Better Gutenberg
Free, beautifully formatted public-domain ebooks

Les Misérables

by Victor Hugo

367 sections · Download EPUB

  1. 1Preface
  2. 2Volume I — Fantine — Book First — A Just Man
  3. 3Chapter II — M. Myriel Becomes M. Welcome
  4. 4Chapter III — A Hard Bishopric for a Good Bishop
  5. 5Chapter IV — Works Corresponding to Words
  6. 6Chapter V — Monseigneur Bienvenu Made His Cassocks Last Too Long
  7. 7Chapter VI — Who Guarded His House for Him
  8. 8Chapter VII — Cravatte
  9. 9Chapter VIII — Philosophy After Drinking
  10. 10Chapter IX — The Brother as Depicted by the Sister
  11. 11Chapter X — The Bishop in the Presence of an Unknown Light
  12. 12Chapter XI — A Restriction
  13. 13Chapter XII — The Solitude of Monseigneur Welcome
  14. 14Chapter XIII — What He Believed
  15. 15Chapter XIV — What He Thought
  16. 16Book Second — The Fall
  17. 17Chapter II — Prudence Counselled to Wisdom
  18. 18Chapter III — The Heroism of Passive Obedience
  19. 19Chapter IV — Details Concerning the Cheese-Dairies of Pontarlier
  20. 20Chapter V — Tranquillity
  21. 21Chapter VI — Jean Valjean
  22. 22Chapter VII — The Interior of Despair
  23. 23Chapter VIII — Billows and Shadows
  24. 24Chapter IX — New Troubles
  25. 25Chapter X — The Man Aroused
  26. 26Chapter XI — What He Does
  27. 27Chapter XII — The Bishop Works
  28. 28Chapter XIII — Little Gervais
  29. 29Book Third — In the Year 1817
  30. 30Chapter II — A Double Quartette
  31. 31Chapter III — Four and Four
  32. 32Chapter IV — Tholomyès Is So Merry That He Sings a Spanish Ditty
  33. 33Chapter V — At Bombarda’s
  34. 34Chapter VI — A Chapter in Which They Adore Each Other
  35. 35Chapter VII — The Wisdom of Tholomyès
  36. 36Chapter VIII — The Death of a Horse
  37. 37Chapter IX — A Merry End to Mirth
  38. 38Book Fourth — To Confide Is Sometimes to Deliver Into a Person’s Power
  39. 39Chapter II — First Sketch of Two Unprepossessing Figures
  40. 40Chapter III — The Lark
  41. 41Book Fifth — The Descent
  42. 42Chapter II — Madeleine
  43. 43Chapter III — Sums Deposited With Laffitte
  44. 44Chapter IV — M. Madeleine in Mourning
  45. 45Chapter V — Vague Flashes on the Horizon
  46. 46Chapter VI — Father Fauchelevent
  47. 47Chapter VII — Fauchelevent Becomes a Gardener in Paris
  48. 48Chapter VIII — Madame Victurnien Expends Thirty Francs on Morality
  49. 49Chapter IX — Madame Victurnien’s Success
  50. 50Chapter X — Result of the Success
  51. 51Chapter XI — Christus Nos Liberavit
  52. 52Chapter XII — M. Bamatabois’s Inactivity
  53. 53Chapter XIII — The Solution of Some Questions Connected With the Mu…
  54. 54Book Sixth — Javert
  55. 55Chapter II — How Jean May Become Champ
  56. 56Book Seventh — The Champmathieu Affair
  57. 57Chapter II — The Perspicacity of Master Scaufflaire
  58. 58Chapter III — A Tempest in a Skull
  59. 59Chapter IV — Forms Assumed by Suffering During Sleep
  60. 60Chapter V — Hindrances
  61. 61Chapter VI — Sister Simplice Put to the Proof
  62. 62Chapter VII — The Traveller on His Arrival Takes Precautions for De…
  63. 63Chapter VIII — An Entrance by Favor
  64. 64Chapter IX — A Place Where Convictions Are in Process of Formation
  65. 65Chapter X — The System of Denials
  66. 66Chapter XI — Champmathieu More and More Astonished
  67. 67Book Eighth — A Counter-Blow
  68. 68Chapter II — Fantine Happy
  69. 69Chapter III — Javert Satisfied
  70. 70Chapter IV — Authority Reasserts Its Rights
