Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Table of Contents

• Book First--A Just Man
  • Chapter I. M. Myriel
  • Chapter II. M. Myriel becomes M. Welcome
  • Chapter III. A Hard Bishopric for a Good Bishop
  • Chapter IV. Works corresponding to Words
  • Chapter V. Monseigneur Bienvenu made his Cassocks last too long
  • Chapter VI. Who guarded his House for him
  • Chapter VII. Cravatte
  • Chapter VIII. Philosophy after Drinking
  • Chapter IX. The Brother as depicted by the Sister
  • Chapter X. The Bishop in the Presence of an Unknown Light
  • Chapter XI. A Restriction
  • Chapter XII. The Solitude of Monseigneur Welcome
  • Chapter XIII. What he believed
  • Chapter XIV. What he thought
• Book Second.--The Fall
  • Chapter I. The Evening of a Day of Walking
  • Chapter II. Prudence counselled to Wisdom
  • Chapter III. The Heroism of Passive Obedience
  • Chapter IV. Details concerning the Cheese-Dairies of Pontarlier
  • Chapter V. Tranquillity
  • Chapter VI. Jean Valjean
  • Chapter VII. The Interior of Despair
  • Chapter VIII. Billows and Shadows
  • Chapter IX. New Troubles
  • Chapter X. The Man aroused
  • Chapter XI. What he does
  • Chapter XII. The Bishop works
  • Chapter XIII. Little Gervais
• Book Third.--In the Year 1817
  • Chapter I. The Year 1817
  • Chapter II. A Double Quartette
  • Chapter III. Four and Four
  • Chapter IV. Tholomyes is so Merry that he sings a Spanish Ditty
  • Chapter V. At Bombardas
  • Chapter VI. A Chapter in which they adore Each Other
  • Chapter VII. The Wisdom of Tholomyes
  • Chapter VIII. The Death of a Horse
  • Chapter IX. A Merry End to Mirth
• Book Fourth.--To Confide is Sometimes to Deliver Into A Person's Power
  • Chapter I. One Mother meets Another Mother
  • Chapter II. First Sketch of Two Unprepossessing Figures
  • Chapter III. The Lark
• Book Fifth.-- The Descent
  • Chapter I. The History of a Progress in Black Glass Trinkets
  • Chapter II. Madeleine
  • Chapter III. Sums deposited with Laffitte
  • Chapter IV. M. Madeleine in Mourning
  • Chapter V. Vague Flashes on the Horizon
  • Chapter VI. Father Fauchelevent
  • Chapter VII. Fauchelevent becomes a Gardener in Paris
  • Chapter VIII. Madame Victurnien expends Thirty Francs on Morality
  • Chapter IX. Madame Victurnien's Success
  • Chapter X. Result of the Success
  • Chapter XI. Christus nos Liberavit
  • Chapter XII. M. Bamatabois's Inactivity
  • Chapter XIII. The Solution of Some Questions connected with the Municipal Police
• Book Sixth.--Javert
  • Chapter I. The Beginning of Repose
  • Chapter II. How Jean may become Champ
• Book Seventh.--The Champmathieu Affair
  • Chapter I. Sister Simplice
  • Chapter II. The Perspicacity of Master Scaufflaire
  • Chapter III. A Tempest in a Skull
  • Chapter IV. Forms assumed by Suffering during Sleep
  • Chapter V. Hindrances
  • Chapter VI. Sister Simplice put to the Proof
  • Chapter VII. The Traveller on his Arrival takes Precautions for Departure
  • Chapter VIII. An Entrance by Favor
  • Chapter IX. A Place where Convictions are in Process of Formation
  • Chapter X. The System of Denials
  • Chapter XI. Champmathieu more and more Astonished
• Book Eighth.--A Counter-blow
  • Chapter I. In what Mirror M. Madeleine contemplates his Hair
  • Chapter II. Fantine Happy
  • Chapter III. Javert Satisfied
  • Chapter IV. Authority reasserts its Rights
  • Chapter V. A Suitable Tomb

• Book First.--Waterloo
  • Chapter I. What is met with on the Way from Nivelles
  • Chapter II. Hougomont
  • Chapter III. The Eighteenth of June, 1815
  • Chapter IV. A
  • Chapter V. The Quid Obscurum of Battles
  • Chapter VI. Four o'clock in the Afternoon
  • Chapter VII. Napoleon in a Good Humor
  • Chapter VIII. The Emperor puts a Question to the Guide Lacoste
  • Chapter IX. The Unexpected
  • Chapter X. The Plateau of Mont-Saint-Jean
  • Chapter XI. A Bad Guide to Napoleon; a Good Guide to Bulow
  • Chapter XII. The Guard
  • Chapter XIII. The Catastrophe
  • Chapter XIV. The Last Square
  • Chapter XV. Cambronne
  • Chapter XVI. Quot Libras in Duce?
