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What is Le Miserables about?

Updated: 3/13/2022
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Les Miserables is about a former convict, Jean Valjean (24,601), and how he changes his life to help many, many people.

Jean Valjean eight years after he breaks his parole, becomes mayor of a town. He promised to change and become an honest man. To fulfill his promise, he takes care for Cosette, a young girl who had been watched my an Innkeeper and his wife. Fantine, Cosettes' mother, payed the couple shelter her. The innkeepers were not affectionate to Cossete, and they mistreated her and made Cosette a worker and treated her like a slave. Fantine gets fired and Jean Valjean takes her to the hospital where she dies of illness. Prior to the death he promised to find Cosette and care for her. Meanwhile Javert, Jeans' parole officer, discovers Jean Valjeans' location. He has hunted him for the past eight years. Jean Valjean pays the innkeepers for Cosette and runs off to hide.

Nine years after all that, Marius and his friends plan a revolution. Marius is secretly rich but acts poor because he believes it is unfair for everyone else. One day, Marius and Cosette meet eyes and have love at first sight. Epony, daughters of the innkeepers and is in love with Marius, becomes jealous. Later, Javert discovers where Jean Valjean has been hiding, and Cosette and Jean must flee. Cosette left a note, but epony decided to hide it from Marius. But he knew Cosette was no longer around. Later, the revolution had begun. Epony dressed up as a boy to enter the war and to help Marius. I am not going to give up the end for those who have not seen it. But if I made a mistake please feel free to edit. Hope you enjoyed it!
Les Miserables follows the story of a convict on parole, Jean Valjean, and other poor people in France after the reign of Napoleon. Valjean is arrested for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. He is sentenced to five years in prison, but ends spending nineteen years there because he keep trying to escape. When he is finally set free he arrives at a town named Digne. (Referred to in the book as D-) When the town learns he is a former convict he denied shelter at an inn, a tavern, and a house. Finally, the bishop of the church allows him to stay at his house. Valjean steals all of his silver and is arrested. When he is brought before the bishop, he says he willingly gave him some silver and then gives him some more. When the police leave, he says he must use this silver to become an honest man. After stealing from a small child, he decides to change his ways. He eventually becomes a wealthy and generous business owner who goes on to be mayor of a town called Montriel-Sur Mer. A policeman in the town is named Javert, and he recognises Madeline (Valjean's Alias) as Jean Valjean when he uses his unnatural strengh to lift a cart of an old man named Fachevelent. His suspicons are cleared however when a rather stupid (but innocent) man is arrested because he looks like Valjean. Madeline reveals himself to be Valjean at the trail and runs back to Montreil-Sur Mer. There he promises a woman named Fantine that he will take care of her illegetimate daughter Cosette. She was currently under the care of a couple named the Theirdenairs who mistreated her. They had two other daughters at the time, Eponie and Alzema, who were treated very well as they were their biological daughters. Valjean is arrested before he can get her. In prison he fakes his death and arrives at the Theirdenair residence. He eventually gets Cosette but Monsieur Theirdenair wanted more money out of him so he follows him around for a few pages until Valjean scares him away. Cosette and Valjean move to a rented house where they spend some time until their landlord discovers that Valjean is a former convict, and he sells them to Javert. Javert had be spying on him as a beggar that Valjean frequently gave money. Valjean runs away to a convent (a place where only nuns may live) There he meets Fachevelent (the old man under the cart) and he is allowed to stay there if he helps the nuns bury one of there own. They spend many years there. The story then shifts over to a young man named Marius. Marius was given up by his father so he could live with his grandfather who the