This is a moderated subreddit. That sinister victory was vanquished by liberty. Hugo explained his ambitions for the novel to his Italian publisher:[10]. There, Javert tells Valjean he will wait for him in the street, but when Valjean scans the street from the landing window he finds Javert has gone. In desperation, Fantine sells her hair and two front teeth, and she resorts to prostitution to pay the Thnardiers. A revolutionary student club. One critic has called this "the spiritual gateway" to the novel, as its chance encounter of Thnardier and Colonel Pontmercy foreshadows so many of the novel's encounters "blending chance and necessity", a "confrontation of heroism and villainy". Fantine discovers that Cosette is not at the hospital and fretfully asks where she is. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Javert resists but Valjean prevails. When opportunity presents itself, purely out of habit, he steals a 40-sous coin from 12-year-old Petit Gervais and chases the boy away. at the best online prices at eBay! [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. All the other students are killed. ponine, who is in love with Marius herself, reluctantly agrees to do so. He seemed to think there was something wrong with Hugo's novel. [Things were not good with Rome at that point. The first was by a contemporary and friend of Hugo in 1862; more than a hundred . He complained that the characters were crude stereotypes who all "speak very well but all in the same way". When Julie Rose took on Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, two previous English translations dominated bookstore shelves. Only the servant, Madame Magloire, grumbled a bit. My first impressions: Christine Donougher's translation reads very smoothly. Walking down the street, he sees a man named Fauchelevent pinned under the wheels of a cart. When he spoke, she listened, and when he took action, she was right behind him. I only have two copies, one of Donougher and Hapgood. True or false, what is said about people often has as much bearing on their lives and especially on their destinies as what they do. 77, No. You can likely figure that out by reading the same pages from different editions online or in bookstores. Fahnestock and McAfee is the best unabridged translation, and, along with Denny, often regarded as the best one. Surprisingly Javert agrees, assuming that Marius will be dead within minutes. Distraught to find Cosette gone, he heeds the voice and goes. Translation and introduction by Norman Denny, Folio Press, 1976. The Rose translation lost some of the magnificent prose that Hugo has by trying to make it accessible and modern. [5] Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.[6]. There are eight English translations of Les Miserables, shown below in chronological order. Les Misrables by Victor Hugo - Free Ebook. [24], During the 1832 revolt, Hugo walked the streets of Paris, saw the barricades blocking his way at points, and had to take shelter from gunfire. Victor Hugo, Les Misrables, 1862. At last!The same night, the bishop wrote a note, which he handed to his sister. It avoids the jarring modernism of Rose's translation and, as far as I can tell, remains true to the original. WANT A NOOK? [22][23] He spent several vacations in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Monsieur Myriel received a salary of fifteen thousand francs from the government as bishop. The informational footnotes from the French edition by Marius-Franois Guyard are useful but far too rare. If you feel bogged down by the section about the battle of Waterloo (or by any other of Hugos more philosophical explorations), skipin the case of Waterlooto the last chapter in that Book, The Battlefield at Night. That chapter has a key plot element in itplus, Hugo does an amazing job of creating atmosphereso you dont want to miss it. Donougher's is the best translation I've read. Monseigneur put the others first but hes wound up having to think of himself, finally. Lamarque was a victim of a major cholera epidemic that had ravaged the city, particularly its poor neighborhoods, arousing suspicion that the government had been poisoning wells). No one could tell. 5 (December 1962). One biographer noted that "the digressions of genius are easily pardoned". I, Laffont, 1989, Monsieur Thnardier and Madame Thnardier, Socit Plon et autres v. Pierre Hugo et autres, "Victor Hugo's 150-year-old tragedy continues to excite on stage and film", Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. A translation from 1887 published in various formats. 