  71. 71Chapter V — A Suitable Tomb
  72. 72Volume II — Cosette — Book First — Waterloo
  73. 73Chapter II — Hougomont
  74. 74Chapter III — The Eighteenth of June, 1815
  75. 75Chapter IV — A
  76. 76Chapter V — The Quid Obscurum of Battles
  77. 77Chapter VI — Four O’Clock in the Afternoon
  78. 78Chapter VII — Napoleon in a Good Humor
  79. 79Chapter VIII — The Emperor Puts a Question to the Guide Lacoste
  80. 80Chapter IX — The Unexpected
  81. 81Chapter X — The Plateau of Mont-Saint-Jean
  82. 82Chapter XI — A Bad Guide to Napoleon; a Good Guide to Bülow
  83. 83Chapter XII — The Guard
  84. 84Chapter XIII — The Catastrophe
  85. 85Chapter XIV — The Last Square
  86. 86Chapter XV — Cambronne
  87. 87Chapter XVI — Quot Libras in Duce?
  88. 88Chapter XVII — Is Waterloo to Be Considered Good?
  89. 89Chapter XVIII — A Recrudescence of Divine Right
  90. 90Chapter XIX — The Battle-Field at Night
  91. 91Book Second — The Ship Orion
  92. 92Chapter II — In Which the Reader Will Peruse Two Verses, Which Are…
  93. 93Chapter III — The Ankle-Chain Must Have Undergone a Certain Prepara…
  94. 94Book Third — Accomplishment of the Promise Made to the Dead Woman
  95. 95Chapter II — Two Complete Portraits
  96. 96Chapter III — Men Must Have Wine, and Horses Must Have Water
  97. 97Chapter IV — Entrance on the Scene of a Doll
  98. 98Chapter V — The Little One All Alone
  99. 99Chapter VI — Which Possibly Proves Boulatruelle’s Intelligence
  100. 100Chapter VII — Cosette Side by Side With the Stranger in the Dark
  101. 101Chapter VIII — The Unpleasantness of Receiving Into One’s House a P…
  102. 102Chapter IX — Thénardier and His Manœuvres
  103. 103Chapter X — He Who Seeks to Better Himself May Render His Situation…
  104. 104Chapter XI — Number 9,430 Reappears, and Cosette Wins It in the Lot…
  105. 105Book Fourth — The Gorbeau Hovel
  106. 106Chapter II — A Nest for Owl and a Warbler
  107. 107Chapter III — Two Misfortunes Make One Piece of Good Fortune
  108. 108Chapter IV — The Remarks of the Principal Tenant
  109. 109Chapter V — A Five-Franc Piece Falls on the Ground and Produces a T…
  110. 110Book Fifth — For a Black Hunt, a Mute Pack
  111. 111Chapter II — It Is Lucky That the Pont D’Austerlitz Bears Carriages
  112. 112Chapter III — To Wit, the Plan of Paris in 1727
  113. 113Chapter IV — The Gropings of Flight
  114. 114Chapter V — Which Would Be Impossible With Gas Lanterns
  115. 115Chapter VI — The Beginning of an Enigma
  116. 116Chapter VII — Continuation of the Enigma
  117. 117Chapter VIII — The Enigma Becomes Doubly Mysterious
  118. 118Chapter IX — The Man With the Bell
  119. 119Chapter X — Which Explains How Javert Got on the Scent
  120. 120Book Sixth — Le Petit-Picpus
  121. 121Chapter II — The Obedience of Martin Verga
  122. 122Chapter III — Austerities
  123. 123Chapter IV — Gayeties
  124. 124Chapter V — Distractions
  125. 125Chapter VI — The Little Convent
  126. 126Chapter VII — Some Silhouettes of This Darkness
  127. 127Chapter VIII — Post Corda Lapides
  128. 128Chapter IX — A Century Under a Guimpe
  129. 129Chapter X — Origin of the Perpetual Adoration
  130. 130Chapter XI — End of the Petit-Picpus
  131. 131Book Seventh — Parenthesis
  132. 132Chapter II — The Convent as an Historical Fact
  133. 133Chapter III — On What Conditions One Can Respect the Past
  134. 134Chapter IV — The Convent From the Point of View of Principles
  135. 135Chapter V — Prayer
