#Fantine doesn't even try to look for it

[pilferingapples]

#sub in 'les miserables' for 'one of the least of these' and uh. there you go. Thesis#to me this chapter is like. one more instance of#hugo standing in the streets banging pots and pans yelling THE DIVINE LAW IS OPPOSED TO THE HUMAN LAW!#GOD PLAYS FAVORITES! THE POOR AND WIDOWED AND ORPHANED! HE SAYS SO RIGHT THERE! IN THE BIBLE? THE BIBLE? HAVE YOU PEOPLE EVER READ TH--#like. shes referred to as Divine Love mid chapter. full 1cor13 style. bearing all things.#basically i love her.#anyways the sparrow still falls. etc etc etc#christianity tag (OP's tags)

very striking that Hugo pulls back in lm 1.5.11 after several chapters of absolute brutality toward Fantine and wraps her up in the language of the divine. the chapter is titled Christus Nos Liberavit/Christ has freed us - it begins with talk of the "sacred law of Jesus" & ends with the word "God." Fantine's suffering and resignation here is seen not by the Church itself (no priests! no bishops! no candlesticks or sacraments!) but by God himself alone.

very much a chapter-length version of the parable: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the misérables least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

[hadleysmis]

When I first read the brick, the main flaw of Jean Valjean's character that really stood out to me was his lack of ability to measure the weight of a human soul. He considered everything so, liberally holistically, that he could not come to a proper decision in who to save-> e.g. an innocent man, or a town, or Fantine (and Cosette).

The thing that pulled me in was that

You can't actually, objectively measure souls.

He would be so consumed by his moral conundrum, that he can forget something that he should've truly considered as well (for example, Fantine, and himself.)

He becomes easily blinded by the complexities of his own measurements- and even then he doesn't know how the ruler should look, or whether it should be weighing scale, or a flag which mimic the waves.

His thoughts consume him into negligence, of which that includes himself. If he were to try and weigh the morality of his actions and the meaning of his soul, then he was bound to analyse forever.

In fact it creates a purgatory on earth where every action has negative reaction from the environment: if he were to think of everything in a completely holistic approach, then every action will have something negative to do with it.

Combining that with his ever so consistent depression and the feeling of 'never enough', he then amplifies the negative aspect which then exacerbates his holistic measurements of life.

But buddy, if you think that way, you're going to conclude that you are a burden and that nobody deserves to love you-- oh wait.

I don't really read and interact with a lot of the fandom as I am easing myself to the world of unexplored themes and theories that I had never considered, so I don't know if this was talked about before, or if there's good analyses about it... But if you were to ask me why I liked Jean Valjean a lot when I first read the book, this would've probably been my answer.

I haven't read the book all the way through once more, and for the bits and bobs I have revisited are sparse in time, so I wonder what my favourite flaw of the character will be in the future. But so far, this is it.

I do shudder in fear that this was talked about heavily in the book and I completely forget, and thus might be why I don't hear a lot of people talking about it xd That or I have to interact with the fandom more lmao

[jelepermets]

I think how little of Eponine we see in the novel really contributes to how devastating her death is. I was not prepared for how much I cried.

Firstly, there's the fact that besides maybe Fantine, her death is the one that feels the most lonely. Sure, Marius is there. But only through chance. As Eponine says:

"I waited for you, I said, So, he won't come? Oh! If you knew, I bit on my blouse, I was suffering so!"

This isn't just a delirious person's imaginings. Marius doesn't even recognize her at first. She has to tell him her name. He almost walks away from her, leaving her to drag her body after his. At this little corner of the barricade which no one else is thinking of.

Her loneliness is further contrasted and made more explicit by Gavroche's little appearance. Though Eponine recognizes Gavroche as her brother, there is no point where Gavroche sees his sister. Eponine dies with her family close by but not looking.

Secondly, though we may have suspected that Eponine likes Marius, we only now see it explicitly. She confesses, but only right before she dies, and by then she uses past tense.

"I believe I was a little in love with you."

There have been hundreds of words spilled about how Eponine only loves Marius because she's experienced so little kindness in the world (which I agree with) so I won't dwell on it. I will say that how little Eponine demands even in death is heartbreaking. Only a kiss on the forehead and that she may rest her head against his knee.

Lastly - for this post at least - there's the contrast between her death and the little moments of relief, her words of contentment. The relief she gets from seeing Marius, the way that her conversation with him genuinely draws her away from her pains ("Oh! That's so much better! How comfortable this is! That's it! I'm not suffering anymore!") is contrasted with the most visceral descriptions of her wound.