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? Thnardier orders Valjean to pay him 200,000 francs. . with the very best personal fishing guides available to Les Ambassadeurs' members across a range of idyllic locations. The thief also saw the mother and daughter playing with each other which would be an inspiration for Fantine and Cosette. He travels to attend the trial and there reveals his true identity. Having been the servant of Monsieur le cur, she now went by the double title of personal maid to Mademoiselle and housekeeper to Monseigneur.9Mademoiselle Baptistine was a tall, pale, thin, sweet person, the personification of that ideal expressed by the word respectable; for it seems a woman must be a mother to be esteemed. Also published in an abridged edition by New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1996; 2003. The only problem I had with the Donougher was the decision to go with an english title. Les Misrables - Other forms The novel inevitably found a home in various media. [18] Hugo used Bienvenu de Miollis (17531843), the Bishop of Digne during the time in which Valjean encounters Myriel, as the model for Myriel. The soldier fires, fatally wounding the man, while missing Marius. What is the moral lesson of the story Les Misrables? Mountain Goats "Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into the Water, Triumph Of" . Whatever for, in a town with less than four thousand people? Authorities report him dead and his body lost. In the old days, that was standard for bishops.Youre right, Madame Magloire! the bishop agreed. 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. We dont know what to do.The thought did strike me.What can we do, Monseigneur? said the director. Quite simply, she loved him and revered him. Rose offers a very lively translation, one that some readers at times find slangy and wilder than Hugos original. And he put in his claim.A short while later, after considering this application, the department council voted him an annual stipend of three thousand francs, under the heading, Bishops Allowance for Carriage Upkeep, Postal Costs, and Travel Expenses Incurred in Pastoral Rounds.The local bourgeoisie was up in arms over this and an imperial senator,4 who had been a member of the Council of Five Hundred5 promoting the Eighteenth Brumaire and was now provided with a magnificent senatorial seat near Digne township, wrote a cranky little private letter to the minister of public worship, Monsieur Bigot de Prameneu.6 We produce here a genuine extract of a few lines:Carriage upkeep? Upon exiting, Valjean encounters Javert and requests time to return Marius to his family before surrendering to him. Critical reactions were wide-ranging and often negative. More than a quarter of the novelby one count 955 of 2,783 pagesis devoted to essays that argue a moral point or display Hugo's encyclopedic knowledge but do not advance the plot, nor even a subplot, a method Hugo used in such other works as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Toilers of the Sea. Vidocq also inspired Hugo's "Claude Gueux" and Le Dernier jour d'un condamn (The Last Day of a Condemned Man). Heres three thousand livres for us. [21] On 22 February 1846, when he had begun work on the novel, Hugo witnessed the arrest of a bread thief while a duchess and her child watched the scene pitilessly from their coach. As they rush to Valjean's house, Marius tells Cosette that Valjean saved his life at the barricade. The town's police inspector, Inspector Javert, who was an adjutant guard at the Bagne of Toulon during Valjean's incarceration, becomes suspicious of the mayor after witnessing this remarkable feat of strength. Later, Fantine's body is unceremoniously thrown into a public grave. Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. In December 1846, he witnessed an altercation between an old woman scavenging through rubbish and a street urchin who might have been Gavroche. His sister got an annuity of five hundred francs, which was enough for her personal expenses, living at the presbytery. After leaving Marius at his grandfather's house, Valjean asks to be allowed a brief visit to his own home, and Javert agrees. Marius climbs to the top of the barricade, holding a torch in one hand, a powder keg in the other, and threatens to the soldiers that he will blow up the barricade. les. The novel has been translated into 21 languages, and there are 7 different translations into English which English-speaking readers can choose from. Thinking Valjean a murderer lugging his victim's corpse, Thnardier offers to open the gate for money. I feel like this translation is true to the original French (I compared a few passages with my limited . Donougher sits nicely in the middle in my opinion - accessible and conversational style but very true to the original text. The novel as a whole is one of the longest ever written,[9] with 655,478 words in the original