Les Misérables Reading Notes

Victor Hugo (Victor Hugo, February 26, 1802 - May 22, 1885), a French Romantic writer and an outstanding bourgeois democratic writer in the history of French literature.

The short story "The Wreck of the 'Normandy'", the novels "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", "Les Misérables", and "Ninety-Three".

With a literary career spanning over sixty years, his creative power remained undiminished, and his influence spread globally, earning him the title of "France's Shakespeare."

The protagonist of the story, Jean Valjean, is a worker born into a poor peasant family. To help his sister feed her seven children, he was forced to steal a loaf of bread, which led to his imprisonment and hard labor. He attempted to escape multiple times but was unsuccessful. After his release, he faced social discrimination, but under the influence of Bishop Myriel, he resolved to turn over a new leaf. Later, he reformed the production method of black glass ornaments and successfully became the mayor. However, he was exposed by Javert as a former convict. To save the innocent person who was mistakenly accused, he surrendered and was imprisoned again. Later, he escaped from prison by rescuing someone and adopted the daughter Cosette, living in seclusion in a convent. When Cosette grew up, she fell in love with Marius. After Cosette and Marius married, they lived a very happy life. Jean Valjean, however, lived a lonely life due to his past as a convict, until he reconciled with Cosette and Marius and died in Cosette's arms.

Through poverty, the weak-willed become despicable and base, while the strong-willed become transcendent. Poverty is a crucible, and whenever fate requires a villain or a divine being, it casts a person into it.

When a youth endures poverty, it is only on the day of success that its true beauty becomes apparent: it can guide a person's entire will towards the path of diligence and elevate a person's entire soul towards noble aspirations.

To the eye of the spirit, the human heart is more dazzling and darker than any place; nothing that the eye of the spirit gazes upon is as terrifying, complex, mysterious, and boundless as the human heart. There is a spectacle grander than the ocean, and that is the sky; there is also a spectacle grander than the sky, and that is the inner world of a person.

This work, known as a "social epic," is a tremendous asset to the literary treasure trove. The protagonist Jean Valjean, though living in a dark and unjust society, consistently opposes the forces of evil. Despite being poor and insignificant, he still manages to confront difficulties and ultimately achieves happiness, dying without regrets. With his kindness, courage, and turning the other cheek, he awakens the conscience of others. For us, it's the same, especially since our circumstances are a thousand times better than Jean Valjean's. We must live with integrity and treat others with kindness, for only then will our lives be truly better.