Which really fits in with Eponine's character. As surrounded by misery, as being miserable herself, but also bearing it in a way that I think is often missed. Eponine is an incredibly resilient character. And we see this all the way to the end.

But she's still a child. She's still dying a horrible death, a bullet through her, on the cold street. Her last action - trying to smile - is thwarted by her death. Eponine's goodness (because she is full of goodness, even if I don't think she's remembered for that as much as she ought to be) is thwarted by her misery.

And that is her tragedy. That we see so little of her only emphasizes this. Only at the moment of Eponine's death do we understand the depth of her character explicitly. And by then it's too late

[lesmiserablesabridged]

The Terrible Thenardiers: Dilemma (What Should Have Happened)

Narrator: So Fantine is lying in a bed in a church, when Madeleine decides to pay her a visit.

Madeleine: How is she?

Doctor: She is unwell, and close to death. She might get better if you bring in her daughter, however.

Madeleine: Then that's what I must do.

Narrator: Fantine somehow manages to break the space continuum, and she is briefly able to communicate with her daughter. Meanwhile, Javert is sulking.

Javert: Why is he being so nice to her? Either he is madly in love with her or he is a criminal too. And neither option sounds appealing to me...what do I do?

Narrator: Or he can just be feeling compassion for her...

Javert: Nah, that can't be it...

Narrator: Just because you don't have compassion doesn't mean no one else does!

Javert: Look, I do have compassion, I am just following the script! Blame Hugo!

Narrator: Oh, I do all right... *pulls a voodoo doll made in Hugo's likeness out of the drawer* Revenge will be mine, for my boys!

Enjolras: Why do I have a bad feeling all of a sudden?

Narrator: Well, if you think that's bad, you should see what I can do in the bedroom...

Enjolras: I think I'll pass.

Narrator: But I practiced for more than a month. You're not gonna let my efforts go to waste, are you?

Grantaire: And I'll hold him down for you if you let me join in after.

Narrator: It's a deal!

Enjolras: I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out...

Madeleine: It's decided. I shall go tomorrow at dawn.

Narrator: Er...maybe you should go a bit earlier...

Madeleine: Why? It's a perfect time... *is interrupted by obnoxious knocking* I'll answer it. *opens the door and Javert comes in*

Narrator: *sighs and rolls eyes* And that's why...

Javert: Monsieur le Maire, I...

Narrator: *starts playing cymbals loudly in hopes of drowning out Javert's words*

Madeleine: What was that? I couldn't hear you...

Narrator: *quoting the Bible* And the instruments will be played out so loudly that they shall drown out the villain's speech. *plays the cymbals even louder*

Prouvaire: I am pretty sure that's not how it goes...

Narrator: I might have altered a few words to fit the situation.

Javert: I was... *the rest of his words couldn't be heard due to the noise*

Madeleine: Sorry, I cannot hear you...

Narrator: *quickly* It probably wasn't that important, then.

Madeleine: Right. Well, I am going tomorrow as planned. Have a good day, Javert.

Javert: But I didn't get to say what I wanted to say. *to himself* I'll try some other time, then...

Narrator: Yeah, you do that. Preferably after he fetches Cosette. If you try to do it before then, me and my cymbals will be ready.

[honorhearted]

"Softer doesn't necessarily mean better," Benjamin offered. "I've met all sorts of women -- rich, poor, cruel and kind -- but the ones who are soft are typically little more than grinning puppets. I have no interest in speaking with someone who regurgitates the latest Parisian fashions, or can name a work of art, yet clearly has no capacity to say why the piece moves them." He shrugged. "Experience generates interest. Even if you lashed me within an inch of my life with that tongue of yours, I'd far rather hear you call me a jingle-brained mopus than listen to any flighty, bottle-headed socialite discuss the weather patterns -- without, of course, actually understanding said weather."

Perhaps he was being cruel. Just like Benjamin had unkindly made assumptions about Fantine, it was quite possible that he was doing the same about these women he continuously found within his orbit.

Fortunately, Fantine seemed far more taken by the charms of the ocean than his brief diversion. He found himself mirroring her smile, his eyes crinkling warmly around the edges. "Where is your hometown?" he asked. "I've always lived by the seaside...in fact, staying here is the longest I've ever been away from it. I don't have saltwater in my veins, unlike one of my best friends, but I assuredly miss the breezy air and the rare reprieve of just lazing about along the sand."

