In Which Stephen Plans His Hiatus and Reflects on the Meaning of LES MISERABLES

"The book the reader has now before his eyes  - from one end to the other, in its whole and in its details, whatever the omissions, the exceptions, or the faults - is the march from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from the false to the true, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from rottenness to life, from brutality to duty, from Hell to Heaven, from nothingness to God. Starting point: matter; goal: the soul. Hydra at the beginning, angel at the end."

- Victor Hugo (V.1.xx)

Day Count: 148

Page Count: 1305

Had I stuck to my initial "ten-pages-a-day" plan that I started with at the beginning of the year, I'd have finished reading Les Miserables yesterday. As it stands, I managed to fall a bit behind with the stress of finishing out the school year and still have somewhere around 160 pages left between myself and the finale. My goal is to have the novel finished before mid-June, which seems a completely realistic goal.

The best part about being a teacher is having several weeks off in the summer, time I plan to use to get some reading done. After Les Miserables, I plan to take a one month hiatus from the works of Hugo (returning in July to read Notre-Dame-de-Paris a.k.a. The Hunchback of Notre Dame), during which time I'll likely tackle The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (if for no other reason than to find out what all the fuss is about). No, it's not "great literature" and I will likely not be blogging or tweeting through my reading of those books, but - the way I figure it - when you finish a meal, you get dessert, something light, sweet, and not necessarily nutritious, as a capper for your meal. The way I see it, The Hunger Games is my slice of cheesecake after the multi-course dinner that was Les Miserables.

The quote I used to start this post is taken from the first book of Volume Five (the volume named after the chief protagonist of Les Miserables, Jean Valjean) in the midst of a discussion of the need for Progress. As soon as I read it, I recognized it as Hugo's statement of purpose, something akin to a thesis statement for his novel as a whole.

Renown more in France for his activism and poetry than his novels, Hugo spoke out against the debasement of the poor in Paris that occurred even in his lifetime. In fact, every character in the novel fits into the category (at one time or another throughout the narrative) as one of "The Wretched Poor," which, coincidentally, is one of the American translations of the title Les Miserables.  Valjean was a convict; Javert, the son of two gypsy criminals; Fantine is forced into prostitution to care for her daughter; Cosette, that daughter grows up unloved and uncared for until meeting Valjean; the Thenardiers are greedy and deceptive, but live in abject poverty; Marius rejects his wealthy grandfather for the life of freedom, that is to say, the life of the impoverished. By making the poor characters that were both (a.) accurately poor (Hugo caught a lot of flack for allowing certain characters - i.e. Thenardier and his gang - to speak in argot, the language of the convict) and (b.) undeniably human, Hugo is able to open people's eyes - both then and now - to the realities of the life of the poor.

In fact, the only character in Les Miserables who was not at one time poor was the Bishop of Digne who, it will be remembered, stands out to my mind as one of the most ideally Christian characters I've ever encountered in literature. While the Bishop is a man of some means (by virtue of his position), he gives all that he has to those who fit the category of "The Wretched Poor." His house he gives to the neighboring hospital, the trappings of his parish he gives to a band of rebels, and - perhaps most famously - he gives his silverware and candlesticks to a former convict by the name of Jean Valjean. It seems clear - even from the beginning - that the Bishop of Digne is the 'ideal' to which the reader ought to desire to aspire, just as Jean Valjean does. The novel then depicts Valjean's ascent to that ideal - transforming "from evil to good." Would that we all were so motivated to aspire so highly.

At any rate, those are my thoughts for today. See you next time!

Thoughts on LES MIS Film Casting (Part Three): And All the Rest...

"Never among animals does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey. That is only seen among men."

- Victor Hugo (III.8.iv)

Day Count: 84

Page Count: 743

Just over the halfway point in Les Miserables and I am as entranced with it as I was when I began. I have recently been reintroduced to the character of Eponine (at least, I assume that's who she is) and the story is progressing well. This particular part of the novel seems altogether new to me, as it addresses aspects that are rarely - if ever - touched on in the adaptations of the novel I've seen. That's been exciting to experience.

But there are still a few more characters to highlight in my "Thoughts on LES MIS Film Casting" series (which has between the first two posts, drawn almost 120 people to this sight - more than any single post since I started this blog back in October of 2010) and I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone who absolutely MUST hear my ramblings. So, without any further ado, here we go!

Aaron Tveit will play the revolutionary Enjolras.

