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Welcome to the website for "The Les Misérables Reading Companion," where you'll find all the episodes of this podcast about Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, plus extras relating to what I've discussed there. 

This page is a work in progress. Come back early and often for updates!

The comment function on this page was giving us trouble--comments disappearing, that sort of thing--so I've shut it off...

BUT DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! You can share your thoughts about the book on Facebook or Twitter at the links below.

I still very much look forward to reading your comments! (Unless you're a troll; I will exercise ruthless editorial authority when it comes to trolls!)

 

Episode 60 extras

Aug 1, 2019

Here's some more information about Victor Hugo's Poor Children's Dinners.

Now that we're "done" (we'll never be done) with Les Misérables, is there something else you'd like to see in this feed? Let me know at the links above!

It's been a pleasure reading with...


Episode 59 extras

Jul 19, 2019

Here's what the last page of the manuscript looks like: 

(source)

You can see here that Hugo originally had a different epitaph, which he crossed out. It reads:

"Il dort paisible après un sombre et long martyre.

Quand il n'eut plus son ange, il mourut sans rien dire;

La chose simplement d'elle-même arriva,

Comme la...


Episode 58 extras

Jul 18, 2019

In addition to writing, Hugo could do other things with ink--here are some of his drawings, along with a bit of discussion of them.

 


Episod 57 extras

Jul 14, 2019

Today, too, there's nothing in particular outside the text to send you to for further exploration.

I think it's interesting that this starts to be the case at this point--the novel, like Jean Valjean's life, starts to contract, and be more closed in on itself, rather than expanding in every direction into the real...


Episode 56 extras

Jul 13, 2019

No particular extras for this, but, if you watched the recent adaptation of Les Misérables on the BBC/PBS, you might be entertained to look back at my comments on their episode 6, as they pertain to this scene, now that you've read it.....