#donougher translation

[zqnl]

Compiled some thoughts/observation/analysis of Vol I, Book 1!

Les Misérables Vol I, Book 1: A Good Man

Victor Hugo starts everything off with essentially the life and times of Bishop Myriel. Even though he says it has little relevance to do with the rest of the tale, the book not only touches on some major themes (and personal points of conflict for Hugo) but also has some foreshadowing that I already know will make some future scenes hit so much harder.

Less importantly, but more entertainingly, Myriel throws so much shade and gives so many backhanded compliments for a short, happy, elderly guy. Sometimes he's subtle about it and it flies over the head of the person he's talking to, but other times he just goes out of his way to make his disapproval known in very comical ways. Nothing I saw before reading the brick prepared me for this guy having personality, but I'm so happy it's there.

Notes on themes & foreshadowing/parallels under the cut! Would love to read about alternate opinions/things I didn't catch, especially as a first-time reader 👀👀

Themes

When is a violent revolution justified?

Down with the death penalty

What makes a person good?

Nobody's perfect, or why Myriel is a staunch royalist

Hedonism as a privelege for the rich

The importance of education

When is a violent revolution justified?

Myriel seems to have a very micro approach to goodness — he uses most of his own funds for the benefit of those in need and chides the bishops who hoard individual wealth, but repeatedly shies away from political change. It’s both pacifist and very cure-over-prevention, which is what makes his clash with the Conventionist G so interesting.

Their conversation really felt like Hugo’s own internal dialogue, attempting to address the conflict between the progress won through revolutions and the violence wielded to get there. Despite some back and forth, there was a clear ‘victor’ in the debate. G states “I voted for the end of the tyrant. That’s to say, the end of prostitution for women, the end of slavery for men, the end of benightedness for children. In voting for the Republic, that’s what I voted for.” Since this is extremely reminiscent of the preface, it’s clear that this is the voice Hugo endorses. He also appears to give his own definition for when violence is forgivable when G concludes his speech with “Yes, the brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over, what we recognize is this: the human race has had a rough time, but it has advanced.” It’s therefore quite intriguing that he chose to centre Les Misérables around the 1832 rebellion that didn’t succeed. Maybe future chapters will reveal a tighter definition for progress that will include the aftershocks (if any) of the June Rebellion?

Despite ending on a pretty unambiguous statement of philosophy, some of Hugo’s misgivings (previously published in his public announcements regarding past revolutions) are also voiced in this passage, like when Myriel says “You’ve brought about destruction. Destruction can be useful but I distrust destruction compounded with anger.” G responds by listing what that first revolution gifted France (though “sent tides of civilisation sweeping across the earth” could be referring to Napoleon’s conquests which is somewhat unbalancing), but I think the true rebuttal is when he responds with a crime against the people for every crime against the monarchy. This is particularly enjoyable because it mirrors Myriel’s own attitude in rejecting artificial divides between normal people and ‘higher powers’ back from when he wittily rebuked Napoleon.

Down with the death penalty

A vivid part of France’s violent revolutions is of course the use of the guillotine (or more broadly, the death penalty). Hugo uses some pretty unambiguous language to describe and personify the guillotine, leaving us very clear on his personal stance towards the death penalty; namely, that he’s extremely against it. Myriel himself says “I didn’t realize it was so monstrous. It’s wrong to be so deeply absorbed in divine law that you become unaware of human law. Death depends on God alone. By what right do men meddle with this matter of destiny?” Again, lines from the preface incorporated into the text, highlighting how this section is not in fact without bearing on the rest of the story, at least thematically.

However, Myriel’s actions after this revelation are quite interesting. While his exclamation appears to denounce the use of religion as a band-aid or distraction from material, man-made horrors, Myriel henceforth avoids the guillotine and continues to avoid interactions with changing the law. Later, he even says “Whatever his fellow man does, God allows it.” This is in-line with his character, which so far seems to primarily advocate for mercy and mundane acts of kindness, and avoids questioning the religion he serves. He even writes (of god) “Solomon names you Mercy, and of all your names this is the most beautiful.” in one of his books.

This also comes up in his conversation with G, except here it seems Hugo’s stance on the death penalty isn’t part of the debate. Instead, G is a Conventionist who voted against killing Louis XVI. Personally, I get the feeling that Hugo is drawing a line here. It seems like had G voted for Louis XVI’s death, Hugo would have found him unfit as a mouthpiece for his ideology.