  • Chapter XVII. Is Waterloo to be considered Good?
  • Chapter XVIII. A Recrudescence of Divine Right
  • Chapter XIX. The Battle-Field at Night
• Book Second.--The Ship Orion
  • Chapter I. Number 24,601 becomes Number 9,430
  • Chapter II. In which the reader will peruse Two Verses which are of the Devil's Composition possibly
  • Chapter III. The Ankle-Chain must have undergone a Certain Preparatory Manipulation to be thus broken with a Blow from a Hammer
• Book Third.--Accomplishment of the Promise Made to the Dead Woman
  • Chapter I. The Water Question at Montfermeil
  • Chapter II. Two Complete Portraits
  • Chapter III. Men must have Wine, and Horses must have Water
  • Chapter IV. Entrance on the Scene of a Doll
  • Chapter V. The Little One All Alone
  • Chapter VI. Which possibly proves Boulatruelle's Intelligence
  • Chapter VII. Cosette Side by Side with the Stranger in the Dark
  • Chapter VIII. The Unpleasantness of receiving into One's House a Poor Man who may be a Rich Man
  • Chapter IX. Thenardier at his Manoeuvres
  • Chapter X. He who seeks to better himself may render his Situation Worse
  • Chapter XI. Number 9,430 reappears, and Cosette wins it in the Lottery
• Book Fourth.--The Gorbeau Hovel
  • Chapter I. Master Gorbeau
  • Chapter II. A Nest for Owl and a Warbler
  • Chapter III. Two Misfortunes make One Piece of Good Fortune
  • Chapter IV. The Remarks of the Principal Tenant
  • Chapter V. A Five-Franc Piece falls on the Ground and produces a Tumult
• Book Fifth.--For A Black Hunt, A Mute Pack
  • Chapter I. The Zigzags of Strategy
  • Chapter II. It is Lucky that the Pont d'Austerlitz bears Carriages
  • Chapter III. To Wit, the Plan of Paris in 1727
  • Chapter IV. The Gropings of Flight
  • Chapter V. Which would be Impossible with Gas Lanterns
  • Chapter VI. The Beginning of an Enigma
  • Chapter VII. Continuation of the Enigma
  • Chapter VIII. The Enigma becomes Doubly Mysterious
  • Chapter IX. The Man with the Bell
  • Chapter X. Which explains how Javert got on the Scent
• Book Sixth.--Le Petit-Picpus
  • Chapter I. Number 62 Rue Petit-Picpus
  • Chapter II. The Obedience of Martin Verga
  • Chapter III. Austerities
  • Chapter IV. Gayeties
  • Chapter V. Distractions
  • Chapter VI. The Little Convent
  • Chapter VII. Some Silhouettes of this Darkness
  • Chapter VIII. Post Corda Lapides
  • Chapter IX. A Century under a Guimpe
  • Chapter X. Origin of the Perpetual Adoration
  • Chapter XI. End of the Petit-Picpus
• Book Seventh.--Parenthesis
  • Chapter I. The Convent as an Abstract Idea
  • Chapter II. The Convent as an Historical Fact
  • Chapter III. On What Conditions One can respect the Past
  • Chapter IV. The Convent from the Point of View of Principles
  • Chapter V. Prayer
  • Chapter VI. The Absolute Goodness of Prayer
  • Chapter VII. Precautions to be observed in Blame
  • Chapter VIII. Faith, Law
• Book Eighth.--Cemeteries Take That Which is Committed Them
  • Chapter I. Which treats of the Manner of entering a Convent
  • Chapter II. Fauchelevent in the Presence of a Difficulty
  • Chapter III. Mother Innocente
  • Chapter IV. In which Jean Valjean has quite the Air of having read Austin Castillejo
  • Chapter V. It is not Necessary to be Drunk in order to be Immortal
  • Chapter VI. Between Four Planks
  • Chapter VII. In which will be found the Origin of the Saying: Don't lose the Card
  • Chapter VIII. A Successful Interrogatory
  • Chapter IX. Cloistered

• Book First.--Paris Studied in its Atom
  • Chapter I. Parvulus
  • Chapter II. Some of his Particular Characteristics
  • Chapter III. He is Agreeable
  • Chapter IV. He may be of Use
  • Chapter V. His Frontiers
  • Chapter VI. A Bit of History
  • Chapter VII. The Gamin should have his Place in the Classifications of India
  • Chapter VIII. In which the Reader will find a Charming Saying of the Last King
