Posts Tagged “History”
- Waterloo At a cliffhanger in Valjean's story, Victor Hugo pauses to spend 45 pages describing the Battle of Waterloo and what makes it the hinge of the 19th century.
- Getting Un-Convent-ional Hugo separates exposition & action, spending pages on character & setting before telling you what they did. Ex: The convent where Valjean & Cosette shelter.
- You Say You Want A Revolution Before the barricades arise, Hugo establishes the political mood in Paris from 1830-1832, making clear the scope of unrest and that they DID have a chance.
- Barricades of Future Past (Plus Cannon Geekery) After a look ahead to the 1848 barricades, Enjolras gives a speech, Valjean makes an entrance, and the students talk geek out over the army's new cannon.
- Last Stand at the Barricade Hugo lays out the main theme of the book, 1000 pages in. The barricade falls, the surviving defenders retreat to the tavern, and Grantaire wakes up at last.
- Return to Waterloo Waterloo draws you in immediately with the perspective of a visit to the battlefield, before it breaks down into a long string of opinions.