Suddenly realizing just what she had said, Benjamin's smile faded and he blinked in surprise. "Oh... You've never been to the sea? Ever?" he asked. With a sheepish little smile, he apologized, "I'm sorry...there I go again, prattling away before fully assessing the situation. Clearly, not everyone lives by water, so it's foolish to assume we all can afford such trips. But I'd be glad to take you, if...i-if you wanted? Though if you don't get sick of the ocean after sailing to America for days on end, that'll be the true testament to your fortitude."

A look of shyness graced her features, and Benjamin felt a jolt rush through him at her kind declaration.

"You would be a wonderful father."

"I certainly hope so," he murmured, his cheeks pinkening with pleasure. "I can never presume to be lucky enough -- perhaps this is all I'm meant to do in this life -- but whatever my true path, I'm trying my best to enjoy it."

Barely suppressing a snort, he agreed, "Father will have to wait. Unless he wants grandchildren out of wedlock -- which, at this point, perhaps he is willing to turn a blind eye -- he'll have no choice but to allow things to take their course."

An amiable silence fell between them, soft and warm, before Fantine pleaded for a bit of companionship. In truth, Benjamin didn't understand why she seemed so ashamed by the request. He'd always been accustomed to sleeping near others -- during boyhood, he was with his brother; in college, his dear friend, Hale; in the war, his fellow officers -- so why would he find it so strange to wish for a bit of company?

"It's not a lot to ask at all," he reassured. "I can barely sleep, if you want the honest truth, so I don't mind sitting up. It's not like I would've been asleep by now anyway." Here, he gently took her elbow, attempting to steer her toward her bed. "Get in," he encouraged. "I'll pull up a chair and wait until I know you're asleep."

Fantine's heckles finally relaxed. She wanted so much to relax and displace her baggage if only for a short moment. Her knuckles were white with how tightly she clutched it, arms aching with the weight of it. It was as if she was scared Benjamin could take it and dig through it; find aspects of her beyond what he already knew and use it to wound her further.

As they tiptoed around one another, Fantine was beginning to realise with more certainty that this man did not wish to do anything of the sort. Where her anxiety rested, Cosette became that bridge between them— common ground to which they could speak honestly.

"I know she will, I want that for her, too." It was something she would never have been able to provide Cosette alone. His interference had become a blessing in disguise; for Cosette at first, but now for Fantine. She did not comment on her supposed input in Cosette's intelligence or development... they had been apart for so long, what little Fantine had managed to provide seemed so long ago now. "I'm not a particularly good marker for knowing if you're charming a woman or not. Do not let me put you off— many women are softer than me."

Fantine listened with genuine interest, the spark of hope bringing life to long since dead eyes. Admittedly, Setauket didn't appeal to her in the slightest. In fact, it invited a familiar sense of nausea; the reason she had become as she had was because of a small, in-each-other's-pockets community. The mention of his father caused an involuntary grimace. If he was as religious a man as Benjamin said he was, then she could only imagine what he would think of a woman such as Fantine— although perhaps her moral failings would discourage the idea that there was anything between them in that way.

"The sea?" she repeated, the slightest smile touching her lips not dissimilar to childish excitement. "My hometown is not far from the sea, but... well, I never got a chance to visit."

Fantine felt a slight blush spread across her cheeks. Every now and then she caught herself hoping, only to reel it back just in case. "You would be a wonderful father." Her head nodded as she spoke, almost trying to reinforce her words. "Your love extends beyond Cosette. I can see how much you care about children and their futures. As for your father, he can continue to wait. I understand your lack of patience to some degree, now." Fantine's smile momentarily grew wider before she allowed her hands to fall to her side.

Finally, Fantine dared to glance up, vulnerability taking its opportunity as she swallowed her pride. "I need to sleep, I know... can..." the words stuck in her throat... "can you sit with me until I finally fall asleep again? I know it's a lot to ask, so I won't be offended if you decline."

[bunn--y]

I've been watching Les Miserables: Shoujo Cosette. Ie, the World Masterpiece Theatre version of Les Mis. I probably wouldn't have given it a chance if it wasn't for the fact that it is WMT since seeing Cosette as the main character wasn't something I was looking forward to. I should also note before continuing that my attempts to read the book have only got around 20 or so pages in. I might try an audiobook at some point.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this anime version. I'm currently midway through episode 21 and it's interesting. The censoring for kids is well done. Usually I prefer laugh at badly done censorship but there is something of value here. There's certainly a debate to be had on if it is right to censor Les Miserables if it is to be shown, but right now I'm not really interested in that.

I'm more into just collecting some random little thoughts than anything else.

Sister Samplice feels like an anime original and I was surprised to found out that she's from the book. Chou Chou would have been a bigger surprise but no, he's as much of an anime original as he looks like.

