Les Miserables, Volume 5
by Victor Hugo
'Les Miserables, Volume 5 ' Summary
Valjean arrives at the barricade and immediately saves a man's life. He is still not certain if he wants to protect Marius or kill him. Marius recognizes Valjean at first sight. Enjolras announces that they are almost out of cartridges. When Gavroche goes outside the barricade to collect more ammunition from the dead National Guardsmen, he is shot dead.
Valjean volunteers to execute Javert himself, and Enjolras grants permission. Valjean takes Javert out of sight, and then shoots into the air while letting him go. Marius mistakenly believes that Valjean has killed Javert. As the barricade falls, Valjean carries off the injured and unconscious Marius. All the other students are killed. Valjean escapes through the sewers, carrying Marius's body. He evades a police patrol, and reaches an exit gate but finds it locked. Thénardier emerges from the darkness. Valjean recognizes Thénardier, but Thénardier does not recognize Valjean. Thinking Valjean a murderer lugging his victim's corpse, Thénardier offers to open the gate for money. As he searches Valjean and Marius's pockets, he surreptitiously tears off a piece of Marius's coat so he can later find out his identity. Thénardier takes the thirty francs he finds, opens the gate, and allows Valjean to leave, expecting Valjean's emergence from the sewer will distract the police who have been pursuing him.
Upon exiting, Valjean encounters Javert and requests time to return Marius to his family before surrendering to him. Surprisingly Javert agrees, assuming that Marius will be dead within minutes. After leaving Marius at his grandfather's house, Valjean asks to be allowed a brief visit to his own home, and Javert agrees. There, Javert tells Valjean he will wait for him in the street, but when Valjean scans the street from the landing window he finds Javert has gone. Javert walks down the street, realizing that he is caught between his strict belief in the law and the mercy Valjean has shown him. He feels he can no longer give Valjean up to the authorities but also cannot ignore his duty to the law. Unable to cope with this dilemma, Javert commits suicide by throwing himself into the Seine.
Marius slowly recovers from his injuries. As he and Cosette make wedding preparations, Valjean endows them with a fortune of nearly 600,000 francs. As their wedding party winds through Paris during Mardi Gras festivities, Valjean is spotted by Thénardier, who then orders Azelma to follow him. After the wedding, Valjean confesses to Marius that he is an ex-convict. Marius is horrified, assumes the worst about Valjean's moral character, and contrives to limit Valjean's time with Cosette. Valjean accedes to Marius' judgment and his separation from Cosette. Valjean loses the will to live and retires to his bed.
Book Details
Author
Victor Hugo
France
Victor-Marie Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic Movement. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote abundantly in an exceptional variety of gen...
More on Victor HugoDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Guy Garrick by Arthur B. Reeve
This is a gripping detective mystery that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the world of crime and investigation. Written by the esteemed a...
The Heirloom by T. Duthie-Lisle
It tells the story of a family heirloom passed down through generations and the impact it has on the lives of those who possess it. The book was writ...
In the Year of Jubilee by George Gissing
In the Year of Jubilee is the thirteenth novel by English author George Gissing. First published in 1894. In the summer of 1893 Gissing returned...
Eve's Diary by Mark Twain
"Eve's Diary" is a comic short story by Mark Twain. It was first published in the 1905 Christmas issue of the magazine Harper's Bazaar, in book format...
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
This is a timeless classic that explores the contrasting nature of two sisters and their divergent approaches to life and love. Written by the esteeme...
Poor White: a Novel by Sherwood Anderson
It explores the lives of the lower class in the early 20th century. Set in a small town in Ohio, the book follows the story of Hugh McVey, a young man...
Don Bonifacio by José Milla y Vidaurre
Adéntrate en el cautivador mundo de "Don Bonifacio" de José Milla y Vidaurre, una novela que te sumergirá en un torbellino de emociones y secretos en...
Victory by Lester Del Rey
In the gripping science fiction novel "Victory" by Lester del Rey, humanity's survival hangs in the balance as a desperate battle unfolds on an alien...
Verspreide verhalen by A. L. G. Bosboom-Toussaint
Ontdek de betoverende wereld van A.L.G. Bosboom-Toussaint in haar meesterwerk "Verspreide verhalen". Laat je meeslepen door de briljante verhalen van...
Mary Marston by George MacDonald
It is a story of a woman who loves a man, and teaches him to change. Not out of his love for her, but simply because it was the right thing to do.
Reviews for Les Miserables, Volume 5
No reviews posted or approved, yet...