Les Misérables Quotes

In December, I finally finished reading Les Misérables. I’ve been a longtime fan of the musical and had been in the process for quite some time of reading the complete unabridged version in the original French. While some parts were slow (Victor Hugo can be quite verbose), overall it was excellent. As much as I love the play, there were some elements that only the book could really capture. For instance, the ending plot thread with Valjean’s confession and departure was incredible and very emotional in the book making the play/movie seem rushed. Maybe it’s because that was the most recent part I read, but that was one of the most powerful parts of the book to me. It shows a darker side of Marius as he tries to push Valjean away and distrusts him because of his past. Meanwhile, Jean Valjean lets this happen because of his own remaining guilt. It’s such an amazing story of redemption and love and is very hopeful despite the title. Another thing I loved was the fact that a lot of the lines in the original French play were quotes from the book that I recognized as I was reading. In the recent movie, which was also excellent, the changes from the play followed the book which made for an incredible combination of being faithful to both the play and the novel.

Here are some quotes that I liked from the book (that I can remember). If you notice a mistake in my translations, let me know and I'll fix it.

« Le rire, c’est le soleil; il chasse l’hiver du visage humain. »

Laugher is the sun; it chases winter from the human face.

« Nourrir le peuple est un bon but, le massacrer est un mauvais moyen. »

To feed the people is a good goal; to massacre them is a bad method.

« Citoyens, il n’y aura dans l’avenir ni ténèbres, ni coups de foudre, ni ignorance féroce, ni talon sanglant. Comme il n’y aura plus de Satan, il n’y aura plus de Michel. Dans l’avenir personne ne tuera personne, la terre rayonnera, le genre humain aimera. Il viendra, citoyens, ce jour où tout sera concorde, harmonie, lumière, joie et vie, il viendra. Et c’est pour qu’il vienne que nous allons mourir. »  – Enjolras

Citizens, in the future there will be neither shadows, nor thunderbolts, nor ferocious ignorance, nor bloody heels. Since there will no longer be Satan, there will no longer be Michael. In the future no one will kill anyone, the earth will shine, the human race will love. It will come, citizens, this day where all will be agreement, harmony, light, joy and life, it will come. And it is in order that it will come that we will die.

« Jean Valjean ne put s’empêcher de contempler cette vaste ombre claire qu’il avait au-dessus de lui; pensif, il prenait dans le majestueux silence du ciel éternel un bain d’extase et de prière. »

Jean Valjean could not help but contemplate this vast clear shadow that he had above him; pensive, he took a bath of ecstasy and of prayer in the majestic silence of the eternal heavens.

« Une chose l’avait étonné. c’était que Jean Valjean lui eût fait grâce, et une chose l’avait pétrifié, c’était que, lui Javert, il eût fait grâce à Jean Valjean.

Où en était-il? Il se cherchait et il ne se trouvait plus. »

One thing had astonished him, that Jean Valjean had given him grace, and one thing had had petrified him, that he, Javert, he had given grace to Jean Valjean. Where was he? He was searching for himself and he could no longer find himself.

« Un malfaiteur bienfaisant, un forçat compatissant, doux, secourable, clément, rendant le bien pour le mal, rendant le pardon pour la haine, préférant la pitié à la vengeance, aimant mieux se perdre que de perdre son ennemi, sauvant celui qui l’a frappé, agenouillé sur le haut de la vertu, plus voisin de l’ange que de l’homme! Javert était contraint de s’avouer que ce monstre existait. »

A benevolent criminal, a compassionate convict, soft, helpful, merciful, repaying good for evil, giving forgiveness for hate, choosing mercy over vengeance, preferring to lose himself rather than to lose his enemy, saving the one who had hit him, kneeling on the height of virtue, closer to angels than to man! Javert was forced to admit that such a monster existed.

« Il avait certainement toujours eu l’intention de remettre Jean Valjean à la loi, dont Jean Valjean était le captive, et dont lui, Javert, était l’esclave. »

He had certainly always had the intention of turning Jean Valjean over to the Law, to which Jean Valjean was a captive, and to which he, Javert, was a slave.

« L’amour, c’est la bêtise des hommes et l’esprit de Dieu. »

Love is the folly of men and the spirit of God.

« Le bonheur sec ressemble au pain sec. On mange, mais on ne dîne pas. »

Dry happiness resembles dry bread. You eat but you don’t have a meal.

« Il leur semblait que les chagrins, les insomnies, les larmes, les angoisses, les épouvantes, les désespoirs, devenus caresses et rayons, rendait plus charmante encore l’heur charmante qui approchait ; et que les tristesses était autant de servantes qui faisaient la toilette de la joie. »

It seemed to them that the grief, the insomnia, the tears, the agonies, the terrors, the despair, having become caresses and sunbeams, made the lovely moment that was coming even more lovely; and that the sorrows were as much servants that groomed joy.

« la meilleure manière d’adorer Dieu, c’est d’aimer sa femme. »

The best way to love God is to love your wife.

« Il y  avait de la joie partout sur moi, le fond de mon âme restait noir. Ce n’est pas assez d’être heureux, il faut être content. »

There was joy all over me; the depths of my soul remained dark. It’s not enough to be happy, you must be glad.

« Dieu a ses instruments. Il se sert de l’outil qu’il veut. »

God has His instruments. He uses them for the purposes that He wants.

« Ici une courte digression est nécessaire. »

Here a short digression is necessary. (Summary of the entire book)

« Ce n’est rien de mourir ; c’est affreux de ne pas vivre. »

It’s nothing to die; it’s frightening not to live.

« Voulez-vous un prêtre ? – J’en ai un, répondit Jean Valjean. »

“Do you want a priest?” “I have one,” responded Jean Valjean.

« Ce sont les partages de Dieu. Il est là-haut, il nous voit tous, et il sait ce qu’il fait au milieu de ses grandes étoiles. »

This is the position of God. He is up above, he sees us all, and he knows what he is doing in the midst of his great stars.