Cosette is very much the sort of moe character who I don't like, but there are a few things that I like so far. I like the fact that we see clear cut signs of PTSD from her abuse from the Thénardiers. I have a vague memory of reading once that she doesn't in the book. Considering that even decades after the book was published it was believed that child abuse couldn't lead to PTSD, I find that believable, though i have not been able to find the source that she didn't again. I also like that more focus (in comparison to the musical) is put on her relationship with Jean Valjean. This does allow the annoying parts of her moe characterisation to at least have justification. I should note that according to all sources, they didn't change how moe she was... though I doubt that her riding a dog was in the books. But that was genuinely cute (because she's an anime girl and hence won't break the dog's back) so I count it as the third thing that I liked.

I suppose I'd better address the elephant in the room. I dislike the character designs. I want to like them, especially when I checked out the book illustrations and found them to be quite cartoony too. For the most part individually I have no issues with them. However, when put together, there's too much of a 'beauty equals goodness' feel for me to like them. It's particularly annoying since The Book has a good sense of creating morally complicated characters. Javert has always fit into the idea of a anime villain even though he predates anime by so many years. Seeing him made out to look so obviously like a villain was disappointing.

A few months ago I came across a video on how Avatar The Last Airbender isn't popular in Japan and China due to existing in an uncanny valley but culturally rather than aesthetically. I feel something similar with this series, which is odd because it's often with things that I've been impressed with WMT for portraying well before like Christianity. I don't know how much of this is due to it being an anime and how much is due to it talking about catholicism when I'm used to protestant conversations. There's a lot of little bits though that just feel really off.

You know how I said this is censored and in this case, I'm amused by it though it's done well. I'm going to explain that now. It's things like Fantine not becoming a prostitute so she has instead work really unpleasant jobs, including one with dead fish bones. There's more of a focus on her feeling that she can't trust anyone and we get to watch her homelessness and abuse get to her. Again I'm comparing to the musical and not the book here, but I did enjoy that she got to attack those two men who attack her. (They put snow down her back). Yeah, let the abuse effect her, please. This censorship is well done since it's taking elements that kids haven't had the experience to understand and turns them into ones that kids do. While as an adult, I'm like 'fish bones and selling your body are two very different things' on a level of 'this is a gross thing to feel forced to do for money' it is a stronger idea for kids. Kids aren't supposed to know about sex on the level of understanding how sex work could effect Fantine and most of them wouldn't. At best they might understand that this makes her hard to employ, but she is already a begger on the streets just for having a daughter, so what difference does it make? As an adult who tries to understand children, it could even be argued that this is a stronger way of showing the sexism of the time.

That said, I'm hoping that the kids who grew up with this version went on to either the book or more adult adaptations.

There is another type of change that was made that I actually have a more solid ground on my feelings on. For anyone reading who isn't familiar with WMT they tend to do three things with their adaptions: make them slow, keep as much of the depressing stuff as possible even adding stuff sometimes and make them beautiful. So it wasn't a surprised that this is a slow adaptation. It also wasn't a surprise that there's a lot of focus on the abuse Cosette and Gavroche go through form the Thénardiers. WMT likes to focus on child abuse and not necessarily in a good way. It can often be guilt tripping in the attitude of 'look at what this child goes through and they're not making a fuss'. From what I have seen of this adaptation so far, this attitude is not here. In fact, the show goes out of its way to show that there are good people in the world who will look out for abused children. When Cosette goes off with Jean Valjean, we get to find out that the blacksmith and his wife who took Gavroche on for work is kind so we don't need to worry about him having to stay with the Thénardiers. Another example is discovering that the anime original character Alain is going to be taking over as mayor in the city that Jean Valjean had helped as mayor for so many years. This lighter and softer feel really stresses the hopeful nature of the story without undermining the sadness that it is also very important.

The thing that I like about these more hopeful additions is that they're small. From what I've read spoiler wise, the show still keeps a lot of the character deaths and has already kept Fantine's. As much as I think that doing a kid's version of les mis is interesting and that toning down some aspects is understandable in this instance, I would like to as a les mis fan see as much of the story kept as possible. As a WMT fan though I'm happy that they are showing restraint.

I imagine that I'll have a lot more to say once I finish the series. Especially considering the changes to some of the character deaths I've read about. One of the spoilers I'm already having real concerns about a big one involving an adult character.

[filipinoizukuu]

Hi Hi Hiiiiiiii!!!!!!!

Ok, so you said you'd love to hear my Les Mis headcannons/aus/ships! Well, friend. Prepare yourself. Because we are JUMPING IN.