  • Chapter IX. The Old Soul of Gaul
  • Chapter X. Ecce Paris, ecce Homo
  • Chapter XI. To Scoff, to Reign
  • Chapter XII. The Future Latent in the People
  • Chapter XIII. Little Gavroche
• Book Second.--The Great Bourgeois
  • Chapter I. Ninety Years and Thirty-two Teeth
  • Chapter II. Like Master, Like House
  • Chapter III. Luc-Esprit
  • Chapter IV. A Centenarian Aspirant
  • Chapter V. Basque and Nicolette
  • Chapter VI. In which Magnon and her Two Children are seen
  • Chapter VII. Rule: Receive No One except in the Evening
  • Chapter VIII. Two do not make a Pair
• Book Third.--The Grandfather and the Grandson
  • Chapter I. An Ancient Salon
  • Chapter II. One of the Red Spectres of that Epoch
  • Chapter III. Requiescant
  • Chapter IV. End of the Brigand
  • Chapter V. The Utility of going to Mass, in order to become a Revolutionist
  • Chapter VI. The Consequences of having met a Warden
  • Chapter VII. Some Petticoat
  • Chapter VIII. Marble against Granite
• Book Fourth.--The Friends of the ABC
  • Chapter I. A Group which barely missed becoming Historic
  • Chapter II. Blondeau's Funeral Oration by Bossuet
  • Chapter III. Marius' Astonishments
  • Chapter IV. The Back Room of the Cafe Musain
  • Chapter V. Enlargement of Horizon
  • Chapter VI. Res Angusta
• Book Fifth.--The Excellence of Misfortune
  • Chapter I. Marius Indigent
  • Chapter II. Marius Poor
  • Chapter III. Marius Grown Up
  • Chapter IV. M. Mabeuf
  • Chapter V. Poverty a Good Neighbor for Misery
  • Chapter VI. The Substitute
• Book Sixth.--The Conjunction of Two Stars
  • Chapter I. The Sobriquet; Mode of Formation of Family Names
  • Chapter II. Lux Facta Est
  • Chapter III. Effect of the Spring
  • Chapter IV. Beginning of a Great Malady
  • Chapter V. Divers Claps of Thunder fall on Ma'am Bougon
  • Chapter VI. Taken Prisoner
  • Chapter VII. Adventures of the Letter U delivered over to Conjectures
  • Chapter VIII. The Veterans themselves can be Happy
  • Chapter IX. Eclipse
• Book Seventh.--Patron Minette
  • Chapter I. Mines and Miners
  • Chapter II. The Lowest Depths
  • Chapter III. Babet, Gueulemer, Claquesous, and Montparnasse
  • Chapter IV. Composition of the Troupe
• Book Eighth.--The Wicked Poor Man
  • Chapter I. Marius, while seeking a Girl in a Bonnet encounters a Man in a Cap
  • Chapter II. Treasure Trove
  • Chapter III. Quadrifrons
  • Chapter IV. A Rose in Misery
  • Chapter V. A Providential Peep-Hole
  • Chapter VI. The Wild Man in his Lair
  • Chapter VII. Strategy and Tactics
  • Chapter VIII. The Ray of Light in the Hovel
  • Chapter IX. Jondrette comes near Weeping
  • Chapter X. Tariff of Licensed Cabs, Two Francs an Hour
  • Chapter XI. Offers of Service from Misery to Wretchedness
  • Chapter XII. The Use made of M. Leblanc's Five-Franc Piece
  • Chapter XIII. Solus cum Solo, in Loco Remoto, non cogitabuntur orare Pater Noster
  • Chapter XIV. In which a Police Agent bestows Two Fistfuls on a Lawyer
  • Chapter XV. Jondrette makes his Purchases
  • Chapter XVI. In which will be found the Words to an English Air which was in Fashion in 1832
  • Chapter XVII. The Use made of Marius' Five-Franc Piece
  • Chapter XVIII. Marius' Two Chairs form a Vis-a-Vis
  • Chapter XIX. Occupying One's Self with Obscure Depths
  • Chapter XX. The Trap
  • Chapter XXI. One should always begin by arresting the Victims
  • Chapter XXII. The Little One who was crying in Volume Two

• Book First.--A Few Pages of History
  • Chapter I. Well Cut
  • Chapter II. Badly Sewed
  • Chapter III. Louis Philippe
  • Chapter IV. Cracks beneath the Foundation
  • Chapter V. Facts whence History springs and which History ignores
  • Chapter VI. Enjolras and his Lieutenants
• Book Second.--Eponine
  • Chapter I. The Lark's Meadow
  • Chapter II. Embryonic Formation of Crimes in the Incubation of Prisons
  • Chapter III. Apparition to Father Mabeuf
