Please note, this is a very long book, and so this summary will be quite a while in the making. I'm going to go through book by book, and glean through the tangents, and try to pick out the bits of story to tell to you. Thank you for you patience.
Fantine
Book First--A Just man (aka, the Bishop :))
The book begins with M. Bienvenu Myriel-- the good bishop. After living a pretty crazy life, he decides to become a bishop, and settles in a little town with the sole intent of doing good. The second day on the job, he goes to inspect the hospital-- nothing more than a small house. Following his inspection, he invites the hospital warden over to his own mansion. They talk for a while about how over crowded the hospital is... and then the bishop offers to trade homes! He argues that he has more than enough room in his mansion and that the little house that the hospital is now would be the perfect size for him, his sister-- Mademoiselle Baptistine, and their housekeeper-- Madame Magloire. And it is episodes like that the Victor Hugo relates for at least 50 pages of the book: small acts and large acts of kindness made by the bishop.
(for a quick read, read CH. I-II, IV, VI-VII, XIII)
(for a quick read, read CH. I-II, IV, VI-VII, XIII)
Book Second--The Fall (introducing Jean Valjean)
Then Jean Valjean enters the scene; at the same time, he enters the bishop's village. He goes to the inn, but is thrown out because of his yellow card, which brands him as a convict. He goes to the tavern, and is turned away. To the jail-- he's not even sheltered there. Finally, resentful and angry, he settles himself on a bench. Suddenly, an old lady approaches him, and tells him to ask at the house across the street for a bed. Jean ValJean angrily opens the door to said house, and finds the bishop, Mademoiselle Baptistine and Madame Magloire at dinner. The bishop welcomes him in without asking any questions, buch to Jean Valjean's dismay. After dinner, Jean ValJean is shown to a room where he is to sleep (on the way, he sees the servant putting the silver plates from dinner away in a cupboard above the bishop's bed).
Everyone falls asleep. Then, midnight strikes, and JeanValJean wakes up. At this point, you are taken back, and see his history:
He was orphaned when he was young, and his sister raised him. When his sister's husband died, leaving her, seven children, and Jean ValJean, Jean had to start working to support the large family. One winter, in desparation, he broke a bakery window at night, and stole a loaf of bread. The crash woke the baker, who chased him. Jean Valjean was caught, and thrown in prison at Toulon for five years.
In prison, he became hardened, and strong. he was known as 'The Jack" because of his mighty strength. His goal was vengeance on the world. To have as many tools as possible, he learned to read while in prison.
He attempted to escape three times, which lengthened his time to a total of nineteen years. When he was finally freed, he was given a yellow card, which-- as we have seen-- warned everyone that this man had once been in prison... in Jean's case, for stealing a loaf of bread.
As he's sitting in his bed at the bishop's house, remembering with bitterness all the times he'd been wronged, e subconsciously makes the decision to rob the bishop. He steals into the bishop's room, and unlocks the cupboard, and takes the basket of silver plates. Leaving the house, he jumps over the garden wall, and runs off.
When Madame Magloire finds the plates are missing, and who took them, she is outraged! But the bishop remarks that those plates should have been given to the poor anyways, and so it is perfectly fine that Jean Valjean should have them. At that moment, the door opens, and Jean Valjean enters the house again; this time with an armed escort. Rushing to Jean, the bishop gives him two silver candlesticks, telling him that he'd forgotten them. The guards then release Jean Valjean, and the bishop sends him on his way with words of comfort. This was the first kind act that Jean Valjean had received in nineteen years.
In confusion, he makes his way down the road, until he reaches an isolated little lovers' bench.
As he's sitting there, he hears a little boy singing. Down the road comes a little french equivalent of a chimney-sweep, tossing up a well-earned coin (a sou, not even a penny to us). Suddenly, he drops his coin, and it rolls over to Jean Valjean, who puts his foot on it. When the child begs for his coin, Jean Valjean sends him away, angrily.
An hour or two passes, and Jean Valjean stands up. He sees the coin. He realizes what he has done. Frantically, he runs up and down the road, yelling the boy's name "Petit Gervais!" But he doesn't find him. At that moment, Jean Valjean recognizes the monster he's become, and he decided that from that day on, he'll become a better man.
(CH. I-VII, IX-XIII)
Everyone falls asleep. Then, midnight strikes, and JeanValJean wakes up. At this point, you are taken back, and see his history:
He was orphaned when he was young, and his sister raised him. When his sister's husband died, leaving her, seven children, and Jean ValJean, Jean had to start working to support the large family. One winter, in desparation, he broke a bakery window at night, and stole a loaf of bread. The crash woke the baker, who chased him. Jean Valjean was caught, and thrown in prison at Toulon for five years.
In prison, he became hardened, and strong. he was known as 'The Jack" because of his mighty strength. His goal was vengeance on the world. To have as many tools as possible, he learned to read while in prison.
He attempted to escape three times, which lengthened his time to a total of nineteen years. When he was finally freed, he was given a yellow card, which-- as we have seen-- warned everyone that this man had once been in prison... in Jean's case, for stealing a loaf of bread.