money to support him. Marius's grandfather, Gillanormand, didn't apporve of his father, Pontmercy, so he told Marius that his father hated him. Pontmercy would watch his son at church but was not allowed to talk to him. Marius's father eventually dies and his grandfather says he must go see him. In his father's will it says if he ever meets a man named Theirdenair he should help hom in any way possible. Monsuier Theirdenair saved Pontmercy at Waterloo by accident. Theirdenair is robbing the dead bodies when Pontmercy asks him to help him. He picks his pockets and moves on. Unkown to Theirdenair, Pontmercy would have not been found if he was not moved. Pontmercy belives that he did this purposefully. Marius is not saddened by his father's death because he belived that he hated him. One of the church workers tell him otherwise because he saw Pontmercy watching him in church and spoke with him. Marius then becomes almost a fan of his father. Gillanormad had very different poltical views than Pontmercy that he had imposed on Marius. Marius move out of those and begins to believe his father's poltical ideaology. Gillanormand becomes curios of where his son dissapears to and sends a realative to spy on him. The relative spots Marius putting flowers on his father's grave. Following a long argument, Marius is kicked out of his house. Marius makes friends with a group of students named Friends of ABC. They a planning a rebellion to give more benefits to the poor. Marius decides to start taking walks in the park. There he sees two people, he assumes to be father and daughter. He dubs the "father" Monsieur LeBlanc. (Mr. White) He believes the girl to be ugly. He is unable to make his walks after some time. He eventually resumes his walks. He sees Monsieur LeBlanc again with what he believes to be a different woman. He now realizes that this is the "ugly girl." Marius forms a crush for said woman. He starts to dress up for his walks. LeBlanc starts to suspect Marius and moves away soon after Marius follows them home. One day in his apartment, a woman comes and delivers him a letter from a man requesting money. She is his daughter and has a crush on Marius. The man's name is Jonderette. Marius, through a hole in his wall, sees Monsieur LeBlanc and his daughter arrive at the Joderette residence. Beforehand, Jonderette and his wife made the apartment look worse to earn pity. After LeBlanc leaves, Jonderette reveals that he plans to kill LeBlanc. Marius then goes to police station and reports to an officer named Javert about what he heard from Jonderette. Javert gives him a pistol to signal them when Jonderette began whatever he was planning. When Jonderette ties LeBlanc to the table, he reveals that his name is Theirdenair and that LeBlanc bought his daughter for much less money than he wanted. While Monsieur and Madame Theirdenair are monologuing, Valjean cuts himself free. Marius is torn between keeping his father's last wish and protecting Valjean. Javert arrives after a tip-off from Eponie (woman with letter) and Theirdenair and the Misses is arrested. Valjean escapes while Javert is arresting the Theirdenairs. We go back to Valjean with Cosette making a shocking realization, she is pretty. Around this time Valjean decides it is time for his daughter to see the world outside the convent. Thet move to a house named Rue Plumet. A son of the Theirdenairs, Gavroche, who does not particapte in the family crimes busts them out of prision. Gavroche was acutally abandonded by his parents and then two other Theirdenair boys were left to die. Madame Theirdaner has died in prision. Eponie, who was arrested despite her help, sadly informs Marius of Cosette's new address. Marius slips Cosette a love note and they soon fall in love. Valjean is nervous because of the young man lurking around his house at night and fears Javert might be on to him. Eponie, hoping to get Cosette out of the way of Marius, slips a note that commands him to move. Valjean makes plans to move to London. The Friends of ABC are erecting barricades and a grief-stricken Marius goes to assit them. Inspector Javert has gone to spy on the insurgents. Gavroche sees him for what he is and he is tied up. Marius scares off the first wave of French soilders by thearting to blow up a barrel of gunpowder. Before theartening to blow-up the