What makes a person good?

Certainly not success, or a good social standing. The section where Hugo says “success is a fairly hideous thing. Its false resemblance to merit deceives men.” feels like one side of the coin to one of Les Misérables’ main tenets, with the flipside being that poverty does not imply weakness of character. I have it on pretty good authority that Les Misérables is very much about the goodness of the ordinary or lower class individual as opposed to the greatness of powerful figures, which was clear from Myriel’s very first snipe at Napoleon.

Hugo also describes Myriel as “Infantile if you will, but these sublime infantilisms were those of St Francis of Assisi and Marcus Aurelius.” I have a vague impression of childlike innocence being present in Cosette and to some extent Fantine (given her name). Hugo might not point to it as the primary or sole example of goodness, but he definitely props it up as one of the examples.

Nobody’s perfect, or why Myriel is a staunch royalist

It’s quite paradoxical for Myriel to believe that as a bishop — advisor to the people — he should live close to poverty, but simultaneously be a royalist and therefore implicitly accept that the king — leader of the people — can live in never-before witnessed splendour starting from the reign of Louis XIV.

This character flaw is again emphasised in the passing of Conventionist G, where Myriel (without much given reason) looks at a man peacefully accepting his death and thinks “He did not think there was any sense of God in this manner of dying.”. This is especially jarring since he’d said “Let us fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers.” a couple pages prior.

I guess no character can have it all?

Hedonism as a privilege of the rich

I don’t think I need to make too many notes here — his speech at the end of 1.1.8 speaks for itself. As an excerpt:

You fine gentlemen, as you say, have a philosophy of your own, for yourselves. An exquisite, refined philosophy available only to the rich

But you are kindly princes and you don’t mind that belief in God should be the philosophy of the people, rather in the same way that goose stuffed with chestnuts is the truffled turkey of the poor.

The importance of education

I imagine this will be touched on more later, but for now we have the quote:

Society is to blame for not giving free education. It’s responsible for the darkness it produces. In any benighted soul – that’s where sin will be committed. It’s not he who commits the sin that’s to blame but he who causes the darkness to prevail.’

This is obviously still relevant to us now, but unsurprisingly, the issue of education was even more important in the 19th century. Literacy rates are still quite low, and new scientific/philosophical/political theories were often spread via the written word. You can't convince the illiterate with writing! If the people who are most marginalised are the ones least able to engage with ideologies made to help them, the vehicle that might enable them to connect with new ideas is naturally extremely important.

Foreshadowing/parallels

Myriel’s silver

I think the following quotes speak for themselves, and add so much significance to Myriel’s later actions:

It must be acknowledged, though, that of his former possessions he was still left with six silver forks and spoons and a large soup ladle that for Madame Magloire were a daily joy to see gleaming splendidly on the white linen tablecloth.

… he had more than once been heard to say, “It would be hard to give up eating off silver.”

In the bishop’s own bedroom… was a small cupboard in which Madame Magloire locked away the six silver forks and spoons and the large ladle every evening. It has to be said, the key was never removed.

This little old guy just likes his one material indulgence, but gives it away to Jean Valjean anyways!

Jean Valjean’s future arrival

Myriel writes in another one of his books:

Don’t ask the name of anyone that asks you for shelter. It is especially the person whose name is a burden to him that has need of shelter.

Castles in the air

I’m not sure if this was just common imagery at the time, and I’m also not sure if the wording is similar in the original French, but in 1.1.12, “blushing choristers… young priests, like Perrette with her pot of milk, build castles in the air!” is used to describe those seeking to advance socially via the seminary. As far as I’m aware, Cosette doesn’t really have any ambitions to do with the church, but still… castle on a cloud in the air mentioned!

Baptistine’s family is rich!

We obviously find out in her letter to her sister, but previous sections foreshadow this by connecting Baptistine with some nicer material goods:

Mademoiselle Baptistine also had in her room a very large bergère of wood that had once been gilt, and upholstered in a flower-patterned Peking silk.

… first a very nice armchair…

However, as we shall see, underneath the whitewashed paper Madame Magloire had recently discovered paintings that decorated Mademoiselle Baptistine’s room.

… and second, a plain exterior peeled off to expose art or luxury.