  • Chapter IV. An Apparition to Marius
• Book Third.--The House in the Rue Plumet
  • Chapter I. The House with a Secret
  • Chapter II. Jean Valjean as a National Guard
  • Chapter III. Foliis ac Frondibus
  • Chapter IV. Change of Gate
  • Chapter V. The Rose perceives that it is an Engine of War
  • Chapter VI. The Battle Begun
  • Chapter VII. To One Sadness oppose a Sadness and a Half
  • Chapter VIII. The Chain-Gang
• Book Fourth.--Succor From Below May Turn Out to be Succor From On High
  • Chapter I. A Wound without, Healing within
  • Chapter II. Mother Plutarque finds no Difficulty in explaining a Phenomenon
• Book Fifth.--The End of Which Does Not Resemble the Beginning
  • Chapter I. Solitude and Barracks Combined
  • Chapter II. Cosette's Apprehensions
  • Chapter III. Enriched with Commentaries by Toussaint
  • Chapter IV. A Heart beneath a Stone
  • Chapter V. Cosette after the Letter
  • Chapter VI. Old People are made to go out opportunely
• Book Sixth.--Little Gavroche
  • Chapter I. The Malicious Playfulness of the Wind
  • Chapter II. In which Little Gavroche extracts Profit from Napoleon the Great
  • Chapter III. The Vicissitudes of Flight
• Book Seventh.--Slang
  • Chapter I. Origin
  • Chapter II. Roots
  • Chapter III. Slang which weeps and Slang which laughs
  • Chapter IV. The Two Duties: To Watch and to Hope
• Book Eighth.--Enchantments and Desolations
  • Chapter I. Full Light
  • Chapter II. The Bewilderment of Perfect Happiness
  • Chapter III. The Beginning of Shadow
  • Chapter IV. A Cab runs in English and barks in Slang
  • Chapter V. Things of the Night
  • Chapter VI. Marius becomes Practical once more to the Extent of Giving Cosette his Address
  • Chapter VII. The Old Heart and the Young Heart in the Presence of Each Other
• Book Ninth.--Whither are they Going?
  • Chapter I. Jean Valjean
  • Chapter II. Marius
  • Chapter III. M. Mabeuf
• Book Tenth.--The 5th of June, 1832
  • Chapter I. The Surface of the Question
  • Chapter II. The Root of the Matter
  • Chapter III. A Burial; an Occasion to be born again
  • Chapter IV. The Ebullitions of Former Days
  • Chapter V. Originality of Paris
• Book Eleventh.--The Atom Fraternizes with the Hurricane
  • Chapter I. Some Explanations with Regard to the Origin of Gavroche's Poetry. The Influence of an Academician on this Poetry
  • Chapter II. Gavroche on the March
  • Chapter III. Just Indignation of a Hair-dresser
  • Chapter IV. The Child is amazed at the Old Man
  • Chapter V. The Old Man
  • Chapter VI. Recruits
• Book Twelfth.--Corinthe
  • Chapter I. History of Corinthe from its Foundation
  • Chapter II. Preliminary Gayeties
  • Chapter III. Night begins to descend upon Grantaire
  • Chapter IV. An Attempt to console the Widow Hucheloup
  • Chapter V. Preparations
  • Chapter VI. Waiting
  • Chapter VII. The Man recruited in the Rue des Billettes
  • Chapter VIII. Many Interrogation Points with Regard to a Certain Le Cabuc, whose Name may not have been Le Cabuc
• Book Thirteenth.--Marius Enters the Shadow
  • Chapter I. From the Rue Plumet to the Quartier Saint-Denis
  • Chapter II. An Owl's View of Paris
  • Chapter III. The Extreme Edge
• Book Fourteenth.--The Grandeurs of Despair
  • Chapter I. The Flag: Act First
  • Chapter II. The Flag: Act Second
  • Chapter III. Gavroche would have done better to accept Enjolras' Carbine
  • Chapter IV. The Barrel of Powder
  • Chapter V. End of the Verses of Jean Prouvaire
  • Chapter VI. The Agony of Death after the Agony of Life
  • Chapter VII. Gavroche as a Profound Calculator of Distances
• Book Fifteenth.--The Rue de L'Homme Arme
  • Chapter I. A Drinker is a Babbler
  • Chapter II. The Street Urchin an Enemy of Light
  • Chapter III. While Cosette and Toussaint are Asleep
  • Chapter IV. Gavroche's Excess of Zeal

• Book First.--The War Between Four Walls
