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Les Miz Summary
Oh, my. Since I suck at summaries, I'll just use the one from the playbill (even though I don't like it that much... Grr.) Yes, this is the musical summary, to summarize the book would take too long, and 'sides, it's the same basic concept... Don't flame me! PROLOGUE: 1815, DIGNE Jean Valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, finds that the yellow ticket-of-leave he must, by law, display condemns him to be an outcast. Only the saintly Bishop of Digne treats him kindly and Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing some silver. Valjean is caught and brought back by police, and is astonished when the Bishop lies to the police to save him, also giving him two precious candlesticks. Valjean decides to start his life anew. 1823, MONTREUIL-SUR-MER Eight years have passed and Valjean, having broken his parole and changed his name to Monsieur Madeleine, has risen to become both a factory owner and Mayor. One of his workers, Fantine, has a secret illegitimate child. When the other women discover this, they demand her dismissal. The foreman, whose advances she has rejected, throws her out.
Desperate for money to pay for medicines for her daughter, Fantine sells her locket, her hair, and then joins the whores in selling herself. Utterly degraded by her new trade, she gets into a fight with a prospective customer and is about to be taken to prison by Javert when "The Mayor" arrives and demands she be taken to a hospital instead.
The Mayor then rescues a man pinned down by a runaway cart. Javert is reminded of the abnormal strength of convict 24601 Jean Valjean, a parole-breaker whom he has been tracking for years, but who, he says, has just been recaptured. Valjean, unable to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, confesses to the court that he is prisoner 24601.
At the hospital, Valjean promises the dying Fantine to find and look after her daughter Cosette. Javert arrives to arrest him, but Valjean escapes. 1823, MONTFERMEIL Young Cosette has been lodged for five years with the Thenardiers who run an inn, horribly abusing the little girl whom they use as a skivvy while indulging their own daughter, Eponine. Valjean finds Cosette fetching water in the dark. He pays the Thernardiers to let him take Cosette away and takes her to Paris. But Javert is still on his tail... PARIS, 1832 Nine years later there is a great unrest in the city because of the likely demise of the popular leader General Lamarque, the only man left in the Government who shows any feeling for the poor. The urchin Gavroche is in his element mixing with the whores and beggars of the capital. Among the street gangs is one led by Thernardier and his wife, which sets upon Jean Valjean and Cosette. They are rescued by Javert, who does not recognize Valjean until after he has made good his escape. The Thernardiers' daughter Eponine, who is secretly in love with the student Marius, reluctantly agrees to help him find Cosette, with whom he has fallen in love.
At a political meeting in a small cafe, a group of idealistic students prepare for the revolution they are sure will erupt on the death of General Lamarque. When Gavroche brings the news of the General's death, the students, led by Enjolras, stream out into the streets to whip up popular support. Only Marius is distracted by thoughts of the mysterious Cosette.
Cosette is consumed by thoughts of Marius, with whom she has fallen in love. Valjean realizes that his "daughter" is changing very quickly but refuses to tell her anything of her past. In spite of her own feelings for Marius, Eponine sadly brings him to Cosette and then prevents an attempt by her father's gang to rob Valjean's house. Valjean, convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country. On the eve of the revolution the students and Javert see the situation from their different viewpoints; Cosette and Marius part in despair of ever meeting again; Eponine mourns the loss of Marius; and Valjean looks forward to the security of exile. The Thernardiers, meanwhile, dream of rich pickings underground from the chaos to come. INTERMISSION PARIS The students prepare to build the barricade. Marius, noticing that Eponine has joined the insurrection, sends her with a letter to Cosette, which is intercepted at the Rue Plumet by Valjean. Eponine decides, despite what he has said to her, to rejoin Marius at the barricade. THE BARRICADES The barricade is built and the revolutionaries defy an army warning that they must give up or die. Gavroche exposes Javert as a police spy. In trying to return to the barricade Eponine is shot and killed. Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius. He is given the chance to kill Javert, but instead lets him go. THE BATTLE The students settle down for a night on the barricade and, in the quiet of the night, Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught which is to come. The next day, with ammunition running low, Gavroche runs out to collect more and is shot. The rebels are all killed, including their leader, Enjolras.
Valjean escapes into the sewers with the unconscious Marius. After meeting Thernardier, who is robbing the corpses of the rebels, he emerges into the light only to meet Javert once more. He pleads for time to deliver the young man to a hospital. Javert decides to let him go and, his unbending principles of justice having been shattered by Valjean's own mercy, he kills himself by throwing himself into the swollen River Seine. A number of Parisian women come to terms with the failed insurrection and its victims. Unaware of the identity of his rescuer, Marius recovers in Cosette's care. THE WEDDING Valjean confessed the truth of his past to Marius and insists that after the young couple are married, he must go away rather than taint the sanctity and safety of their union. At Marius' and Cosette's wedding the Thernardiers try to blackmail Marius. Thernardier says Cosette's "father" is a murderer and, as proof, produces a ring which he stole from the corpse in the sewers the night the barricades fell. It is Marius' own ring, and he realizes it was Valjean who rescued him that night. DEATH He and Cosette go to Valjean, where Cosette learns for the first time of her own history before the old man dies, joining the spirits of Fantine, Eponine and all those who died on the barricades. Les Miz Translated from French
I thought this was pretty funny. Google translated the French summary as is thus; some parts are exactly the same, whereas some are... well, see for yourself, some parts are funny.