Jean Valjean is bi. He totally is. And Javert is gay. I'm sure you can see where this is going, my friend, but I shall elaborate nonetheless: enemies to lovers, slow burn.

Now. Why do I say Valjean is bi and not gay? Fantine. Yes, my friend, I fully believe that if the foreman hadn't thrown Fantine out, if Valjean had been the one to hear her out instead, he would have helped her out by letting her keep her job, maybe even raising wages if he could. They would have become friends. Over time, Fantine would have made enough money to bring Cosette to live with her. And Cosette would have met Valjean and he instantly would have adored her (as is CANON) and Fantine would fall for the man who treated her daughter as one of his own and Valjean would be enamoured by the woman who was so strong that she did everything she could for her child. And both of them love and adore Cosette, they raise her in a happy home together. The key phrase here is "over time". I don't think they had enough time of knowing each other, in the musical, movie, or the book, for Fantine and Valjean to fall in love.

Why do I say Javert is gay? Does one have to ask? He recognized Valjean when he was the Mayor, not from the man's face, not from his voice, not from his actions, but his strength. That's right, Javert was like 'oh I know those biceps. That there is Valjean!' And then, as is sensible when one has a crush, Javert chased Valjean around France to try and date...I mean arrest him. Furthermore, when you listen to the musical (my fave version is Original Broadway Cast, btw) pretty much every duet or solo Javert sings is about Valjean. He literally cannot stop focusing on the man. Does that sound straight to you? Cuz it doesn't to me...

Here you go, the first of many asks, headcannons, aus, and ships for Les Mis to come your way. I hope you're ready :)

IM CRYING THIS IS SO GOOD MEAGS

jean valjean is a bisexual king i agree AND EVERYONE EVER WOULD TOTALLY BE IN LOVE WITH HIM. HES TOTALLY THAT ONE HOT DAD OF YOUR FRIEND'S THAT EVERYONE HAS

javert was just... so fruity. so incredibly fruity. hes hilarious looking at les mis from an outside perspective, and i agree w u that everything abt his whole one-sided rivalry with valjean SCREAMED lil homo crush

[smytherines]

Just to add to this, the Satine thing works so well because she has a choice, but really she doesn't. Her choice is to stay where she is and do something that kills her inside, or leave and probably die of horrible poverty. It's not an uncoerced choice. Which just really speaks to me as an Owen thing because technically he has a choice at some point to leave Chimera, but where the fuck would he go when everyone thinks he's dead and (from his perspective at least) he's been abandoned by the only person who really cared about him. Not to mention that Chimera invested a lot of time/money/effort in getting Owen functional again, so he has a debt to repay. Chimera represents security and survival to him.

And then Curt is trying to convince him to leave, begging him to run away with him, and Owen does not trust him because he seems like a flighty, overly romantic, unrealistic, unreliable person. Too idealistic to understand the way the world really works. Like sure you love me now, but you aren't going to stick around when things get real. Sure you love me now, but at some point you'll leave and I'll have to survive on my own, having lost what little I've built for myself.

And the thing about Satine is that she knows she's going to end up doing sex work either way, so she can either do it somewhere that she is relatively safe and comfortable and maybe even has a little bit of power over her own life, or she can have a real Fantine in Les Mis experience. So for me at least, watching the movie, it was like "no girl, I get it, you've got to look out for you." And with Owen he's going to end up doing the same thing wherever he is. He was a killer for MI6, he's a killer for Chimera, wherever he goes and whatever he does he is going to end up doing the same thing- so he might as well do it somewhere comfortable, have a secure position, maybe even have a little bit of control over his life.

Wow suddenly reliving a lot of my Moulin Rouge hyperfixation

Moulin Rouge/SAF AU

Curt is Christian and Owen is Satine. Cynthia is Zidler, The Duke is just idk Chimera>? Probably one specific member, maybe the boss of it? Santago is Tati and Nini is Barb.

I have nothing else for this other than yeah it sounds cool and also I love Moulin Rouge (I have El Tango De Roxanne on my curtwen playlist too so this is just me being like "yeah that justifies that being there")

[doberbutts]

Hey, I think you've come in a little hot here, and made several assumptions that are not true.

I'm speaking as someone who went through a serious health crisis and lost a shitton of weight almost to the point of starvation. I am also currently the heaviest I've ever been, due to a medication change, and have been trying to resolve my feelings of relief to not have to worry about my body deciding to starve itself to death while also being somewhat uncomfortable with my growing waistline.

