Another Year Over...

almost...and a new one just about to begin!

So it's high time I sat down to write my 2018 summary post.

2018 was an odd year for me, full of personal challenges. I juggled, I compromised, I got on with it, I fell apart, I tried again, I reassessed, I held on tight, I let go. Through it all I lived, and loved and learnt.

I'm sure we all have years where things don't necessarily go to plan. Those years where we spend most of our time coping with the fallout from change, death and stress. It's one of the reasons why I love celebrating NYE. The new year promises a psychological reset, a do-over. It's a chance to reflect on the old year, then start again.

I've lived through enough NY's now to know that resolutions are very rarely kept and that changes almost never happen miraculously. But I still find it a time of hope. A chance to look forward.

But before I can do that, I need to review my year in books!

Today I'm in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, sweltering away thanks to a breathless 30℃ day. The promise of a storm is on the horizon and I'm counting down to a quiet NYE beer on the balcony with Mr Books.

According to Goodreads I have read 107 books this year. I gave 6 books a 5-star rating, 2 books a 2-star rating with everything else falling in between (except for the 20-odd books that I haven't finalised reviews for!)

My favourite and most memorable books for the year were Normal People by Sally Rooney, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry and Shokoofeh Azar's The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree.

Azar's book also won my favourite cover of the year award!

My best feel-good, spark-joy book for 2018 goes to both A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and Angela Thirkell's Northbridge Rectory.

I reviewed 85 books on my blog - 49 by female authors and 36 by men. Twenty-four of these books were written by Australian authors and twelve were books in translation. I read eighteen non-fiction titles. I lost count back in February of the number of picture books I read for work!

My longest book, at 1232 pages, was Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.

After 365 days, I have come to the end of my Les Miserables chapter-a-day readalong with Nick @One Catholic Life. It was an adventure as well as an exercise in patience and perseverance. A full review will be penned sometime in the NY.

Hopefully I will also finish David Bellos' The Novel of the Century: The Extraordinary Adventure of Les Miserables tonight as well. If I can achieve this I will have completed my Goodreads challenge of 110 books - although I also need to work out how to add multiple editions of books as being 'read'. I not only read the Norman Denny translation of Les Mis, I also referred to the Rose and Donoghue editions throughout the year. But right now I cannot make this happen on Goodreads. I have to assume that it's a weird time zone glitch. In Goodreads land it is still the 30th December, yet I marked my Denny edition as 'read' on the 31st Dec (which is what the date is here right now). My review notes exist in my time but not yet in Goodreads. I'm hoping that after 7pm (my time) I will be able to add the two other editions of Les Mis to my 'read' stats.

As a newbie to Les Mis, much of it was a fresh surprise. But I was amazed at how many ideas and half-truths I had formed about the story from simply being a member of the human race that interacts online, reads voraciously and loves a good meme/gif.

So I don't think I will spoil it for anyone else by jumping straight to the end.

I'm sure I will have a lot more to say about the tragedy and majesty of Jean Valjean's life in posts to come, but for now, I hope that when my time comes, that I can share Jean Valjean's simple epitaph - she lived. She loved.

It happened of itself, in the calm way

That in the evening night-time follows day.

But that is not the end after all!

Because tomorrow is a brand new year and Nick is kicking off a brand new chapter-a-day readalong. We voted and decided that we couldn't manage another 365 chapter book in 2019 (my War and Peace reread will have to wait for another year!) so instead we will be reading four books that add up to 365 chapters (bravo Nick for doing the maths!) 

The 2019 Chapter-a-Day Read-along looks a little like this:

• Don Quixote: January 1 to May 8 (126 chapters plus 2 prologues = 128 days)
• The Count of Monte Cristo: May 9 to September 2 (117 chapters = 117 days)
• Lilith: September 3 to October 19 (47 chapters = 47 days)
• The Old Curiosity Shop: October 20 to December 31 (73 chapters = 73 days)

I currently have Don Quixote and The Count of Monte Cristo on my TBR pile, so I will definitely join in for the first two books. The final two will depend on how my year is travelling and whether or not I have acquired a copy of the books in the meantime.

I'm rather nervous about Don Quixote as I have heard many mixed reports about it, but I hope that reading it with Nick & co will keep me going during any tough patches.

An hour after starting this post, Mr Books has finished water-blasting our sandstone pavers, the storm is still threatening to arrive and it is now beer o'clock on New Year's Eve in Australia.