  136. 136Chapter VI — The Absolute Goodness of Prayer
  137. 137Chapter VII — Precautions to Be Observed in Blame
  138. 138Chapter VIII — Faith, Law
  139. 139Book Eighth — Cemeteries Take That Which Is Committed Them
  140. 140Chapter II — Fauchelevent in the Presence of a Difficulty
  141. 141Chapter III — Mother Innocente
  142. 142Chapter IV — In Which Jean Valjean Has Quite the Air of Having Read…
  143. 143Chapter V — It Is Not Necessary to Be Drunk in Order to Be Immortal
  144. 144Chapter VI — Between Four Planks
  145. 145Chapter VII — In Which Will Be Found the Origin of the Saying: Don’…
  146. 146Chapter VIII — A Successful Interrogatory
  147. 147Chapter IX — Cloistered
  148. 148Volume III — Marius — Book First — Paris Studied in Its Atom
  149. 149Chapter II — Some of His Particular Characteristics
  150. 150Chapter III — He Is Agreeable
  151. 151Chapter IV — He May Be of Use
  152. 152Chapter V — His Frontiers
  153. 153Chapter VI — A Bit of History
  154. 154Chapter VII — The Gamin Should Have His Place in the Classification…
  155. 155Chapter VIII — In Which the Reader Will Find a Charming Saying of t…
  156. 156Chapter IX — The Old Soul of Gaul
  157. 157Chapter X — Ecce Paris, Ecce Homo
  158. 158Chapter XI — To Scoff, to Reign
  159. 159Chapter XII — The Future Latent in the People
  160. 160Chapter XIII — Little Gavroche
  161. 161Book Second — The Great Bourgeois
  162. 162Chapter II — Like Master, Like House
  163. 163Chapter III — Luc-Esprit
  164. 164Chapter IV — A Centenarian Aspirant
  165. 165Chapter V — Basque and Nicolette
  166. 166Chapter VI — In Which Magnon and Her Two Children Are Seen
  167. 167Chapter VII — Rule: Receive No One Except in the Evening
  168. 168Chapter VIII — Two Do Not Make a Pair
  169. 169Book Third — The Grandfather and the Grandson
  170. 170Chapter II — One of the Red Spectres of That Epoch
  171. 171Chapter III — Requiescant
  172. 172Chapter IV — End of the Brigand
  173. 173Chapter V — The Utility of Going to Mass, in Order to Become a Revo…
  174. 174Chapter VI — The Consequences of Having Met a Warden
  175. 175Chapter VII — Some Petticoat
  176. 176Chapter VIII — Marble Against Granite
  177. 177Book Fourth — The Friends of the a B C
  178. 178Chapter II — Blondeau’s Funeral Oration by Bossuet
  179. 179Chapter III — Marius’ Astonishments
  180. 180Chapter IV — The Back Room of the Café Musain
  181. 181Chapter V — Enlargement of Horizon
  182. 182Chapter VI — Res Angusta
  183. 183Book Fifth — The Excellence of Misfortune
  184. 184Chapter II — Marius Poor
  185. 185Chapter III — Marius Grown Up
  186. 186Chapter IV — M. Mabeuf
  187. 187Chapter V — Poverty a Good Neighbor for Misery
  188. 188Chapter VI — The Substitute
  189. 189Book Sixth — The Conjunction of Two Stars
  190. 190Chapter II — Lux Facta Est
  191. 191Chapter III — Effect of the Spring
  192. 192Chapter IV — Beginning of a Great Malady
  193. 193Chapter V — Divers Claps of Thunder Fall on Ma’am Bougon
  194. 194Chapter VI — Taken Prisoner
  195. 195Chapter VII — Adventures of the Letter U Delivered Over to Conjectures
  196. 196Chapter VIII — The Veterans Themselves Can Be Happy
  197. 197Chapter IX — Eclipse
  198. 198Book Seventh — Patron Minette
  199. 199Chapter II — The Lowest Depths
  200. 200Chapter III — Babet, Gueulemer, Claquesous, and Montparnasse
  201. 201Chapter IV — Composition of the Troupe
  202. 202Book Eighth — The Wicked Poor Man
  203. 203Chapter II — Treasure Trove
