L’eveque travaille for me this morning!

That’s interesting @MotherOfCatBoy . The tu/vous difference must be so hard to render in English translation!

I got ahead of myself so no chapter today 😁. The tu/vous can’t really be done in the english translation I feel, I’m assuming the line where he’s addressed as monseigneur is in the original French, as it’s a very important point. I’m discovering French appears to be a lot less formal these days, have been relearning on Duolingo and was completely thrown by the lack of vous going on when it was drilled into us so hard when I first learnt 30+ years ago.

When I was a student living in France (1997/98), I taught English once a week to a small group of people in their sixties and seventies. They had known each other for years, but addressed each other using 'vous' and their first names. I thought it was very strange at the time. I suppose they considered it more respectful than using 'tu'.

I think 'tu' is more prevalent now and you would hear it more often on the radio.

Hi all! Can I join? Will someone tell me though, what chapter are we on today please?

@dumplinggirl Hello and welcome. If you search for the OP’s posts she kindly lists our reading schedule for the week! 🙂 Today is Chapter 12, The Bishop at Work, p97 in the Kindle Donougher translation.