As he's sitting in his bed at the bishop's house, remembering with bitterness all the times he'd been wronged, e subconsciously makes the decision to rob the bishop. He steals into the bishop's room, and unlocks the cupboard, and takes the basket of silver plates. Leaving the house, he jumps over the garden wall, and runs off.
When Madame Magloire finds the plates are missing, and who took them, she is outraged! But the bishop remarks that those plates should have been given to the poor anyways, and so it is perfectly fine that Jean Valjean should have them. At that moment, the door opens, and Jean Valjean enters the house again; this time with an armed escort. Rushing to Jean, the bishop gives him two silver candlesticks, telling him that he'd forgotten them. The guards then release Jean Valjean, and the bishop sends him on his way with words of comfort. This was the first kind act that Jean Valjean had received in nineteen years.
In confusion, he makes his way down the road, until he reaches an isolated little lovers' bench.
As he's sitting there, he hears a little boy singing. Down the road comes a little french equivalent of a chimney-sweep, tossing up a well-earned coin (a sou, not even a penny to us). Suddenly, he drops his coin, and it rolls over to Jean Valjean, who puts his foot on it. When the child begs for his coin, Jean Valjean sends him away, angrily.
An hour or two passes, and Jean Valjean stands up. He sees the coin. He realizes what he has done. Frantically, he runs up and down the road, yelling the boy's name "Petit Gervais!" But he doesn't find him. At that moment, Jean Valjean recognizes the monster he's become, and he decided that from that day on, he'll become a better man.
(CH. I-VII, IX-XIII)
Book Third--The Year 1817 (introducing Fantine)
Four groups of lovers (Tholomyes leading them with his "love," Fantine) go on an outing, where the men 'surprise' the girls by ditching them. Fantine, heartbroken, gives birth to Cosette.
(CH. II, end of VIII, IX)
Book Fourth--To Trust is Sometimes to Surrender (Fantine leaves Cosette)
Unable to care for her, she leaves Paris to return to where she was born: M. sur M. or Montreuil-sur-mer. On the way she leaves Cosette in the care of the Thenardiers at their tavern in Montfermeil, being led to believe that they are good people.
Thenardier (the man) uses the initial money to pay debts and taxes that he was about to be arrested for, and then sells Cosette's nice clothes to make more money.
(CH. I-III)
Book Fifth-- The Descent (Fantine in M. sur M.)
Meanwhile, at M. sur. M. (sorry, but it's shorter than Montreuil-sur-mer), a mysterious man who appeared in the city a few years ago, has made a name for himself. When he entered the town, a building was burning. He rushed inside and saved two children (as a result of the confusion, no one thought to check his papers). He becomes known as Father Madeline. He comes up with a faster, cheaper, and prettier way to make the prodcut that M. sur M. exports and starts a factory. With the millions he is now making he improves the town with schools, employment, hospitals, morals, etc. He also searches for a boy named Petit Gervais, for some reason...
Fantine finds good work in Monsieur Madelines's factory. However, at the factory is a trouble-maker, Madame Victurnien, who digs into Fantine's past and tells the head-matron of the women's side of the factory the worst parts of it. Fantine is then fired.
Her neighbor, Marguerite, helps her to adjust to a life of extreme poverty and tries to help her find honest work. During this time, Fantine becomes increasingly sick. After trying many tries, but with little success and the Thenardiers demanding more money to help Cosette, she finally feels forced to turn to prostitution.
Meantime, Javert (a policeman who'd been stationed at Toulon, where Jean Valjean was sentenced) begins to suspect Madeline of being an ex-convict.
When a man who'd slandered Madeline (named Fauchelevent) gets stuck under a cart in a muddy road and is about to die, Javert challenges Madeline to save the man, mentioning that the only man Javert knew who had that strength was a convict. Despite that veiled threat, Madeline went underneath the cart, and tried to raise himself on all fours long enough so that others could get Fauchelevent out. He tries wtice, but only succeeds on the third try. Then men who had watched were inspired to help him, and ran to lift the cart form the sides.
Back to Fantine, one day, a drunk dandy throws a snowball at her as she's walking by and she turns in a rage and attacks him. Javert arrives and arrests her.
Jean Valjean also witnesses the incident and asks others what happened, then follows Javert and Fantine to the jail where he hears Fantine pleading for her freedom on behalf of her child. Jean Valjean, as mayor, overrides Javert's authority and takes Fantine to the hospital.
Back to Fantine, one day, a drunk dandy throws a snowball at her as she's walking by and she turns in a rage and attacks him. Javert arrives and arrests her.
Jean Valjean also witnesses the incident and asks others what happened, then follows Javert and Fantine to the jail where he hears Fantine pleading for her freedom on behalf of her child. Jean Valjean, as mayor, overrides Javert's authority and takes Fantine to the hospital.
(CH. I-II, IV-XIII)
Book Six--Javert
TBC
(CH. I-II)
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