barricade, Marius was almost shot but was protected by a young worker. When Marius finds the worker he discovers that is was Eponie who shielded him. Before she dies, she tells him about how she made Valjean and Cosette move away. After she dies, he kisses her on the foreheead and moves on. He writes a note explaing his death to Cosette and tells Gavroche to give it to her tomorrow. Gavroche, however, decides to head off that night. Valjean reads the letter and decides he must go and save Marius, even if he is jealous of him. Valjean had became a member of the National Gaurd during his stay at Rue Plumet. He suits up in his uniform and heads for the barricades. The Friends of ABC are suffering heavy losses and decide to let four men escape under the cover of four National Gaurd uniforms. There are five man with families and they must choose four. Valjean arrives and donates his uniform. Gavroche is killed while collecting ammo. When he dies, the scene moves to the abandoded Theirdenair boys that Gavroche had helped. He did not even know that these were his brothers. They are seen fighting a duck for a wet crust of bread. The author never explains what happens to them later, but this lack of information could have been purposeful. He could of wanted the reader to know that there was always someone out there who was cold, hungry, and alone. Javert is planned to be shot and killed and Valjean offers to do the honors. In a place where no one can see, Valjean lets Javert go. Javert is shocked a criminal would do such a thing. The barricades are completely destoryed and the last two men to die are Enjoras, the leader of the revolution, and Grantire, his drunken friend. Meanwhile, Valjean is carrying an unconsious Marius thourgh the sewers of Paris. Valjean, Marius, and the five men are the only ones still alive. Theirdenair is busy robbing the bodies from the battle when he sees Valjean and Marius. He tells Valjean he will let him out of the sewers if he has half of what he robbed off his dead body.(Marius) Valjean gives him the forty francs that was in his pocket. Theirdenair gives him the keys. Looking at the address book he discovers that his name is Marius Pontmercy and that he should be delivered to his grandfather's house. As he climbs out of the sewer, Javert is waiting there to arrest him. Valjean begs Javert to let him return Marius to Monsiuer Gillanormad. Javert, suprisingly, grants this request. After he is returned home, Valjean asks to say good bye to Cosette. Javert agrees again. After Valjean and Cosette have said their good byes, he goes to return to the carriage, but Javert is gone. Javert commits suicide by jumping into the river Senie because he has hunted down an honest man. Before he dies, he leaves a note at his police station on how the law system could be improved. Marius makes a full recovery and, thanks to Valjean's wealth from his time as a mayor, Marius and Cosette are soon married. Valjean pretends to have a broken hand so he doesn't have to sign the marriage license. (Former criminals were not allowed to sign legal documents.) He confesses to Marius how he is really a criminal and Marius immeadiately rejects him. Valjean asks him not to tell Cosette, and he agrees. Valjean is only allowed to see her once a night. He falls into a deep depression and eventually refuses to even leave his bed. Around this time, Theirdenair arrives at Marius and Cosette's residence and tells Marius he knows something about Cosette's father. He tells Marius Valjean is a criminal. When Marius already knows this, he tells him that Valjean is also a murder and posed as a mayor. For evidence he was a mayor, he shows him a newspaper clipping about how Valjean had helped Montriel-Sur Mer. For evidence he had killed someone, he showed Marius a scrap of his own clothing. When Valjean was in the sewers, Theirdenair took part of Marius's clothing to blackmail him later. Marius then reailzes that Valjean was not evil and he even saved his life. Marius pays Theirdenair and he uses it to move to America where he becomes a slave owner. They reach Valjean just as he is dying and he tells Cosette of her real mother. Valjean also writes down his secret to sucess in business at Montriel-Sur Mer for Marius to use. He also requests that he be buried without a name on the headstone. He dies in their embrace.

