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?

Oh wait, ignore me, lets do as Fuzzy says.

Will delete me.

Don't want to cause a fuss but don't we normally post on the day we read? I think it's easier to do that and nobody has to look at the thread until after they've read!

Checking in. Thank you @AgualusasL0ver ! About to dive in …
Here is a photo of my Folio copy.

Btw after reading the first chapter and immediately going down footnote rabbit holes, I had a quick google and found the LitChart.com material to be quite good - they have a chapter by chapter summary and analysis.

Joining, thanks for setting this up @AgualusasL0ver. I'll be listening to the Christine Donougher translation on Audible. Worried I won't get as much out of it if im listening instead of reading but I'll find it much easier to complete at this time if I listen instead

Fair point. Let’s say anything from now goes for today’s chapter and can discuss any point from now onwards.

same each day, so if you are an evening reader then avoid until then.

Bit late to the party but also joining! Thanks @AgualusasL0ver

Thank you @AgualusasL0ver !

Checking in. I’m looking forward to this - I’ve got the Denny translation too.

I would like to join - have not taken part in a readalong before and am looking forward to it.

Excited for my first MN read along. Just downloaded the Donougher translation on kindle.

Well, my kindle doesn't like the copy that I bought years ago and has so far refused to download it, but I've read chapter 1 on my phone.

I said on the intro thread, I haven't seen the musical or the film, and have only the vaguest idea of what the book is actually about.

Ch1 wasn't the most dynamic opening chapter but I enjoyed the description of the two women. And am suitably intrigued by the Bishop's mysterious past.

Chapter 1 down. Quite a few to go!

Chapter 1 down here. The bishop is quite an intriguing character.

I’ve read chapter 1 too.
Will be interesting because I have seen the film, but have no idea how close to the book it actually is.

I won’t read the introduction until I’ve finished the book, but I have read Donougher’s interesting note on her translation. Now looking forward to the criminal slang!

I was surprised that I thought I saw some feminist themes opening (Myriel gets a bishophood through some chance political fawning vs Mme Baptistine not even called "venerable" although her life was just one good deed after another). Google tells me Hugo was pro equality of the sexes.

This is my copy. No idea who translated it, it just says "printed by Amazon" on the back page. I assume it's got 365 chapters!

I read the opening chapter in both Donougher and Hapgood. I’ve no idea what to expect so have no idea how this chapter will link in with others, but I imagine we are in for a slow unravel, and I think this is where sometimes 1 chapter feels not enough.

DH is from Digne (now called Digne-les-Bains to highlight its natural springs and spa), so we often go for holidays and were there for Christmas. It's only 3 hours' drive from us, since we moved to France a few years ago. So it's exciting to read about it here - last time I read the book was long before I met DH so it meant nothing to me then! Here's a picture, taken from a park out of town - the town (including cathedral) is in the distance below the mountains.

I googled Bishop of Digne and it turns out Hugo's character was based on a real person who seems to have had a similar background to the character.

I have a library copy of a 2012 American edition that doesn’t name the translator as far as I can see. How lovely to be in the region DuPain! Actually I wouldn’t have known which town was meant as the text refers to it as D—.

How funny @CornishLizard ! I’ve never understood why old books sometimes block out names like that.

Yes, it is weird. The Hapgood has it written that way.

I enjoyed the stage setting, could cheerfully have read more. Love the descriptions of the women as someone else said. Interesting that Napoleon effectively made him a bishop, (had that power), have just watched Secrets of the Conclave on iPlayer which is all about picking the pope and was a fascinating watch.

I enjoyed chapter 1. The prose is nice. The bishop sounds like an interesting character. Having read War and Peace this way last year (and not loving the war parts), I’m hoping Napoleon is only a very occasional part of the story!

Yes. As the pp said, it was common.

I always assumed that it was done to give the illusion of authenticity, as though the author were only partially describing 'real events', in order to avoid revealing all.

I also recall seeing it done in order to suggest mild (for us) swearing, such as "d––––" for "damned".