Honestly, when I first read those sentences, I almost thought she was being set up for like… a villain arc? Or at least a secret reveal arc? But nothing I’ve heard in fandom seems to indicate that so. I just suspected a wealthy background a couple chapters in advance, I guess.

A sentence in Baptistine’s letter

I don’t know if this leads to anything, or if it’s just an excuse for Hugo to shout “[Myriel] is still a true royalist”, but why was Baptistine’s sister asking about a De Faux family?

Facing death with radiance

This one is definitely more of a stretch, but when Myriel accompanies the man sentenced to death onto the scaffold of the guillotine, the criminal is described as such:

So crushed and despondent the previous day, the man facing death was radiant. He felt his soul have been reconciled and his trust was in God.

I’m not very into canon Enjoltaire, and the context here is a believer comforting the wretched by following them instead of the wretched following the believer, but I'll stretch to get the parallel anyways. I also just think the general concept of taking happiness and comfort in not facing it alone is very nice.

[cupboardgods]

I'm reading Les Mis for the first time and having the time of my life. Those are my guys!!! And I get to hear about them in excessive detail via a 65 hour long audio book? Literally incredible.

Im travelling 3/4 weeks of this month, and I'm supposed to see the show in June (at the Kennedy Center...fuck), so it was the perfect time to start. If I didn't get motion sick, and if the book wasn't so ungodly huge, I would gladly have bought a physical copy to read AND annotate.

I know the musical is soooo abridged, but I've listened to it so many times that I can (and have) talk about it for hours on end. Mostly about themes. I know the show is corny and heavy-handed, but i love it dearly.

Im not very far along in the book, but I'm so impressed with the writing. Some of the lines made me pause and take notes. Valjean's memories of prison made me a little weepy.

Idk if i would enjoy this book so much if I wasn't such a big fan of the musical, but fortunately for me I care soooo much about these characters and the writing is sooo good that I can already see myself reading this multiple times.

More embarrassing thoughts/stupid shit under the cut

--

Ok uhhh so I mentioned back in December/January that I started reading Valvert fanfiction out of curiosity/as a joke

Brother I don't think it's a joke anymore.

Steve started it. He said some funny shit about how it was such an impossible ship (in the musical canon, for sure) and we tried to come up with scenarios in which a physical or romantic relationship could be plausible.

I wouldn't say I ship them but I will say I have read some fantastic (and very long) fics. And those are what got me interested in the book. I want MORE.

But also, I have to say something....

One of the things Steve and I agreed on (re: valvert) was that Valjean was a virgin. Likely asexual too. We just could not imagine this man having sex at any point in his life.

And then I picked up fanfiction, and people agreed with me??!! The book fans agreed with me!?! Sooo many fics where both men, aged 50-70, are untouched and inexperienced. I might have called Valjwan a virgin as a joke but I didn't realize this was what everyone else thought too.

The evidence: Valjean is a loner. He's in hiding. He was branded in prison. His body betrays the truth. He is not a gentleman, but a man of low birth sentenced to 2 decades of hard labor. He is deeply self hating and a paranoid overthinker. His life is so hard that he spares little energy on joy or himself. And Javert is the most repressed man on the planet. Nobody touching that.

ANYWAY now I'm a few hours into the audiobook, and by God, it's fucking canon. At least by age 46, Valjean is a virgin. (Tbh I can't rule out assault in prison but it hasn't come up explicitly).

The evidence: grew up poor and unremarkable, and had no sweetheart in his youth. Became the surrogate father of his sister's children when he was only 25, went to jail not long after. And then there was this line about how nobody had ever touched him without the intent to hurt, not even his parents who died when he was young.

I can't believe I was right about this one stupid thing but oh my god this shit is sad (duh).

Anyway let me go back to contemplating the important things, like religion, law, corruption, and the javert's confused boner tag on ao3.

[lmchaptertitlebracket]

III.vi.6 Fait prisonnier

Taken Prisoner: Wilbour, Wraxall, Hapgood, FMA, Rose

Made Prisoner: Gray

Made Captive: Denny

Captivated: Donougher

[chronotopes]

I’m reading so slowly I don’t want everyone to be killed :(

[bewareofitalics]

I wasn't planning to do Les Mis Letters this year, but on the other hand I have been thinking about reading one of the newer translations at some point (except for my very first read, which I think was Wilbour, I've only read FMA), and the Julie Rose ebook is only $4.99, so... maybe? Hmmm.