ENDNOTES

Les Miserables is 1000 pages long when unabriged. The condesed version is only 900 pages. I have given you the condesed version of the condesed version. The full edition goes into more detail for Gavrohce, Fantine, The Friends of ABC and the battle at the barricade, and the bishop who saved Valjean's soul.

Les Miserables is also a musical. It is one of my favorites and you can watch it on YouTube.

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Marilyne Corwin

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11y ago

Les Miserables is about a former convict, Jean Valjean (24,601), and how he changes his life to help many, many people.

Jean Valjean eight years after he breaks his parole, becomes mayor of a town. He promised to change and become an honest man. To fulfill his promise, he takes care for Cosette, a young girl who had been watched my an Innkeeper and his wife. Fantine, Cosettes' mother, payed the couple shelter her. The innkeepers were not affectionate to Cossete, and they mistreated her and made Cosette a worker and treated her like a slave. Fantine gets fired and Jean Valjean takes her to the hospital where she dies of illness. Prior to the death he promised to find Cosette and care for her. Meanwhile Javert, Jeans' parole officer, discovers Jean Valjeans' location. He has hunted him for the past eight years. Jean Valjean pays the innkeepers for Cosette and runs off to hide.

Nine years after all that, Marius and his friends plan a revolution. Marius is secretly rich but acts poor because he believes it is unfair for everyone else. One day, Marius and Cosette meet eyes and have love at first sight. Epony, daughters of the innkeepers and is in love with Marius, becomes jealous. Later, Javert discovers where Jean Valjean has been hiding, and Cosette and Jean must flee. Cosette left a note, but epony decided to hide it from Marius. But he knew Cosette was no longer around. Later, the revolution had begun. Epony dressed up as a boy to enter the war and to help Marius. I am not going to give up the end for those who have not seen it. But if I made a mistake please feel free to edit. Hope you enjoyed it!
Les Miserables follows the story of a convict on parole, Jean Valjean, and other poor people in France after the reign of Napoleon. Valjean is arrested for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. He is sentenced to five years in prison, but ends spending nineteen years there because he keep trying to escape. When he is finally set free he arrives at a town named Digne. (Referred to in the book as D-) When the town learns he is a former convict he denied shelter at an inn, a tavern, and a house. Finally, the bishop of the church allows him to stay at his house. Valjean steals all of his silver and is arrested. When he is brought before the bishop, he says he willingly gave him some silver and then gives him some more. When the police leave, he says he must use this silver to become an honest man. After stealing from a small child, he decides to change his ways. He eventually becomes a wealthy and generous business owner who goes on to be mayor of a town called Montriel-Sur Mer. A policeman in the town is named Javert, and he recognises Madeline (Valjean's Alias) as Jean Valjean when he uses his unnatural strengh to lift a cart of an old man named Fachevelent. His suspicons are cleared however when a rather stupid (but innocent) man is arrested because he looks like Valjean. Madeline reveals himself to be Valjean at the trail and runs back to Montreil-Sur Mer. There he promises a woman named Fantine that he will take care of her illegetimate daughter Cosette. She was currently under the care of a couple named the Theirdenairs who mistreated her. They had two other daughters at the time, Eponie and Alzema, who were treated very well as they were their biological daughters. Valjean is arrested before he can get her. In prison he fakes his death and arrives at the Theirdenair residence. He eventually gets Cosette but Monsieur Theirdenair wanted more money out of him so he follows him around for a few pages until Valjean scares him away. Cosette and Valjean move to a rented house where they spend some time until their landlord discovers that Valjean is a former convict, and he sells them to Javert. Javert had be spying on him as a beggar that Valjean frequently gave money. Valjean runs away to a convent (a place where only nuns may live) There he meets Fachevelent (the old