The first time I saw the musical Les Miserables, I didn't much care for the role of Enjolras, the leader of the revolutionary Friends of the ABC (which, in French is pronounced ah-bay-say, or abaissé which, in English, translates to 'the abased'). The character seemed like little more than a stuffed shirt, a static headstrong idealist. And I'd pretty much felt that way consistently... until I saw the 25th Anniversary Concert and the performance of Canadian actor-singer Ramin Karimloo.

Ramin's performance in that concert was the an eye-opening experience for me in that I realized that Enjolras could be a character played with depth and dimension beyond that of "I'm headstrong and idealistic." When it came to an actor that, for me, embodied the role, I really could think of no one better than Mr. Karimloo.

Hooper, Mackintosh, and company, however, decided on heartthrob actor Aaron Tveit for the role. Much like Eddie Redmayne, their choice for Marius, I know little-to-nothing about Tveit or his work. Having seen none of his television and film work and being unfamiliar with his theatrical endeavors, I had to go digging for information.

Apparently, Tveit is best known for guest roles on shows like Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty as well as originating roles in critically-acclaimed Broadway musicals like Next to Normal and Catch Me If You Can. He's also performed in revivals of Wicked (Fiyero), Hairspray (Link), and Rent (Roger). With this kind of Broadway star power, it seems likely that Tveit should have little to no problem with the role of Enjolras.

Film newcomer Daniel Huttlestone will play Little Gavroche the gamin.

I will admit that I do not know a great deal yet about the character of Little Gavroche, as my reading in the text has yet to lead me to a great many details about him. The character I know from the musical, however, is a loveable scamp, living life on the streets, the life of a gamin - a life which Hugo goes to great lengths to capture in the novel.

Like the character of Gavroche, it's difficult to know much about nine-year-old Daniel Huttlestone who has recently been cast in the role. Huttlestone has made a bit of a splash playing the role of Nipper in the UK revival of Oliver! opposite Rowan Atkinson's Fagin. According to The Daily Mail, Huttlestone captured the attention of the audience immediately, which more than likely lead to his casting in Les Mis.

I don't have a problem with child actors per se... it's just that most of the time, their performance takes away from the overall film. You can tell they are children reading lines rather than children experiencing what's going on with the film. The few child actors that have managed to do something substantial or lead to an audience to believe they are experiencing what they're meant to be experiencing grow up and become fair-to-mediocre performers. 

I remain reticent of Huttlestone's casting until I see the film. Granted, the role of Gavroche, to my mind, will be less without the full version of "Little People" (as sung in the Original London Cast Recording). This song comes practically right out of the novel, from Hugo's discussion of the gamin (urchin) of Paris, and - to my mind - expresses one of the major themes of the novel: the plight of les miserables, the miserable ones, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the abaissé. To take it out of the musical subtracts an important thematic element from the show. (Just my opinion, though. What do I know? I'm just a community theatre actor and classic lit enthusiast.)

George Blagden will play the frequently inebriated Grantaire.

Grantaire, one of the Friends of the ABC, is a bit of an anomaly amongst the group. While the others firmly and adamantly believe in the cause they are fighting for, Grantaire exhibits the nihilistic tendency of believing in nothing. No, what brings Grantaire to the group is his profound admiration of Enjolras, an attraction that Hugo explains thusly:

"Grantaire admired, loved, and venerated Enjolras. To whom did this anarchical doubter ally himself in this phalanx of absolute minds? To the most absolute. In what way did Enjolras subjugate him? By ideas? No. Through character. A phenomenon often seen. A skeptic adhering to a believer is as simple as the law of complementary colors. What we lack attracts us. Nobody loves the light like a blind man. The dwarf adores the drum major. The toad is always looking up at the sky. Why? To see the bird fly. Grantaire, crawling with doubt, loved to see faith soaring in Enjolras. He needed Enjolras. ... Instinctively, he admired his opposite." (III.4.i)

 While this doesn't necessarily come across in the musical (Grantaire is used predominantly for comic relief amid the idealistic Enjolras and lovesick Marius), it is too great a character aspect to pass over. While the only thing I've seen of George Blagden - the actor cast to play him - is this short film on YouTube, he is currently playing the sure-to-inspire role of Soldier #1 in Wrath of the Titans.

Original London & Broadway Valjean Colm Wilkinson will portray the Bishop of Digne.

