Posts Tagged “Thénardiers”

Sunday in the Park with Fantine We meet Fantine when she's carefree and still with Cosette's father; the Thenardiers on a day when they look ALMOST respectable; the mysterious M.Madeleine.
Righteousness vs “Righteousness” Continuing my re-read of the book: Javert makes his entrance as one of M. Madeleine's few detractors, and the system chews up Fantine and spits her out.
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.
Escape from Montfermeil It takes 45 pages to get Cosette away from the Thenardiers. It's not complicated, just very, very detailed. Also: They're NOT comic relief, even remotely.
Ambush in the Slums Marius meets his wretched neighbors, the Thenardiers, who try to extort money from Jean Valjean and Cosette. A tense standoff is interrupted by Javert.
Gavroche and the Adventure of the Incognito Family The urchin Gavroche takes in two small boys without knowing they're his brothers. Later that night, he helps rescue his father....who doesn't recognize him.
Over the Edge Marius and Cosette's secret meetings start off well. They even escape an attempted robbery. But everything falls apart just as Paris begins to boil over.
What a Wonderful Smell You’ve Discovered The history of the Paris sewers...and then Jean Valjean's flight through those offal tunnels, escaping the battle zone.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy Javert is no longer a threat, Marius is alive and reconciled with his grandfather, and he and Cosette have a chance to be together. What could go wrong?
This is the End Without Javert, Valjean pursues himself to his own shocking decline, stopped only when Thenardier tries and fails to blackmail Marius. Sadly, it's too late.
Revisiting the Movie Musical After Re-Reading the Novel I liked the film of Les Misérables better on second viewing, and also was able to see just how much they brought in from the novel.
Second Chances The offering of a second chance, and acceptance/refusal of said chance, happens repeatedly in Les Misérables.
The Wretched of the Earth While the whole novel is built around justice for those downtrodden by society, Victor Hugo focuses on five specific examples of poverty.
A Visit to Thénardier’s Inn A local theater company transformed the musical into a fun, immersive cabaret-style parody of the show.
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.
Back on the Chain Gang What happens when Jean Valjean is recaptured, and how he fakes his death...but accidentally tips off Javert with a good deed.
Rescuing Cosette The woodcut of Little Cosette drastically understates how badly she’s treated by the Thénardiers. So do all the adaptations I’ve seen.
Wretched in Every Sense of the Word Their parents may be terrible people, but Éponine and Azelma don’t deserve it. You can see why Gavroche left. He and the younger brothers are better off on the streets.
The Ambush We see the ambush entirely through Marius' limited POV. The reader has to piece things together, making the multiple dualities even clearer.
Gavroche and his Family The youngest two Thénardier children luck out by being raised by someone else. Gavroche is no worse off on the street than his sisters at home, but by raising himself, he's turned out kind-hearted.
Marius Joins the Persecution With all his ideals, you want Marius to know better, but he still treats Jean Valjean the way the people of Digne did two decades earlier.
Undermined Thoughts on the Patron Minette/Jondrette episode of the Les Mis Reading Companion podcast.