  204. 204Chapter III — Quadrifrons
  205. 205Chapter IV — A Rose in Misery
  206. 206Chapter V — A Providential Peep-Hole
  207. 207Chapter VI — The Wild Man in His Lair
  208. 208Chapter VII — Strategy and Tactics
  209. 209Chapter VIII — The Ray of Light in the Hovel
  210. 210Chapter IX — Jondrette Comes Near Weeping
  211. 211Chapter X — Tariff of Licensed Cabs: Two Francs an Hour
  212. 212Chapter XI — Offers of Service From Misery to Wretchedness
  213. 213Chapter XII — The Use Made of M. Leblanc’s Five-Franc Piece
  214. 214Chapter XIII — Solus Cum Solo, in Loco Remoto, Non Cogitabuntur Ora…
  215. 215Chapter XIV — In Which a Police Agent Bestows Two Fistfuls on a Lawyer
  216. 216Chapter XV — Jondrette Makes His Purchases
  217. 217Chapter XVI — In Which Will Be Found the Words to an English Air Wh…
  218. 218Chapter XVII — The Use Made of Marius’ Five-Franc Piece
  219. 219Chapter XVIII — Marius’ Two Chairs Form a Vis-a-Vis
  220. 220Chapter XIX — Occupying One’s Self With Obscure Depths
  221. 221Chapter XX — The Trap
  222. 222Chapter XXI — One Should Always Begin by Arresting the Victims
  223. 223Chapter XXII — The Little One Who Was Crying in Volume Two
  224. 224Volume IV — Saint-Denis — Book First — A Few Pages of History
  225. 225Chapter II — Badly Sewed
  226. 226Chapter III — Louis Philippe
  227. 227Chapter IV — Cracks Beneath the Foundation
  228. 228Chapter V — Facts Whence History Springs and Which History Ignores
  229. 229Chapter VI — Enjolras and His Lieutenants
  230. 230Book Second — Éponine
  231. 231Chapter II — Embryonic Formation of Crimes in the Incubation of Pri…
  232. 232Chapter III — Apparition to Father Mabeuf
  233. 233Chapter IV — An Apparition to Marius
  234. 234Book Third — The House in the Rue Plumet
  235. 235Chapter II — Jean Valjean as a National Guard
  236. 236Chapter III — Foliis Ac Frondibus
  237. 237Chapter IV — Change of Gate
  238. 238Chapter V — The Rose Perceives That It Is an Engine of War
  239. 239Chapter VI — The Battle Begun
  240. 240Chapter VII — To One Sadness Oppose a Sadness and a Half
  241. 241Chapter VIII — The Chain-Gang
  242. 242Book Fourth — Succor From Below May Turn Out to Be Succor From on High
  243. 243Chapter II — Mother Plutarque Finds No Difficulty in Explaining a P…
  244. 244Book Fifth — The End of Which Does Not Resemble the Beginning
  245. 245Chapter II — Cosette’s Apprehensions
  246. 246Chapter III — Enriched With Commentaries by Toussaint
  247. 247Chapter IV — A Heart Beneath a Stone
  248. 248Chapter V — Cosette After the Letter
  249. 249Chapter VI — Old People Are Made to Go Out Opportunely
  250. 250Book Sixth — Little Gavroche
  251. 251Chapter II — In Which Little Gavroche Extracts Profit From Napoleon…
  252. 252Chapter III — The Vicissitudes of Flight
  253. 253Book Seventh — Slang
  254. 254Chapter II — Roots
  255. 255Chapter III — Slang Which Weeps and Slang Which Laughs
  256. 256Chapter IV — The Two Duties: To Watch and to Hope
  257. 257Book Eighth — Enchantments and Desolations
  258. 258Chapter II — The Bewilderment of Perfect Happiness
  259. 259Chapter III — The Beginning of Shadow
  260. 260Chapter IV — A Cab Runs in English and Barks in Slang
  261. 261Chapter V — Things of the Night
  262. 262Chapter VI — Marius Becomes Practical Once More to the Extent of Gi…
  263. 263Chapter VII — The Old Heart and the Young Heart in the Presence of…
  264. 264Book Ninth — Whither Are They Going?