While what you say is true- fat people can and do starve, sometimes to death, and still remain fat, because it's not always about the volume of food being consumed, this is not that type of story. The book is more obvious on this, the movie as said has its largest flaw being how they handled the weight of the main character. Stanley is in a prison labour camp. He is spending long hours performing heavy manual labor and then getting half rations, if that, once per day. If you survive these conditions, you will lose weight. Rapidly. And eventually you will die anyway. As many of the kids who went to this prison camp did die before Stanley got there.

Armpit is fat in the movie. I actually after this post looked it up and he's *not* fat in the book, he's tall and muscular but not fat. None of the boys are because they've been in these conditions longer than Stanley.

The book is a critique on racism and our prison system. It's comparing modern day US prisons to other labor camps throughout history, and I thought it was fairly obvious that the author was trying to draw a visual parallel to Jewish prisoners under similar conditions during the Holocaust. These prisoners did not stay fat while they starved to death. They died looking skeletal with immense muscle wastage. Stanley, as well, goes from being quite large to in crisis due to his rapid weight loss over the course of the book, and many people make (negative!) comments about his dramatic change in weight when he's freed. Especially his parents, who see his condition and know immediately that their son suffered while he was there.

I, too, when dealing with a health condition that made me empty my stomach unwillingly multiple times per day, dropped a ton of weight very very quickly. I went from 170lbs to 112lbs in only a few months and eventually crashed and burned. I looked terrible. I looked skeletal. I honestly looked like a corpse. Someone who is 5'10'' should never be 110lbs. That's just not healthy. I'm now far healthier and happier with more stamina and way less symptoms and I'm 190lbs which is 20lbs more than I've ever been in my entire life.

And that was sort of the point of Stanley's weight loss in the book. It wasn't "Stanley lost weight during his stay at the prison camp and now he's healthy", it was "Stanley went from being a perfectly normal child who was, in fairness, a bit big, to having *multiple* health crises because he was deliberately starved and overworked and could have died, the effects of this still blaringly obvious even after he's recovering back home".

With all due respect, you're supposed to be envisioning this, and these boys' and men's weight IS an indicator that conditions are, in fact, very very bad. Stanley does not get regular person skinny. Stanley gets emaciated. As said with Hathaway's Fantine, this type of weight loss is dangerous for anyone, because it puts your body into crisis mode, and it has long term negative consequences. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen in real life, because clearly, it does. They just can't do it in a movie starring minors, because it's already incredibly dangerous for adults to do that to their bodies (imo borderline unethical now thst we have CG to do that), so I can understand Disney's reluctance to make the kid actors do this.

BUT, then, as said, the issue becomes that part of the author's message of "American prison labour is not that far of a cry from other forms of prison labour" and "American prison labour is a form of genocide" gets missed when you do that, because it's very important that Stanley starts off fat, and it's also really shitty to take the little fat rep we do have and cast a skinny kid in his place. I just don't know that there's a way for a 2003 movie to resolve this.

@doomspaniels

Holes is a Disney movie adaption of a book by the same name, starring one Actual Cannibal Shia Labeouf, and is largely considered to be one of the best book-to-movie adaptions specifically BECAUSE it is so faithful. But the thing is that it does change stuff, so it's not a one-to-one remake. The people making it simply understood what the book was trying to say, and so despite the changes it remains a strong adaption.

Holes is a kid's book, don't get me wrong, it was required reading when I was in 5th grade. But it deals with some heavy topics such as racism, literacy, class and poverty, and even the unfairness of the prison system and the school-to-prison pipeline, as well as prison labor.

It's a quick read being a kid's book, and a pretty good movie, if you're ever interested in experiencing either.

[keiko86chan]

Can I add something I remembered just now?

19) Enjolras in this movie is like 45 years old

20) Marius knows Valjean as Monsieur Madeleine (WTF??)

21) Javert's hat during undercover missions is probably glued on his head, as it doesn't fall both when he's literally invested by some horsemen and when he's catched by the revolutionaries....

22) When Valjean is catched after trying to escape, and chained, he literally growls

23) my SACRED PROMISE

24) when Valjean at the barricade growls to Javert "turn around", he turns with a very touched expression, like "be gentle, Valjean-san... Its my first time.. "

25) When then its Javert turn to say "turn around", Javert seems ready to have again sex with Valjean, while Valjean himself is like "not this shit again, baby... I'm quite busy here"

26) When Valjean agreed to checking Javert's men on the police office, Javert looks so happy

27) in the Italian version, Gillenormand dubber is also the voice of old Obi-wan Kenobi

28) Gavroche was shot when he was literally just walking near the barricade, while when Valjean, just seconds after, did the same thing, all the soldiers stops shooting

29) the Thenardiers are showed just in a very short inn scene... And I'm happy for that (geeze, I always hate the Thenardiers... Even if Bilbo!rdier is my favorite Thenardier version...)