It happens almost all the time. Whenever successful musicals get converted into movies, the producers try to appeal to fans of the original production by casting members of the original cast in the show. Whether it's Brad Oscar (the original Franz Liebkind) as the cab driver in The Producers or original Velma Kelly Chita Rivera playing an inmate in Chicago, there's something of a precedent. This is why it was something less than surprising when it was announced that the man who originated the role of Jean Valjean both in London and on Broadway, Colm Wilkinson, was to be cast as the Bishop of Digne.

While the Bishop of Digne is a relatively minor role in the musical - singing in only two songs, "One Parole" and "Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven" - he is the person that kick-starts the entire action of the entire story. I do have to say, as I've mentioned before, that the Bishop of Digne has become one of my favorite literary characters and one of the most accurate examples of ideal Christianity that I have ever seen depicted in literature. This may be the one role that I'm not in the least bit worried about. Colm was the Valjean and he is going to bring the full force of his passion, intensity, and incomparable talent to the role of the Bishop of Digne.

Well, that's all I've got to say on the subject. Agree? Disagree? Just want to make your voice heard? Then, by all means, feel free to comment or, if you want to follow my progress-through-quotes of my own reading of Les Miserables, feel free to follow me on Twitter, @HurdlingHugo. Thanks for reading!

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Read the rest of this series:

- Part One: Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Eponine

- Part Two: Cosette, Marius, and the Thenardiers 

Picking Up the Ball & Attempting to Run With It

"Jean Valjean had this trait, that he might be said to carry two knapsacks - in one he had the thoughts of a saint, in the other the impressive talents of a convict. He helped himself from one or the other as occasion required."

- Victor Hugo (II.5.v)

Day Count: 51

Page Count: 464

Well... I've certainly been remiss in my updating, haven't I? In the 47 days since my last update, a lot has happened - I've wrapped up production on a fantastic community theatre play (which you can read about here and here should you feel so inclined), made what I consider to be some great strides in my professional life, and - of course! - have continued my trek through Les Misérables.

For a while (before we got into Hell Week on the last play), I had even managed to jump ahead of my early, unspoken goal of knocking back ten pages a night. With the hectic and often demanding nature of live theatre, the impressive lead I once enjoyed has been pared back to a just-shy-of-daunting setback, one I look forward to rectifying in the days and weeks to come!

One thing that I have noticed consistently about Hugo's prose is the power of his simplicity. Hugo doesn't use a lot of flowery verbiage and poetic language. Rather, he sticks to very clear, concise language, often keeping dialogue to a minimum in favor of creating a certain mood. Whether it is the overwhelming suspense created by carefully outlining a darkened Parisian street or the tragic heartache of a child having grown up without love, Hugo knows exactly how to evoke the appropriate emotional response from his audience. There have been moments where I just cannot help but marvel at the man's ability to so seamlessly craft a scene that can put even the most detail-oriented filmmakers to shame. (*coffcoffStanleyKubrickcoffcoffDavidOSelznickcoffcoff*)

Another thing I've loved so far about this reading experience is the fact that, much like the men and women who appeared in War & Peace and Anna Karenina, Hugo's characters are fully formed, not caricatures or stock characters, but real people who respond to each situation with the full force of their own humanity. We are shown the inner turmoil of a man striving to live according the higher standard to which he has been called; a self-righteous inspector who unwaveringly upholds the law his own family so carelessly disregarded; a pair of seasoned con artists weaving their trail of deceit throughout France; a woman abandoned by love who somehow manages to cling to the thinnest shreds of hope; and a small child growing up unloved and unwanted, becoming an unwitting pawn in a short-sighted long con.

These are my inadequate facsimiles of the masterfully crafted characters that Hugo presents to his audience. At times, they are courageous; at others, they are pitiful. Other times, they are heart-breaking; still others, they are life-affirming. What they are never, however, is boring.

Perhaps my favorite of these characters - so far - is the man I quoted in my first Les Mis post some 47 days ago and the man whose singular act of grace becomes the catalyst for the entire action of the novel - the Bishop of Digne. Never before have I seen a character that is at once so human and so challenging. He is, as near as I can tell, one of the most potent and accurate examples of the Christian ideal as I have ever read in literature (discounting the Scriptures, of course). His consistent outpouring of love for all - not merely the wealthy or the politically powerful or even the ones who agree with him - is what ultimately sets the novel in motion when he encounters a lowly convict named Jean Valjean and purchases his soul with forgiveness and silver. A more fitting beginning to a book I have not yet read... and never before has a fictional character so motivated me to look at my own faith as a result.

I feel as though I've accomplished much in the last 51 days of reading Les Mis... but I still have quite a ways to go!

More to come...