Congratulations to everyone participating in the Les Misérables Chapter-a-Day Read-along! You’re halfway done! Yesterday marked chapter 183, just over halfway through the 365 chapters of Les Misérables. If you’re on schedule, then you’re in the middle of Volume 3, Book 5, Virtue in Adversity. This is one of my favorite books in the novel because of the way Marius learns from his poverty, and because I think it embodies the core of Hugo’s message. I think if Hugo were to subtitle the book, then Virtue in Adversity would make a good one: Les Misérables – Virtue in Adversity. Actually I think I prefer the older translation here, though maybe it’s not as accurate: Les Misérables – The Excellence of Misfortune. In either case, I think it expresses what each of us knows through experience: that life is hard, but our misfortunes and sufferings make us stronger and have eternal implications. As Valjean tells Fantine earlier in the novel, “You see, the hell that is behind you now is the first form of heaven. You had to start there.”
By this point in the book, Hugo has basically set up the rest of the novel and the plot will continue to build. We are halfway through the book, and yet some of the most iconic and memorable scenes are yet to come.
I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but I’ve had a significant change to my professional life that, while very exciting, has prevented me from reading and writing about books as much as I would like. After twenty-seven years teaching and working as vice principal at All Saints Catholic School, I was recently appointed principal of St. John Vianney Catholic School. It’s a wonderful opportunity, but it has filled many of the hours that I would devote to reading and blogging. Not to worry, though. I am committed to seeing the Les Misérables Chapter-a-Day Read-along to through the end. I’m still on schedule, and I continue to post a quote a day on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #lesmisreadalong. I am not able to write an article a week like I was earlier this year, but I will write about Les Mis when I can. And I will definitely work toward some kind of reading event at the end of the year–maybe a live reading of the final chapter. Thanks for your understanding, and I hope your read-along continues to be fruitful.
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Congratulations on your new job! I am still plugging along and looking forward to the second half! Allons-y!
As you can see by me just catching up with your half-way post, I more than understand how our bust lives get in the way of blogging. Congratulations on your new (ish) appointment. As a former teacher, I appreciate the extra work that your new position would entail.
As an aside, my best friend’s name is Vianney, she’s never met another Vianney, although the occasional Catholic school here has it as part of their name too.
Your constant tweeting (as well as Rick) about Les Mis has kept me going during the tougher passages and when my own life has got hectic. Thank you. I look forward to a coming together post of some kind at the end (to catch all the time zones, would it be possible to have something that was late on the 31st for me and earlier (timewise) during the day as we head around the globe?)