Happy New Year one and all and let's do it all again in 2019!

Les Mis Chapter-a-Day Readalong Update

Life has been a bit crazy again this year, and lots of my good intentions for this blogging life have been curtailed, postponed or in a state of constant catch-up. But the one thing that has kept me going, albeit in fits and starts, is my chapter-a-day read of Les Miserables with Nick and friends from @One Catholic Life.

My last Les Mis check in post was way, way back in early April, which is when my chapter-a-day approach took it's first battering.

We had a three week trip to Japan planned. I didn't want to take a chunkster in my luggage, I also prefer to read books set in the country I'm travelling in at the time, so Les Mis was never going to work for a trip to Japan. I decided to read ahead before leaving.

Over two nights I read about 25 chapters. It was exciting, I felt that the pace picked up and the story was getting very interesting again as we got to back the main action of the story (and away from one of Hugo's very lengthy diversions). I loved seeing Valjean and Cosette settling into a more peaceful life in Vol 3, Book 5, getting to know each other and feel safe. Their life was frugal and inconspicuous.

The night time chase scene through the back streets of Paris in Book 6 was one of the high points in the story so far. So much tension, fear and suspense. It was easy to race through these chapters as I couldn't wait to see what happened next, and how or if, Valjean was going to escape the clutches of Javert once again.

But I did wonder at the time, how they might have been read differently and understood differently, if I had read them one at a time, slowly and thoughtfully.

Book 6 spent time LOTS of time discussing religion and one particular institution, the Petit-Picpus convent. I was glad to NOT be reading these chapters whilst on holiday. I found them dry and rather tedious, but knew that in the usual Hugo style, they were leading us slowly but surely to a point.

I did discover that there was no real Petit-Picpus convent thanks to this post at Carpe Horas and that there is a Les Mis fan community called Abaissé where some kind soul had posted a modern day photographic journey that showed the route of the Javert-Valjean chase. Lily Blackmore also has several Les Mis photo posts of her time in Paris in search of Les Mis connections. 

The love for this book runs deep and strong.

Book 7 in my Penguin edition of Les Mis, is treated as an afterthought by the translator, Norman Denny, and popped into the back of the book as Appendix A. A part of me can see why. Book 7 is another Hugo digression. This time into the nature of history, religion and faith. An interesting footnote into the mind and beliefs of the author, that reflected the times he lived through, but certainly not designed to make the reader feel like they can't wait to read the next chapter!

Since returning from Japan I have found it difficult to get back into a good routine.

June was a flurry of visits and weekends away. July saw the entire family sick with a nasty winter cold one after the other. And August was all about exams, as B18 studied for his final in-school exams.

I read Les Mis in fits and bursts throughout this time. Mostly it became a weekend thing where I would read all seven chapters in one hit. But I felt rather disconnected from the story and the readalong the entire time.

Last week I decided to reassert control over my Les Mis journey.

It was time to savour Hugo's work a chapter-a-day once again. With Vol 4, Book 3 I returned to reading this epic story little by little, one day at a time. Each night, before bed, I read my chapter. I'm trying to read each one carefully and thoughtfully.

And it has been a delight.

I have rediscovered the thrill I had at the beginning of the year.

The art of slow reading is not an easy path to follow, but I'm glad to be back on track. I can feel some of the year's stresses melting away, I'm feeling more connected and centred, my brain feels like it's working smarter and I've rediscovered the joy of reading (Les Mis).

As John Miedema, author of Slow Reading (2009) said,

If you want the deep experience of a book, if you want to internalise it, to mix an author's ideas with your own and make it a more personal experience, you have to read it slowly.

My hard-won tips for getting the most out of slow reading (Les Mis) are:

• Pick a time of the day that works best for you AND stick to it.
• Leave ALL devices in another room.
• Do a brief meditation or breathing exercise to calm your mind & focus your attention.
• Underline words or phrases that move you, that you don't know or want to research further.
• Read some chapters or sections aloud.
• Pause, consider, ponder, reflect.
• Be kind to yourself. There will be times when Slow Reading isn't possible. Don't beat yourself up if you're going through one of those times. Wait it out. You'll know when you're ready to Slow Read again. And you'll love & appreciate it even more when you return to it.

