
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
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 Perilous Seat by Caroline Dale Snedeker
As Theria navigates the complexities of familial responsibilities, societal expectations, and her own desires, the narrative delves into the theme of...

House of Cobwebs and Other Stories by George Gissing
George Gissing, a prolific English writer, delves into the complexities of human nature in "House of Cobwebs and Other Stories." This collection showc...

An Iceland Fisherman by Pierre Loti
This takes readers on a captivating journey to the remote and unforgiving shores of Iceland. In this gripping tale, we follow the life of Yann Gaos, a...

Three Soldiers by John Dos Passos
Three Soldiers is a 1921 novel by American writer and critic John Dos Passos. It is one of the American war novels of the First World War, and remains...

Maid of Maiden Lane by Amelia E. Barr
Set in New York City during the late 18th century, "Maid of Maiden Lane" intertwines the political and social upheavals of the time with a captivating...

Wandering Jew, Part 1 by Eugène Sue
The Wandering Jew, condemned to wander the Earth, is tasked with protecting the Rennepont family. This Huguenot family, persecuted by the Jesuits unde...

It Is Never Too Late to Mend by Charles Reade
This is a gripping novel that delves into the themes of redemption and justice. Written by the renowned English author in 1856, this compelling work s...

Cádiz, Episodios Nacionales VIII, serie I by Benito Pérez Galdós
This novel delves into the tumultuous period of the Peninsular War, focusing on the city of Cádiz which became a refuge for Spain during the French in...

North By Night by Peter Burchard
In the gripping historical novel "North by Night" by Peter Burchard, a young slave named Jemmy embarks on a perilous journey towards freedom through t...

Les Miserables, Volume 4 by Victor Hugo
Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century...
Reviews for Les Miserables, Volume 5
No reviews posted or approved, yet...