30) the revolutionaries are just Boomer Enjolras, Marius (as his liutenant... What?), Gavroche, and some random people in the background

31) When Valjean asks for Fantine freedom at the police station, he just watch her (clearly quite ill, and with no money) walking away, and just help her when she went at his home, pale as a ghost, asking help (probably weeks after being rescued) and even after saying to her that he will find a work for her in his factory... He just notice that she's ill when she faints, and falls from the chair. Good job sir!

Me and Starprincipessjavert watched les mis version of 1978, so here what we realized :

1. That piece of bread was big, really big.

2.Jean is a clumsy idiot who can't escape without letting other notice

3. Javert is a diva, and I will call him Divavert from now on.

4  Divavert is gay as hell

5.Divavert enjoy watching Jean the clumsy conv

(he really does).

6.Divavert is also scared when Jean  jumps in the sea

7 In toulon the only thing that convs do is moving rocks in casual places, and when a rock fall a conv is going to put himself in a strategic point.

8 During Montreul sur le mere (no, I m not calling it Monterurl sur montreul,or what is this) Divavert tried to ask a date  to Valjean(YES.)

9.The Policemans  that follow divavert are Valvert shipper and they follow their boss to see only how it ends all this story

10. Therandiere is interpreted by the same actor that did Bilbo Baggins in the lord of the rings (this hit me as fan of lotr)

11. When Jean is concerned Divavert can't think straigth,  when he saw him  during a cover mission  he literally said : oh my God that is my conv. FUCK THIS REVOLUTION THING, GOTTA GO AFTER MY  CONV

12 Marius in this version is a homeless.

13. Chabullet is tired  of Divavert and want really slap him in the face

14. In this version soliders shoot people without thinking and then they are sorry for having killed someone

15. Divavert killed himself during the day, when everyone could watch and did a backflip

16 DIVING COMPETITION!!!

Extra (Mostly things about Italian dubbing)

17 In the Italian version,  Gilloreamand is dubbed by  the actor that dubbed  Baghera in the Italian version of the jungle book

(This hit me too)

18 Also in Italian Version, Divavert is dubbed by the actor that dubbed Odin in Thor's films.

[alicedrawslesmis]

so this chapter was something

Because Cosette just woke up, very early, and she doesn't know anything because she went to her bedroom early, since she had a fight with Valjean.

In her mind, she is waiting for Marius to answer her letter, and to come visit her or do something about their situatiom. She got ready, did her morning routine, Victor Hugo talked about her being a virgin for FIVE USELESS PARAGRAPHS god I have to the resist the urge to edit this book down... Denny I understand you, and went through what I can only call an emotional journey by herself looking out the back of the building, through her bedroom window.

She was naively joyful, then praying, then desperate, than she was full of hope seeing a couple birds feeding their babies.

One: Let's Ignore The Sexist Part Of This, What With The 'Girls Naturally Seek Motherhood' Thing And The 'Everything A Virgin Does Is Weirdly Sexualised Like I Have A Purity Kink Or Something' Thing (Hugo definitely has a purity kink)

Two: Cosette is a character who, raised in an abusive home, separated from her mother, raised then by a man who tells her nothing, and educated in the Severest of convents, doesn't even have the words to describe her feelings. She was always kept 'safe' from emotions by people trying to protect her, as they will till the very end of the novel, and as a result she has a terrible and confusing non-grasp of what she feels and this is the worst thing you can do to a human being because she will always be enslaved to these foggy sensations that she can't express or understand, if nobody helps her that is. Think how easily she'll allow Marius to push Valjean out and how she doesn't put up a fight when Valjean is actively trying to leave her (her response to abuse is usually to retreat to herself and be extremely quiet). She didn't even know the word 'love' outside of a catholic sense existed when she started falling for Marius

And Hugo thinks this is Nice and Good actually, that young girls be protected from their own feelings. Coming from a guy with some creepy purity kink, of course Hugo thinks gaslighting a girl from birth is cool. God I hate this, I hate how they treat Cosette, I hate how they act as if she has been saved and is fine now, as if she wasn't being pushed around like the plaything for people to project their own insecurities to since she was 8 years old. I miss Fantine

Sketching Les Mis Chapter 5.1.10 - Dawn

[maraki-of-the-fandoms]