  • Chapter I. The Charybdis of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine and the Scylla of the Faubourg du Temple
  • Chapter II. What Is to Be Done in the Abyss if One Does Not Converse
  • Chapter III. Light and Shadow
  • Chapter IV. Minus Five, Plus One
  • Chapter V. The Horizon Which One Beholds from the Summit of a Barricade
  • Chapter VI. Marius Haggard, Javert Laconic
  • Chapter VII. The Situation Becomes Aggravated
  • Chapter VIII. The Artillery-men Compel People to Take Them Seriously
  • Chapter IX. Employment of the Old Talents of a Poacher and That Infallible Marksmanship Which Influenced the Condemnation of 1796
  • Chapter X. Dawn
  • Chapter XI. The Shot Which Misses Nothing and Kills No One
  • Chapter XII. Disorder a Partisan of Order
  • Chapter XIII. Passing Gleams
  • Chapter XIV. Wherein Will Appear the Name of Enjolras' Mistress
  • Chapter XV. Gavroche Outside
  • Chapter XVI. How from a Brother One Becomes a Father
  • Chapter XVII. Mortuus Pater Filium Moriturum Expectat
  • Chapter XVIII. The Vulture Becomes Prey
  • Chapter XIX. Jean Valjean Takes His Revenge
  • Chapter XX. The Dead Are in the Right and the Living Are Not in the Wrong
  • Chapter XXI. The Heroes
  • Chapter XXII. Foot to Foot
  • Chapter XXIII. Orestes Fasting and Pylades Drunk
  • Chapter XXIV. Prisoner
• Book Second.--The Intestine of the Leviathan
  • Chapter I. The Land Impoverished by the Sea
  • Chapter II. Ancient History of the Sewer
  • Chapter III. Bruneseau
  • Chapter IV
  • Chapter V. Present Progress
  • Chapter VI. Future Progress
• Book Third.--Mud but the Soul
  • Chapter I. The Sewer and Its Surprises
  • Chapter II. Explanation
  • Chapter III. The "Spun" Man
  • Chapter IV. He Also Bears His Cross
  • Chapter V. In the Case of Sand, as in That of Woman, There Is a Fineness Which Is Treacherous
  • Chapter VI. The Fontis
  • Chapter VII. One Sometimes Runs Aground When One Fancies That One Is Disembarking
  • Chapter VIII. The Torn Coat-Tail
  • Chapter IX. Marius Produces on Some One Who Is a Judge of the Matter, the Effect of Being Dead
  • Chapter X. Return of the Son Who Was Prodigal of His Life
  • Chapter XI. Concussion in the Absolute
  • Chapter XII. The Grandfather
• Book Fourth.--Javert Derailed
  • Chapter I
• Book Fifth.--Grandson and Grandfather
  • Chapter I. In Which the Tree with the Zinc Plaster Appears Again
  • Chapter II. Marius, Emerging from Civil War, Makes Ready for Domestic War
  • Chapter III. Marius Attacked
  • Chapter IV. Mademoiselle Gillenormand Ends by No Longer Thinking It a Bad Thing That M. Fauchelevent Should Have Entered With Something Under His Arm
  • Chapter V. Deposit Your Money in a Forest Rather than with a Notary
  • Chapter VI. The Two Old Men Do Everything, Each One After His Own Fashion, to Render Cosette Happy
  • Chapter VII. The Effects of Dreams Mingled with Happiness
  • Chapter VIII. Two Men Impossible to Find
• Book Sixth.--The Sleepless Night
  • Chapter I. The 16th of February, 1833
  • Chapter II. Jean Valjean Still Wears His Arm in a Sling
  • Chapter III. The Inseparable
  • Chapter IV. The Immortal Liver
• Book Seventh.--The Last Draught from the Cup
  • Chapter I. The Seventh Circle and the Eighth Heaven
  • Chapter II. The Obscurities Which a Revelation Can Contain
• Book Eighth.--Fading Away of the Twilight
  • Chapter I. The Lower Chamber
  • Chapter II. Another Step Backwards
  • Chapter III. They Recall the Garden of the Rue Plumet
  • Chapter IV. Attraction and Extinction
• Book Ninth.--Supreme Shadow, Supreme Dawn
  • Chapter I. Pity for the Unhappy, but Indulgence for the Happy
  • Chapter II. Last Flickerings of a Lamp Without Oil
  • Chapter III. A Pen Is Heavy to the Man Who Lifted the Fauchelevent's Cart
  • Chapter IV. A Bottle of Ink Which Only Succeeded in Whitening
  • Chapter V. A Night Behind Which There Is Day
  • Chapter VI. The Grass Covers and the Rain Effaces