[fructidors]

we’re so fucking back

[lapis42]

Sorry, I got distracted and read Les Misérables(for the second time)

[zqnl]

wait reading the introduction to the donougher translation and it quotes victor hugo as having said

"If we're but a thousand, count me in, If only a hundred, there I'll be. If ten stand firm, I'll be the tenth And if there's only one, it will be me!"

re being anti Napoleon III

... was he the original if x has no fans haters that means i'm dead

[shitpostingfromthebarricade]

It took me six years (almost to the day), but I have finally finished my first full read-through of Les Mis.

Shitposting through Les Mis!

My devoted Shitposters:

I, shamefully (not really, I just never had the opportunity), have never read Les Misèrables.

But!

I finally got my hands on an English copy!

As such, I will be giving chapter-by-chapter reactions in real-time with my read-throughs. I expect that is will be equal-parts reflections, shitposts, and memes (but we will see).

If this is something that interests you, I’ll be tagging each post of this nature “Shitposting through Les Mis.” If you are not interested, feel free to block the tag so you’re not trolled with whatever I ultimately produce.

As I have a real-people job and responsibilities, updates may be erratic, but I will do my best. <3

[leosmiserables]

different translations of how grantaire looks at enjolras before he says ”let me sleep here”:

”tendres et troubles” (original french)

”indescribable gentleness” (hapgood)

”tender, troubled eyes” (fahnestock and macafee)

”fond and blurry” (donougher)

”ömma och töckniga (tender and cloudy)” (rohman)

”loving, troubled eyes” (rose)

[wanderinghedgehog]

Donougher translation acquired!

[court-du-coeur]

I'm bored during a presentation let's liveblog the new translation of Les Misérables

1 - myriel😘 a good man I-VI

[christine donougher] it has extensive footnotes! i could finally understand what is going on!!!

aw hell yeah no gatekeeping the names of things in this one

ICONIC opening 😂😭 we immediately know what we are in for with m. victor hugo

me when i run away from the US and am observing events back home 😭 (jk im going down with the ship)

monsieur that is a french version of a spanish word no se dice eso

haha that's a fun sentence in this translation. also i think it applies to many events & people in this book

so he did the "look at your cousin THEY behave" 😂😭

����🔥❤️‍🔥 oh m. myriel i forgot how cool you are

white man SHOCKS other white people by saying noble things in fluent regional french dialect!!!

victor hugo, finishing writing this: ahh a good day's work time to visit the brothel 😊

no but seriously what was his cognitive dissonance. i mean i have no problem with his having tons of sex but his characters sure would seem to

gottem

my HEART

im in a weird place rn re: christianity but. if more priests/pastors were like our man m. myriel? 🥲🥲🥲

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE 🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

incredible. also 19th century puffer jacket equivalent?

hugo does this whilst writing les mis except his deep meditation concerns, of course, not The Lord but napoleon,, sewers,, convents etc.

someone get this woman a gofundme 😡

also i just. idk i haven't read a classic novel in ages and i love the fact he's just listing, in detail, all the furniture [and the desired furniture] of a side character who appears only in the first few chapters. we are all just along for the ride

"i want to see the simple visualisation. is that what you have, or do you have three long and intricate paragraphs?" "that is correct. i have a simple visualisation.."🌵🌵🌵

chekov's six silver forks and spoons and large ladle

BEAUTY IS AND TRUTH BUT SEEMS babeyy

i would say i'd read a whole book about m. myriel but... what else is this?

chekov's person whose name is a burden to him,,

[blatherby]

… This is one of those situations where I don’t actually have any idea if Donougher is right, but I’m voting for her because I trust that she’s not pulling the “suicidally” part out of her ass? 👀 I mean, it is in the text, maybe it’s also being implied in the title?