man under the cart) and he is allowed to stay there if he helps the nuns bury one of there own. They spend many years there. The story then shifts over to a young man named Marius. Marius was given up by his father so he could live with his grandfather who the money to support him. Marius's grandfather, Gillanormand, didn't apporve of his father, Pontmercy, so he told Marius that his father hated him. Pontmercy would watch his son at church but was not allowed to talk to him. Marius's father eventually dies and his grandfather says he must go see him. In his father's will it says if he ever meets a man named Theirdenair he should help hom in any way possible. Monsuier Theirdenair saved Pontmercy at Waterloo by accident. Theirdenair is robbing the dead bodies when Pontmercy asks him to help him. He picks his pockets and moves on. Unkown to Theirdenair, Pontmercy would have not been found if he was not moved. Pontmercy belives that he did this purposefully. Marius is not saddened by his father's death because he belived that he hated him. One of the church workers tell him otherwise because he saw Pontmercy watching him in church and spoke with him. Marius then becomes almost a fan of his father. Gillanormad had very different poltical views than Pontmercy that he had imposed on Marius. Marius move out of those and begins to believe his father's poltical ideaology. Gillanormand becomes curios of where his son dissapears to and sends a realative to spy on him. The relative spots Marius putting flowers on his father's grave. Following a long argument, Marius is kicked out of his house. Marius makes friends with a group of students named Friends of ABC. They a planning a rebellion to give more benefits to the poor. Marius decides to start taking walks in the park. There he sees two people, he assumes to be father and daughter. He dubs the "father" Monsieur LeBlanc. (Mr. White) He believes the girl to be ugly. He is unable to make his walks after some time. He eventually resumes his walks. He sees Monsieur LeBlanc again with what he believes to be a different woman. He now realizes that this is the "ugly girl." Marius forms a crush for said woman. He starts to dress up for his walks. LeBlanc starts to suspect Marius and moves away soon after Marius follows them home. One day in his apartment, a woman comes and delivers him a letter from a man requesting money. She is his daughter and has a crush on Marius. The man's name is Jonderette. Marius, through a hole in his wall, sees Monsieur LeBlanc and his daughter arrive at the Joderette residence. Beforehand, Jonderette and his wife made the apartment look worse to earn pity. After LeBlanc leaves, Jonderette reveals that he plans to kill LeBlanc. Marius then goes to police station and reports to an officer named Javert about what he heard from Jonderette. Javert gives him a pistol to signal them when Jonderette began whatever he was planning. When Jonderette ties LeBlanc to the table, he reveals that his name is Theirdenair and that LeBlanc bought his daughter for much less money than he wanted. While Monsieur and Madame Theirdenair are monologuing, Valjean cuts himself free. Marius is torn between keeping his father's last wish and protecting Valjean. Javert arrives after a tip-off from Eponie (woman with letter) and Theirdenair and the Misses is arrested. Valjean escapes while Javert is arresting the Theirdenairs. We go back to Valjean with Cosette making a shocking realization, she is pretty. Around this time Valjean decides it is time for his daughter to see the world outside the convent. Thet move to a house named Rue Plumet. A son of the Theirdenairs, Gavroche, who does not particapte in the family crimes busts them out of prision. Gavroche was acutally abandonded by his parents and then two other Theirdenair boys were left to die. Madame Theirdaner has died in prision. Eponie, who was arrested despite her help, sadly informs Marius of Cosette's new address. Marius slips Cosette a love note and they soon fall in love. Valjean is nervous because of the young man lurking around his house at night and fears Javert might be on to him. Eponie, hoping to get Cosette out of the way of Marius, slips a note that commands him to move. Valjean makes plans to move to London. The Friends of ABC are erecting barricades and a grief-stricken Marius goes to assit them. Inspector Javert has gone to spy on the insurgents. Gavroche sees him for what he is and he is tied up. Marius scares