PROLOGUE: 1815, WORTHY
Jean Valjean, in parole after 19 years spent to the bagne, discovers that the yellow passport that it must obligatorily present condemns it to be one bet. Only the Evêque saint of Worthy treats it with compassion but Jean Valjean, turned sour by years of deprivation, thanks it by concealing silverware to him. Valjean is stopped and brought back by the police force but, to her great astonishment, the Bishop lies to the police force to save it and gives him two invaluable candlesticks. Valjean decides to start again its life.
1823, Montreuil-on-sea
Eight years passed and Valjean, changed name to become Mr Madeleine. It succeeded in becoming owner of a factory and mayor of the city. One of its ouvriéres, Fantine, is mother of a secret held illegitimate child. When the other women learn it, they ask its reference. The foreman, of which it refused the advances, throws it to the street.
Fantine, needing hopelessly money to buy drugs for his/her daughter, sells her medallion, its hair then is obliged to be sold and becomes prostitute. Completely humiliated by what it undergoes, it disputes violently with a customer. She is about to be led in prison by Javert, when the Mayor intervenes and asks so that she be led to the hospital.
The Mayor saves then a man wedged under a cart whose horse packed. Javert remembers the force herculéenne of convict 24601 named Jean Valjean, whom it pursued during years and which comes just, with its statements, to be réincarcéré. Valjean, incompetent to let another man go in prison in his place, acknowledges at the court which he is prisoner 24601.
At the hospital, Valjean promises in Fantine on its bed of death to find and take care on his/her Cosette daughter. Javert is presented to stop it but Valjean escapes.
1823, MONTFERMEIL
Cosette was lodged during five years by Thénardier which hold an inn. They awfully maltreat the small girl whom they use as good with to do everything whereas they choient their own daughter, Eponine. Valjean discovers drawing Cosette of water in the black. It pays Thénardier to take Cosette and to take it along to Paris. But Javert always continues it...
PARIS, 1832
Last nine years later, the city is in agitation with the advertisement of the nearest death of the General Lamarque, a very popular man because it is only government to be been interested so much in the fate of is disinherited little.
Gavroche, a street urchin, is in its element in the medium of the prostitutes and the beggars of the capital. One of the bands of streets, directed by Thénardier and his wife attacks Jean Valjean and Cosette. They are saved by Javert which reconnait Valjean after celuici was run away. Eponine, the girl of Thénardier, is secretly in love with a student, Marius, whom it contributes to back-plate to find Cosette with which he is in love.
During a political meeting in a coffee, a group of idealistic students (friends of the ABC) prepare with the riot which will undoubtedly accompany death by the Lamarque General. When Gavroche brings the news of dead of the General, the students, with at their Enjolras head, precipitate in the streets to stimulate the people and to urge it to join them. Seul Marius is inattentive, the spirit monopolized by mysterious Cosette.
Cosette burns love for Marius. Valjean realizes of the fast changes which have occurred in his/her "daughter" but it refuses to reveal its past to him. In spite of the feelings which it tests for Marius, Eponine sadly leads it towards Cosette then prevents the band of his/her father from plundering the house of Valjean. This one persuaded that it is Javert which rôdait around its house, warns Cosette which they must prepare to leave France. The evening of the riot, the students and Javert analyze the situation from their respective points of view. Cosette and Marius separate, desperate with the idea to be re-examined never again; Eponine cries the loss of Marius and Jean Valjean is delighted with the prospect to find safety in the exile. During this time, Thénardier imagine already that chaos to come will pay to them large.
The students prepare to set up their barricade. Marius, indicator that Eponine joined the insurrection, gives a letter for Cosette to him that Valjean intercepts, street Plumet. Eponine decides to join Marius on the barricade in spite of the danger. The barricade is drawn up and the revolutionists defy the National Guards which summon them to go or to die. Gavroche denounces Javert as spy of the police force. Eponine is killed while trying to join the barricade. Valjean in the search of Marius arrives at the barricade. It has the possibility of tor Javert but it lets it leave.
The students prepare to spend the night on the barricade and, in calms night, Valjean requests God to save Marius during next attacks. The next day, whereas the ammunition decrease, Gavroche threads with discovered to collect some and is tuseé on the barricade. Then all the insurrectionists fall á their turn, including their Enjolras head. Valjean flees by the sewers while carrying unconscious Marius. It recontre Thénardier stripping the corpses of the rebels, then emerges at the great day when it runs up once again against Javert. It asks him to let it lead the young man to the hospital. In spite of the rigidity of its principles, Javert accepts. Attacked then by the remorse, it commits suicide while being thrown in water of the Seine. Being unaware of the identity of his saver, Marius is restored thanks to the good care of Cosette. Valjean reveals the truth on its past with Marius and insists to move away after the marriage from the young couple in order not to tarnish the harmony and the safety of their union. The day of the marriage of Cosette and Marius, Thénardier try to make sing Marius. Thénardier affirms to him that the "father" of Cosette is a murderer and as proof present a ring which it stole on a corpse in the sewers the night when the barricade fell. Marius reconnait his ring and carries out whereas it was saved this famous night by Jean Valjean. Marius and Cosette go to the bedside of Valjean which finally reveals in Cosette the history of its life. The old man dies happy, and its heart joined those of Fantine, Eponine and of all those which died on the barricades.
Fanfiction
Here's some fanfiction/poems that I've written about Les Miz: Watching the Rain (I am very proud to say that this fic is on LMFFI and is under Gavroche's section!) La Musique des Gamins Pamela (This fic is featured on LMFFI as well! ^_^)When Gavroche Comes to Visit...
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