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.
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