off the first wave of French soilders by thearting to blow up a barrel of gunpowder. Before theartening to blow-up the barricade, Marius was almost shot but was protected by a young worker. When Marius finds the worker he discovers that is was Eponie who shielded him. Before she dies, she tells him about how she made Valjean and Cosette move away. After she dies, he kisses her on the foreheead and moves on. He writes a note explaing his death to Cosette and tells Gavroche to give it to her tomorrow. Gavroche, however, decides to head off that night. Valjean reads the letter and decides he must go and save Marius, even if he is jealous of him. Valjean had became a member of the National Gaurd during his stay at Rue Plumet. He suits up in his uniform and heads for the barricades. The Friends of ABC are suffering heavy losses and decide to let four men escape under the cover of four National Gaurd uniforms. There are five man with families and they must choose four. Valjean arrives and donates his uniform. Gavroche is killed while collecting ammo. When he dies, the scene moves to the abandoded Theirdenair boys that Gavroche had helped. He did not even know that these were his brothers. They are seen fighting a duck for a wet crust of bread. The author never explains what happens to them later, but this lack of information could have been purposeful. He could of wanted the reader to know that there was always someone out there who was cold, hungry, and alone. Javert is planned to be shot and killed and Valjean offers to do the honors. In a place where no one can see, Valjean lets Javert go. Javert is shocked a criminal would do such a thing. The barricades are completely destoryed and the last two men to die are Enjoras, the leader of the revolution, and Grantire, his drunken friend. Meanwhile, Valjean is carrying an unconsious Marius thourgh the sewers of Paris. Valjean, Marius, and the five men are the only ones still alive. Theirdenair is busy robbing the bodies from the battle when he sees Valjean and Marius. He tells Valjean he will let him out of the sewers if he has half of what he robbed off his dead body.(Marius) Valjean gives him the forty francs that was in his pocket. Theirdenair gives him the keys. Looking at the address book he discovers that his name is Marius Pontmercy and that he should be delivered to his grandfather's house. As he climbs out of the sewer, Javert is waiting there to arrest him. Valjean begs Javert to let him return Marius to Monsiuer Gillanormad. Javert, suprisingly, grants this request. After he is returned home, Valjean asks to say good bye to Cosette. Javert agrees again. After Valjean and Cosette have said their good byes, he goes to return to the carriage, but Javert is gone. Javert commits suicide by jumping into the river Senie because he has hunted down an honest man. Before he dies, he leaves a note at his police station on how the law system could be improved. Marius makes a full recovery and, thanks to Valjean's wealth from his time as a mayor, Marius and Cosette are soon married. Valjean pretends to have a broken hand so he doesn't have to sign the marriage license. (Former criminals were not allowed to sign legal documents.) He confesses to Marius how he is really a criminal and Marius immeadiately rejects him. Valjean asks him not to tell Cosette, and he agrees. Valjean is only allowed to see her once a night. He falls into a deep depression and eventually refuses to even leave his bed. Around this time, Theirdenair arrives at Marius and Cosette's residence and tells Marius he knows something about Cosette's father. He tells Marius Valjean is a criminal. When Marius already knows this, he tells him that Valjean is also a murder and posed as a mayor. For evidence he was a mayor, he shows him a newspaper clipping about how Valjean had helped Montriel-Sur Mer. For evidence he had killed someone, he showed Marius a scrap of his own clothing. When Valjean was in the sewers, Theirdenair took part of Marius's clothing to blackmail him later. Marius then reailzes that Valjean was not evil and he even saved his life. Marius pays Theirdenair and he uses it to move to America where he becomes a slave owner. They reach Valjean just as he is dying and he tells Cosette of her real mother. Valjean also writes down his secret to sucess in business at Montriel-Sur Mer for Marius to use. He also requests that he be buried without a name on the headstone. He dies in their embrace.