V.iii.10 Rentrée de l’enfant prodigue de sa vie

Return of the Prodigal Son—Of His Life: Wilbour, FMA

Return of the Son Prodigal of His Life: Wraxall

Return of the Son Who Was Prodigal of His Life: Hapgood

Return of the Son Prodigal to His Life: Gray

The Prodigal Returns to Life: Denny

Return of the Son Prodigal With His Life: Rose

The Return of the Suicidally Prodigal Son: Donougher

[most-unhinged-les-mis-moment]

Round One: A1: Poll Four

Wacky Coffin Heist can be found in the Brick, at: Several chapters of 2.8 (Starts at 2.8.4)

Myriel getting his position by saying something smart to Napoleon can be found in the brick, at: 1.1.1

PROPAGANDA:

Wacky Coffin Heist: (Fun fact! This was BY FAR the most submitted moment!! :D)

Not only does Jean Valjean pull this wacky coffin heist escape, he’s EXCITED to do it. Like his buddy Fauchelevent keeps going “I don’t know sounds dangerous” while Jean Valjean keeps smiling and going “it will be fine! :D it will be wonderful! :D”. It’s one of the few times in the book we see the unbearably sad beast get genuinely happy about something that isn’t Cosette . It’s an unhinged heist but even more unhinged because it brings him this unexpected joy

He comes up with the plan himself, then almost dies because of it. King shit.

( @pontmercysamis (no propoganda, just wanted to be credited for being one of the people who submitted this one :) )

(Submitted by @blatherby ) Most relevant quotes, IMO 2.8.4: You can pick whichever translation you like best for the quotes. Here’s my favorite specific line: Jean Valjean eut un de ces rares sourires qui lui venaient comme une lueur dans un ciel d’hiver. (Hugo) Jean Valjean gave way to one of those rare smiles which lighted up his face like a flash from heaven in the winter. (Hapgood) This Unbearably Sad Beast who basically never smiles (especially not without it being described a sad smile) is now having his smile compared to: - the aurora in a winter sky (Wilbour) - a sunbeam in a wintry sky (Wraxall) - a flash from heaven in the winter (Hapgood) - sunshine breaking through a winter’s sky (Denny) - a sunrise in winter (FMA) - a ray of sunshine in a winter sky (Rose) - a gleam of sunlight in a winter sky (Donougher) … because he’s so ecstatic *over getting buried alive!* Something is Wrong with him (affectionate). Okay, to be fair, he doesn’t *actually* want to be buried alive (… at this point in the book), based on his reaction to the plan going awry later. But he’s having a blast with every aspect of this except for the actual suffocating to death part. His joy over this is so unhinged that—well, here’s Fauchelevent at the end of that chapter: “Agreed, father Fauchelevent. It will all be all right.” “Provided nothing goes wrong,” thought Fauchelevent. “What if it all goes horribly wrong?!” (Rose translation) And here’s Fauchelevent the next day, in the next chapter: Fauchelevent limped along behind the hearse, happy as can be. His two mysteries, his two twin plots, one in league with the nuns, the other with Monsieur Madeleine, one for the convent, the other against, had succeeded together, one after the other. Jean Valjean’s calmness was one of those powerful tranquilizers that are contagious. Fauchelevent was no longer worried about whether they would bring it off. […] Fauchelevent felt completely secure. As the convoy entered the avenue leading to the cemetery, Fauchelevent looked at the hearse, happy, and rubbed his big hands together, muttering to himself: “Not a bad joke!” (Rose) JVJ is so happy and calm over pretending to be dead that he’s literally acting as an anxiety medication. (I propose that we send JVJ on coffin heists and bottle his powerful calmness. Everyone wins!)

the entire coffin heist is so wacky but that bit specifically made me cackle. I dunno I like the juxtaposition

Myriel getting his position by saying something smart to Napoleon:

I don't remember which translation it was that had him say something like "You sir, are looking at a good man, but I am looking at a great man", but Myriel is such a fun character, I love him

[pilferingapples]

Hello! I come in search of translation recommendations for the Brick. I currently own a 1935 copy of the Wilbour translation, and while I cherish that book dearly, it's becoming a bit too delicate for repeated reads. From my research, I'm leaning towards the 2013 Donougher translation, but wanted the input of a fandom pillar, if you're so willing!

Aw! that's so sweet! I hope you won't mind me maintagging it for more reach.

In general , Wilbour and Hapgood are best if you want a more 19th-century feel and style, since that's when they were writing. Donougher and Rose are better if you like a more modern style with LOTS of footnotes !

Here's a translation comparison of 3.4.1 so you can see what you think of their different styles!

As for me, my favorite is still FMA, which splits the difference -- a more modern translation, place names and such put in, but still with a lot of the 19C feel. (and sadly hardly any footnotes!) I will say, if you're primarily concerned with finding an unabridged LM you can easily carry around with you, FMA is the way to go! Otherwise, though , check out the comparisons and see which ones best suit you! :D