Les Misérables, Volume 2
by Victor Hugo
'Les Misérables, Volume 2' Summary
Volume II: Cosette
Valjean escapes, is recaptured, and is sentenced to death. The king commutes his sentence to penal servitude for life. While imprisoned in the Bagne of Toulon, Valjean, at great personal risk, rescues a sailor caught in the ship's rigging. Spectators call for his release. Valjean fakes his own death by allowing himself to fall into the ocean. Authorities report him dead and his body lost.
Valjean arrives at Montfermeil on Christmas Eve. He finds Cosette fetching water in the woods alone and walks with her to the inn. He orders a meal and observes how the Thénardiers abuse her, while pampering their own daughters Éponine and Azelma, who mistreat Cosette for playing with their doll. Valjean leaves and returns to make Cosette a present of an expensive new doll which, after some hesitation, she happily accepts. Éponine and Azelma are envious. Madame Thénardier is furious with Valjean, while her husband makes light of Valjean's behaviour, caring only that he pay for his food and lodging.
The next morning, Valjean informs the Thénardiers that he wants to take Cosette with him. Madame Thénardier immediately accepts, while Thénardier pretends to love Cosette and be concerned for her welfare, reluctant to give her up. Valjean pays the Thénardiers 1,500 francs, and he and Cosette leave the inn. Thénardier, hoping to swindle more out of Valjean, runs after them, holding the 1,500 francs, and tells Valjean he wants Cosette back. He informs Valjean that he cannot release Cosette without a note from the child's mother. Valjean hands Thénardier Fantine's letter authorizing the bearer to take Cosette. Thénardier then demands that Valjean pay a thousand crowns, but Valjean and Cosette leave. Thénardier regrets that he did not bring his gun and turns back toward home.
Valjean and Cosette flee to Paris. Valjean rents new lodgings at Gorbeau House, where he and Cosette live happily. However, Javert discovers Valjean's lodgings there a few months later. Valjean takes Cosette and they try to escape from Javert. They soon find shelter in the Petit-Picpus convent with the help of Fauchelevent, the man whom Valjean once rescued from being crushed under a cart and who has become the convent's gardener. Valjean also becomes a gardener and Cosette becomes a student at the convent school.
Book Details
Authors
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...
Books by Victor HugoDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Christmas Eve. Guests round a fireside begin telling each other ghost stories. One of them relates a true incident involving the governess of his litt...
Chronicles of Canada Volume 27 - The Winning of Popular Government: A Chronicle of the Union of 1841 by Archibald MacMechan
In the 1830's, Canada was a ideologically divided country. Political upheaval and even riots occurred over Canada's future. Would it remain a subsidia...
Le Loup blanc by Paul Féval, père
Un captivant récit d'aventure pour. Le Loup blanc est un roman palpitant écrit par Paul Féval, père, un auteur renommé du 19e siècle. Publié pour la p...
Martyrdom of Man by William Winwood Reade
The Martyrdom of Man, written by William Winwood Reade in 1872, is a comprehensive and expansive work exploring the history of humanity from a secular...
Gray Lensman by E. E. Smith
It is an exciting science fiction novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey across the cosmos. This book captivates young readers with its blend...
Metamorphoses by Ovid (Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō)
The Metamorphoses is an 8 AD Latin narrative poem by the Roman poet Ovid, considered his magnum opus. Comprising 11,995 lines, 15 books and over 250 m...
England Since Waterloo by John Arthur Ransome Marriott
Sir John Arthur Ransome Marriott's "England Since Waterloo" is a comprehensive historical account of Britain during the 19th century. The book begins...
War and Peace Vol. 1 (Dole Translation) by Leo Tolstoy
'War and Peace' is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. It depicts Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows the lives of fi...
Short History of the World by H. G. Wells
'A Short History of the World' by H.G. Wells offers a comprehensive overview of human history, encompassing a vast span from the formation of the Eart...
Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun
Growth of the Soil is an epic novel about the life of a pioneer farmer in the Norwegian countryside. The novel follows the protagonist, Isak, as he st...
Reviews for Les Misérables, Volume 2
No reviews posted or approved, yet...