ENDNOTES

Les Miserables is 1000 pages long when unabriged. The condesed version is only 900 pages. I have given you the condesed version of the condesed version. The full edition goes into more detail for Gavrohce, Fantine, The Friends of ABC and the battle at the barricade, and the bishop who saved Valjean's soul.

Les Miserables is also a musical. It is one of my favorites and you can watch it on YouTube.

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12y ago

Les Miserables follows the story of a convict on parole, Jean Valjean, and other poor people in France after the reign of Napoleon. Valjean is arrested for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. He is sentenced to five years in prison, but ends spending nineteen years there because he keep trying to escape. When he is finally set free he arrives at a town named Digne. (Referred to in the book as D-) When the town learns he is a former convict he denied shelter at an inn, a tavern, and a house. Finally, the bishop of the church allows him to stay at his house. Valjean steals all of his silver and is arrested. When he is brought before the bishop, he says he willingly gave him some silver and then gives him some more. When the police leave, he says he must use this silver to become an honest man. After stealing from a small child, he decides to change his ways. He eventually becomes a wealthy and generous business owner who goes on to be mayor of a town called Montriel-Sur Mer. A policeman in the town is named Javert, and he recognises Madeline (Valjean's Alias) as Jean Valjean when he uses his unnatural strengh to lift a cart of an old man named Fachevelent. His suspicons are cleared however when a rather stupid (but innocent) man is arrested because he looks like Valjean. Madeline reveals himself to be Valjean at the trail and runs back to Montreil-Sur Mer. There he promises a woman named Fantine that he will take care of her illegetimate daughter Cosette. She was currently under the care of a couple named the Theirdenairs who mistreated her. They had two other daughters at the time, Eponie and Alzema, who were treated very well as they were their biological daughters. Valjean is arrested before he can get her. In prison he fakes his death and arrives at the Theirdenair residence. He eventually gets Cosette but Monsieur Theirdenair wanted more money out of him so he follows him around for a few pages until Valjean scares him away. Cosette and Valjean move to a rented house where they spend some time until their landlord discovers that Valjean is a former convict, and he sells them to Javert. Javert had be spying on him as a beggar that Valjean frequently gave money. Valjean runs away to a convent (a place where only nuns may live) There he meets Fachevelent (the old man under the cart) and he is allowed to stay there if he helps the nuns bury one of there own. They spend many years there. The story then shifts over to a young man named Marius. Marius was given up by his father so he could live with his grandfather who the money to support him. Marius's grandfather, Gillanormand, didn't apporve of his father, Pontmercy, so he told Marius that his father hated him. Pontmercy would watch his son at church but was not allowed to talk to him. Marius's father eventually dies and his grandfather says he must go see him. In his father's will it says if he ever meets a man named Theirdenair he should help hom in any way possible. Monsuier Theirdenair saved Pontmercy at Waterloo by accident. Theirdenair is robbing the dead bodies when Pontmercy asks him to help him. He picks his pockets and moves on. Unkown to Theirdenair, Pontmercy would have not been found if he was not moved. Pontmercy belives that he did this purposefully. Marius is not saddened by his father's death because he belived that he hated him. One of the church workers tell him otherwise because he saw Pontmercy watching him in church and spoke with him. Marius then becomes almost a fan of his father. Gillanormad had very different poltical views than Pontmercy that he had imposed on Marius. Marius move out of those and begins to believe his father's poltical ideaology. Gillanormand becomes curios of where his son dissapears to and sends a realative to spy on him. The relative spots Marius putting flowers on his father's grave. Following a long argument, Marius is kicked out of his house. Marius makes friends with a group of students named Friends of ABC. They a planning a rebellion to give more benefits to the poor. Marius decides to start taking walks in the park. There he sees two people, he assumes to be father and daughter. He dubs the "father" Monsieur LeBlanc. (Mr. White) He believes the girl to be ugly. He is unable to make his walks after some time. He eventually resumes his walks. He sees Monsieur LeBlanc again with what he believes to be a different woman. He now realizes that this is the "ugly girl." Marius forms a crush for said woman. He starts to dress up for his walks. LeBlanc starts to suspect Marius and moves away soon after Marius follows them home. One day in his apartment, a woman comes and delivers him a letter from a man requesting money. She is his daughter and has a crush on Marius. The man's name is Jonderette. Marius, through a hole in his wall, sees Monsieur LeBlanc and his daughter arrive at the Joderette residence. Beforehand, Jonderette and his wife made the apartment look worse to earn pity. After LeBlanc leaves, Jonderette reveals that he plans to kill LeBlanc. Marius then goes to police station and reports to an officer named Javert about what he heard from Jonderette. Javert gives him a pistol to signal them when Jonderette began whatever he was planning. When Jonderette ties LeBlanc to the table, he reveals that his name is Theirdenair and that LeBlanc bought his daughter for much less money than he wanted. While Monsieur and Madame Theirdenair are monologuing, Valjean cuts himself free. Marius is torn between keeping his father's last wish and protecting Valjean. Javert arrives after a tip-off from Eponie (woman with letter) and Theirdenair