  265. 265Chapter II — Marius
  266. 266Chapter III — M. Mabeuf
  267. 267Book Tenth — The 5th of June, 1832
  268. 268Chapter II — The Root of the Matter
  269. 269Chapter III — A Burial; an Occasion to Be Born Again
  270. 270Chapter IV — The Ebullitions of Former Days
  271. 271Chapter V — Originality of Paris
  272. 272Book Eleventh — The Atom Fraternizes With the Hurricane
  273. 273Chapter II — Gavroche on the March
  274. 274Chapter III — Just Indignation of a Hair-Dresser
  275. 275Chapter IV — The Child Is Amazed at the Old Man
  276. 276Chapter V — The Old Man
  277. 277Chapter VI — Recruits
  278. 278Book Twelfth — Corinthe
  279. 279Chapter II — Preliminary Gayeties
  280. 280Chapter III — Night Begins to Descend Upon Grantaire
  281. 281Chapter IV — An Attempt to Console the Widow Hucheloup
  282. 282Chapter V — Preparations
  283. 283Chapter VI — Waiting
  284. 284Chapter VII — The Man Recruited in the Rue des Billettes
  285. 285Chapter VIII — Many Interrogation Points With Regard to a Certain l…
  286. 286Book Thirteenth — Marius Enters the Shadow
  287. 287Chapter II — An Owl’s View of Paris
  288. 288Chapter III — The Extreme Edge
  289. 289Book Fourteenth — The Grandeurs of Despair
  290. 290Chapter II — The Flag: Act Second
  291. 291Chapter III — Gavroche Would Have Done Better to Accept Enjolras’ C…
  292. 292Chapter IV — The Barrel of Powder
  293. 293Chapter V — End of the Verses of Jean Prouvaire
  294. 294Chapter VI — The Agony of Death After the Agony of Life
  295. 295Chapter VII — Gavroche as a Profound Calculator of Distances
  296. 296Book Fifteenth — The Rue de L’Homme Armé
  297. 297Chapter II — The Street Urchin an Enemy of Light
  298. 298Chapter III — While Cosette and Toussaint Are Asleep
  299. 299Chapter IV — Gavroche’s Excess of Zeal
  300. 300Volume V — Jean Valjean — Book First — The War Between Four Walls
  301. 301Chapter II — What Is to Be Done in the Abyss If One Does Not Converse
  302. 302Chapter III — Light and Shadow
  303. 303Chapter IV — Minus Five, Plus One
  304. 304Chapter V — The Horizon Which One Beholds From the Summit of a Barr…
  305. 305Chapter VI — Marius Haggard, Javert Laconic
  306. 306Chapter VII — The Situation Becomes Aggravated
  307. 307Chapter VIII — The Artillery-Men Compel People to Take Them Seriously
  308. 308Chapter IX — Employment of the Old Talents of a Poacher and That In…
  309. 309Chapter X — Dawn
  310. 310Chapter XI — The Shot Which Misses Nothing and Kills No One
  311. 311Chapter XII — Disorder a Partisan of Order
  312. 312Chapter XIII — Passing Gleams
  313. 313Chapter XIV — Wherein Will Appear the Name of Enjolras’ Mistress
  314. 314Chapter XV — Gavroche Outside
  315. 315Chapter XVI — How From a Brother One Becomes a Father
  316. 316Chapter XVII — Mortuus Pater Filium Moriturum Expectat