Fantine is a strong character that in the bbc davies addaptation is dicreased in a sad sweet damsel that excist only for her to get brutallised and for the audience to fill sorry for! See is just a pretty face in the adaptation which is the most ironic thing when the director blames Hugo for weak women that aren't complex but in his version all the women end up pretty faces to feel sorry for. The same think happens to Eponine who is over sexualised and brutalised but she doesn't have the strong attitued against the Patrominete and can't fight them back and her last worlds are change so she is just an abused lovestrack teen and not an abused survivor who is clinging to the only person that acted disend to her and is the closest thing to kindness she has experience so she gets obsest with him without realising what she is filling and at the same time she tries to escape her criminal family amd survive at the streets! Same thing happens to Cosette who in the bbc she is torture as a kid because people find it funny and not because of a uncaring sociaty that doesn't notice. And adult Cosette from being a confident kind caring person dispate of her pasts brutality she dicreased to a whine brat with an abusive brutal father(even when brick valjean dispate being a clinging overprotective anxius ball of guilt he is one of the kindest more carring persons in the whole fiction and i want him to be my father)!! The bbc is full of brutality  but its only for shock and to make the show edgy. In the try to make everything more brutal they change characters and made them either abusive brutes or helpless victims. Especialy the women are damsels while in the book they were fighters and survivors in this brutality!They are not damsel but strong(even when they lose the fight) interesting relatable sympathetic realistic complex (yes the book women are complex davies far more complex than you think and far more than your version!!!) people! All the characters in the books live in a brutal world and they trying to survive fight and/or to fix it!What matters is how they react to the brutality and how it effects them not the brutality itself when it comes to the story. When it comes to the meaning of the book the brutality is realistic because it tries to aware about a social real problem and it sets an exable about the fight against brutality. The book is not about "look how brutal and harsh everything is"(like bbc) but is about "brutality is bad fight it".Also in the show the brutality doesn't effect the characters in a realistic way and the brutal and violence are so extreme so it feels soo meaningless that makes you unconfortable. Brutality for the shake of brutality its the main reason for most of the unconfortable unpleasend scenes in bbc and while there was in the book too at list it was about the characters!

(Oh my god that was a long post.I end up ranting about the bbc again! I'm so sorry but I couldn't hold back. Also I'm sorry about all the mistakes in the text but English are not my maternal language! Also i had to rewrite 1/3 of it around 5 times because of bad connection amd had to do it in 2 dose because it was too big!!)

Another thing I was thinking about re: BBC Les Mis, is how Andrew Davies uses brutality? Because like. We see Thenardier beating Madame Thenardier in front of others, which frankly is a weird use of brutality even though he IS brutal (I mean, dang, he makes his daughter break a window with her hand later on, like, damn), and we also see Madame Thenardier chasing Cosette around with a belt, which while totally a thing I’d believe, there’s also a jeering crowd? AND we had to see Fantine’s teeth removal in this awful, gory detail. AND we had to see a convict get executed. Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much brutal stuff that happens in Les Mis, the brutality of society is a big part of the point, but I often feel like Andrew Davies isn’t trying to show us the common brutality of society at the time, but more like he’s just trying to shock us? Like brutality for brutality’s sake, instead of using it to hit and drive the deeply emotional beats of the novel. 

Like, for instance, when Valjean goes to Arras, you see the convicts getting the iron collars put around their necks. This has almost no significance other than to be brutal, but you know would have really driven it home emotionally? If he maybe had shown us for instance, the bit where Valjean first gets the iron collar put on him and cries like in the brick! Cause it’s the last time he cries for a REALLY LONG TIME, and then him seeing that later on would be So Much. Like sure, we see him with the iron collar in Toulon, but it still just doesn’t resonate the way I feel like something like that might have? 

I dunno, I just feel like if you’re going to show brutality, make the brutality matter to the larger theme and point of the text you’re adapting or the story you’re telling. Andrew Davies seems to get that yes, there’s lots and lots of brutal stuff in Les Mis, but he doesn’t seem to understand the core of WHY, and also that the themes of the novel are fighting against that brutality. It’s why he’s gotten Valjean so wrong at so many points (other than his scenes with little Cosette this episode). Because Valjean has seen and experienced SO MUCH brutality, and yet because of the bishop, and because of who he was before prison, who he is at his core, he’s a quiet, kind, sweet man, and not this Shouty Weirdo who kicks a desperate mother out of his factory. It’s like Davies is trying to say “oh, he falls prey to the brutality he experienced” but the point of the book is that HE DOES NOT DO THAT. Anyway, that’s my slightly incoherent Ted Talk.