and the Misses is arrested. Valjean escapes while Javert is arresting the Theirdenairs. We go back to Valjean with Cosette making a shocking realization, she is pretty. Around this time Valjean decides it is time for his daughter to see the world outside the convent. Thet move to a house named Rue Plumet. A son of the Theirdenairs, Gavroche, who does not particapte in the family crimes busts them out of prision. Gavroche was acutally abandonded by his parents and then two other Theirdenair boys were left to die. Madame Theirdaner has died in prision. Eponie, who was arrested despite her help, sadly informs Marius of Cosette's new address. Marius slips Cosette a love note and they soon fall in love. Valjean is nervous because of the young man lurking around his house at night and fears Javert might be on to him. Eponie, hoping to get Cosette out of the way of Marius, slips a note that commands him to move. Valjean makes plans to move to London. The Friends of ABC are erecting barricades and a grief-stricken Marius goes to assit them. Inspector Javert has gone to spy on the insurgents. Gavroche sees him for what he is and he is tied up. Marius scares off the first wave of French soilders by thearting to blow up a barrel of gunpowder. Before theartening to blow-up the barricade, Marius was almost shot but was protected by a young worker. When Marius finds the worker he discovers that is was Eponie who shielded him. Before she dies, she tells him about how she made Valjean and Cosette move away. After she dies, he kisses her on the foreheead and moves on. He writes a note explaing his death to Cosette and tells Gavroche to give it to her tomorrow. Gavroche, however, decides to head off that night. Valjean reads the letter and decides he must go and save Marius, even if he is jealous of him. Valjean had became a member of the National Gaurd during his stay at Rue Plumet. He suits up in his uniform and heads for the barricades. The Friends of ABC are suffering heavy losses and decide to let four men escape under the cover of four National Gaurd uniforms. There are five man with families and they must choose four. Valjean arrives and donates his uniform. Gavroche is killed while collecting ammo. When he dies, the scene moves to the abandoded Theirdenair boys that Gavroche had helped. He did not even know that these were his brothers. They are seen fighting a duck for a wet crust of bread. The author never explains what happens to them later, but this lack of information could have been purposeful. He could of wanted the reader to know that there was always someone out there who was cold, hungry, and alone. Javert is planned to be shot and killed and Valjean offers to do the honors. In a place where no one can see, Valjean lets Javert go. Javert is shocked a criminal would do such a thing. The barricades are completely destoryed and the last two men to die are Enjoras, the leader of the revolution, and Grantire, his drunken friend. Meanwhile, Valjean is carrying an unconsious Marius thourgh the sewers of Paris. Valjean, Marius, and the five men are the only ones still alive. Theirdenair is busy robbing the bodies from the battle when he sees Valjean and Marius. He tells Valjean he will let him out of the sewers if he has half of what he robbed off his dead body.(Marius) Valjean gives him the forty francs that was in his pocket. Theirdenair gives him the keys. Looking at the address book he discovers that his name is Marius Pontmercy and that he should be delivered to his grandfather's house. As he climbs out of the sewer, Javert is waiting there to arrest him. Valjean begs Javert to let him return Marius to Monsiuer Gillanormad. Javert, suprisingly, grants this request. After he is returned home, Valjean asks to say good bye to Cosette. Javert agrees again. After Valjean and Cosette have said their good byes, he goes to return to the carriage, but Javert is gone. Javert commits suicide by jumping into the river Senie because he has hunted down an honest man. Before he dies, he leaves a note at his police station on how the law system could be improved. Marius makes a full recovery and, thanks to Valjean's wealth from his time as a mayor, Marius and Cosette are soon married. Valjean pretends to have a broken hand so he doesn't have to sign the marriage license. (Former criminals were not allowed to sign legal documents.) He confesses to Marius how he is really a criminal and Marius immeadiately rejects him. Valjean asks him not to tell Cosette, and he agrees. Valjean is only allowed to see her once a night. He falls into a deep depression and eventually refuses to even leave his bed. Around this time, Theirdenair arrives at Marius and Cosette's residence and tells Marius he knows something about Cosette's father. He tells Marius Valjean is a criminal. When Marius already knows this, he tells him that Valjean is also a murder and posed as a mayor. For evidence he was a mayor, he shows him a newspaper clipping about how Valjean had helped Montriel-Sur Mer. For evidence he had killed someone, he showed Marius a scrap of his own clothing. When Valjean was in the sewers, Theirdenair took part of Marius's clothing to blackmail him later. Marius then reailzes that Valjean was not evil and he even saved his life. Marius pays Theirdenair and he uses it to move to America where he becomes a slave owner. They reach Valjean just as he is dying and he tells Cosette of her real mother. Valjean also writes down his secret to sucess in business at Montriel-Sur Mer for Marius to use. He also requests that he be buried without a name on the headstone. He dies in their embrace.

ENDNOTES

Les Miserables is 1000 pages long when unabriged. The condesed version is only 900 pages. I have given you the condesed version of the condesed version. The full edition goes into more detail for Gavrohce, Fantine, The Friends of ABC and the battle at the barricade, and the bishop who saved Valjean's soul.

Les Miserables is also a musical. It is one of my favorites and you can watch it on YouTube.

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