  317. 317Chapter XVIII — The Vulture Become Prey
  318. 318Chapter XIX — Jean Valjean Takes His Revenge
  319. 319Chapter XX — The Dead Are in the Right and the Living Are Not in th…
  320. 320Chapter XXI — The Heroes
  321. 321Chapter XXII — Foot to Foot
  322. 322Chapter XXIII — Orestes Fasting and Pylades Drunk
  323. 323Chapter XXIV — Prisoner
  324. 324Book Second — The Intestine of the Leviathan
  325. 325Chapter II — Ancient History of the Sewer
  326. 326Chapter III — Bruneseau
  327. 327Chapter IV
  328. 328Chapter V — Present Progress
  329. 329Chapter VI — Future Progress
  330. 330Book Third — Mud but the Soul
  331. 331Chapter II — Explanation
  332. 332Chapter III — The “Spun” Man
  333. 333Chapter IV — He Also Bears His Cross
  334. 334Chapter V — In the Case of Sand as in That of Woman, There Is a Fin…
  335. 335Chapter VI — The Fontis
  336. 336Chapter VII — One Sometimes Runs Aground When One Fancies That One…
  337. 337Chapter VIII — The Torn Coat-Tail
  338. 338Chapter IX — Marius Produces on Some One Who Is a Judge of the Matt…
  339. 339Chapter X — Return of the Son Who Was Prodigal of His Life
  340. 340Chapter XI — Concussion in the Absolute
  341. 341Chapter XII — The Grandfather
  342. 342Book Fourth — Javert Derailed
  343. 343Book Fifth — Grandson and Grandfather
  344. 344Chapter II — Marius, Emerging From Civil War, Makes Ready for Domes…
  345. 345Chapter III — Marius Attacked
  346. 346Chapter IV — Mademoiselle Gillenormand Ends by No Longer Thinking I…
  347. 347Chapter V — Deposit Your Money in a Forest Rather Than With a Notary
  348. 348Chapter VI — The Two Old Men Do Everything, Each One After His Own…
  349. 349Chapter VII — The Effects of Dreams Mingled With Happiness
  350. 350Chapter VIII — Two Men Impossible to Find
  351. 351Book Sixth — The Sleepless Night
  352. 352Chapter II — Jean Valjean Still Wears His Arm in a Sling
  353. 353Chapter III — The Inseparable
  354. 354Chapter IV — The Immortal Liver
  355. 355Book Seventh — The Last Draught From the Cup
  356. 356Chapter II — The Obscurities Which a Revelation Can Contain
  357. 357Book Eighth — Fading Away of the Twilight
  358. 358Chapter II — Another Step Backwards
  359. 359Chapter III — They Recall the Garden of the Rue Plumet
  360. 360Chapter IV — Attraction and Extinction
  361. 361Book Ninth — Supreme Shadow, Supreme Dawn
  362. 362Chapter II — Last Flickerings of a Lamp Without Oil
  363. 363Chapter III — A Pen Is Heavy to the Man Who Lifted the Fauchelevent…
  364. 364Chapter IV — A Bottle of Ink Which Only Succeeded in Whitening
  365. 365Chapter V — A Night Behind Which There Is Day
  366. 366Chapter VI — The Grass Covers and the Rain Effaces
  367. 367Letter to M. Daelli

← Back to Les Misérables

Scroll to Top