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Les Misérables
Victor Hugo
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
The bishop's candlesticks
Why does the Bishop of Digne's mercy change Jean Valjean's life?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the episode with Petit-Gervais, just after?
- Can one act of grace really change a person?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
Why does the Bishop of Digne's mercy change Jean Valjean's life?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the episode with Petit-Gervais, just after?
- Can one act of grace really change a person?
Is Javert a villain, or a man of principle?
Keep the conversation going
- What makes him unable to accept Valjean's mercy?
- How did you read his end at the Seine?
Who is responsible for Fantine's fall?
Keep the conversation going
- What does her story say about the choices open to poor women?
- What does Valjean owe her, and how does he repay it?
How does Valjean's love for Cosette change him?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the Thénardiers and Cosette's childhood with them?
- Is Valjean's protectiveness a gift or a weight to her?
What do the students at the barricade die for, and was it worth it?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of Gavroche?
- Why does Marius join them?
What does Éponine's love for Marius show about sacrifice and hope?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does she help Marius find Cosette when it costs her so much?
- How does her story contrast with Cosette's?
Why does Hugo stop the story for Waterloo, the convents and the sewers of Paris?
Keep the conversation going
- Which of these digressions added most to your reading?
- How do they change the way you see the characters' struggles?
Why does Valjean tell Marius the truth about his past, knowing what it will cost him?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you feel about Marius's response, and his change of heart?
- What does Valjean's final peace say about the whole novel?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.