French. Thnardier, hoping to swindle more out of Valjean, runs after them, holding the 1,500 francs, and tells Valjean he wants Cosette back. After confirming this, the soldiers retreat from the barricade. - : Les Miserables : Hugo, Victor: A brilliant piece of translation. Each chapter is relatively short, commonly no longer than a few pages. That saidand remembering that choosing a translation is to a certain extent a matter of personal tastehere is a list of major translations of Les Misrables, with some of the reasons why I would recommend first Donoughers, then either Roses or Fahnestock and MacAfees, then Dennys, and, finally, Wilboursbut only for people who like to read nineteenth-century American style: Christine Donougher, translator. I would also definitely recommend Donougher; Im currently half way through and its lovely. He was also a businessman and was widely noted for his social engagement and philanthropy. Les mystres, like Les Misrables, viewed contemporary Paris from the point of view of the downtrodden and criminal underclasses who had been little represented in novels up to the time, and featured the interventions of detectives and the indifference of aristocrats. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. Bienvenu pulls Monseigneur into line.We are not saying that the portrait of the man we offer here is accurate; we will restrict ourselves to the claim that it is a passing likeness. Marius discovers this man is ponine, dressed in men's clothes. For more information, please see our Valjean tells Cosette her mother's story and name. So I recommend that you enjoy and learn from them, if you can, but dont let them keep you from the characters and the plot. The very day he moved into the hospital, Monsieur Myriel decided once and for all to put this sum to use as follows. As the barricade falls, Valjean carries off the injured and unconscious Marius. Les Misrables Translations I read Les Misrables about two years ago. He crawls underneath the cart, manages to lift it, and frees him. Translation is difficult for many reasons, including the fact that a good translation needs to be true to the original and able to stand on its own for a new audience, as explained in a 2008 NPR story. Marius pities her and gives her some money. 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. 1887 - Isabel Florence Hapgood 1976 - Norman Denny 1987 - Wilbour revised by Lee Fahnestock and Norman MacAfee 2007 - Julie Rose 2013 - Christine Donougher Valjean, feeling responsible because his factory turned her away, promises Fantine that he will bring Cosette to her. ponine comes in and announces that a philanthropist and his daughter are arriving to visit them. As he turns back, the man who took the fatal shot for Marius earlier calls Marius by his name. Valjean pays the Thnardiers 1,500 francs, and he and Cosette leave the inn. I've read it, as have millions of other English speakers, and highly recommend it. I don't think I want to see the play/movie. Ask the Author. Javert walks down the street, realizing that he is caught between his strict belief in the law and the mercy Valjean has shown him. It's super lyrical and dramatic, I love every bit of it! [17] Hugo's description of Valjean rescuing a sailor on the Orion drew almost word for word on a Baron La Roncire's letter describing such an incident. Among those three, I'd go with Donougher. When Fantine arrives at Montfermeil, she leaves Cosette in the care of the Thnardiers, a corrupt innkeeper and his selfish, cruel wife. What happened next in the destiny of Monsieur Myriel? No one would have dared bring it up, no one would have dared remember what it was.Monsieur Myriel arrived in Digne accompanied by an old spinster, Mademoiselle Baptistine, who was his sister and ten years his junior.They had only one servant, a woman the same age as Mademoiselle Baptistine, called Madame Magloire. Want to see the play/movie only the servant, Madame Magloire, grumbled a bit edition New. 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A philanthropist and his daughter are arriving to visit them but very to! Quite simply, she loved him and revered him [ 23 ] he spent several in... Valjean tells Cosette that Valjean saved his life at the presbytery other which would be an inspiration for and! Compared a few pages informational footnotes from the French edition by Marius-Franois Guyard are useful far... Me.What can we do, monseigneur pages from different editions online or in bookstores Rose offers very... Madame Magloire recommend it gate for money 1996 ; 2003 of five hundred francs, and reveals... And conversational style but very true to the original text currently half way through and its lovely ] 655,478...

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