The Battle of Waterloo the Victor Hugo Way
Finally Facing My Waterloo
Birthday Check In
Week 2 Catch Up
Translations
Week 1 First Impressions
#lesmisreadalong

The Battle of Waterloo the Victor Hugo Way

I can't believe that readers past and present have complained about the (lengthy) Waterloo scenes in Les Miserables!

Actually, yes I can.

Battle scenes are not for everyone. Jumping back in time and breaking the narrative flow also annoys many readers. The sudden appearance of the writer in the story can also disconcert. But this is Victor Hugo and after 3 months in his company, I've already learnt that everything has a purpose.

I first became interested in the French Revolution when I read A Tale of Two Cities in my late teens. Since then I've read loads of fiction and non-fiction about this era - from Jeannette Winterson's The Passion to some of Max Gallo's fictionalised biographies (I can't believe I jettisoned these books during one of my moves after only reading two of them! What was I thinking?)

Because I stopped reading these books before Napoleon had reached Waterloo, my memory of what happened is pretty much left to the lyrics of ABBA's song of the same name!

It's hard to know if  Napoleon was a genius or a tyrant, a gifted leader or mad. It often depended on which side of the battle lines you were on as to how you perceived him and his actions.

However there is no denying that he changed the face of Europe and the very heart of France. He will now always be one of the big names of history; one of those larger-than-life personalities whose self-belief, courage to embrace change and sense of destiny combined to radically alter the course of history. Napoleon also became another prime example of the dangers of hubris for historians, philosophers and storytellers alike. Certainly Hugo could not resist.

Hugo visited the area in 1861 so that he could write these Waterloo chapters for Les Mis. His fictional account of the battle has long been considered inaccurate, and it certainly reads as a patriotic piece full of the usual propaganda of war and nationalism. However he,

stirred French passions with his emotive prose and there is no doubt that he considered Napoleon’s downfall as a national tragedy. He also lamented the manner in which the famous soldier was defeated and thought that he had been brought down by lesser men who owed more to chance than skill, writing scathingly: ‘It is not the victory of Europe over France, it is the complete, absolute, shattering, incontestable, final, supreme triumph of mediocrity over genius.’

La Guard Recule

In honour of his literary efforts, a subscription was raised in 1911 to build a monument near the Hotel des Colonnes in Mont St Jean where he stayed in 1861. Two world wars and lack of funds stalled the progress of the monument, until 1956. It is still not finished - a French cockerel statue is meant to adorn the top of the column.

Artists have also been drawn to recreating significant moments from this battle ever since.

V2 B1 C2 - Hougomont

Hougomont. It was a fateful place, the beginning of disaster, the first obstacle encountered at Waterloo by the great tree-feller of Europe whose name was Napoleon, the first knot to resist his axe.

Defence of the Chateau de Hougoumont by the flank Company, Coldstream Guards, 1815 - Denis Dighton

V2 B1 C3 - 18 June 1815

Had it not rained in the night of 17-18 June 1815, the future of Europe would have been different. A few drops of water, more or less, were what decided Napoleon's fate.

Image source

V2 B1 C5 - The Fog of War

After the fall of La-Haie-Sainte the battle hung in the balance. This middle phase, from midday until four o'clock, is indistinctly visible, shrouded in the fog of war. We have a glimpse of huge turmoil, a kaleidoscopic picture of outmoded military trappings, busbies, sabre-belts, crossed shoulder-straps, ammunition pouches, hussars' dolmans, wrinkled riding boots, heavy fringed shakos, the black tunics of Brunswick mingled with the scarlet of England.

Windmill at Quatre Bras during the Battle of Waterloo - Carle Vernet (c.1815-36)

Once again, I found myself fascinated by the translation choices throughout the 19 Waterloo chapters.

V2 B1 C9 - The Unexpected

I begin with Denny's translation as I found it to be the most powerful & poignant translation. What do you think?

What followed was appalling. This ravine, some fifteen feet deep between sheer banks, appeared suddenly at the feet of the leading horses, which reared and attempted to pull up but were thrust forward by those coming behind, so that the horse and rider fell and slid helplessly down, to be followed by others. The column had become a projectile, and the explosive force generated for the destruction of the enemy was now its own destroyer. That hideous gulf could only be crossed when it was filled. Horses and men poured into it, pounding each other into a solid mass of flesh, and when the level of the dead and the living had risen high enough the rest of the column passed over. In this fashion a third of Dubois's brigade was lost.

Donougher

This was a moment of horror. There, directly under the horses' hoofs, twelve feet deep between the double embankment, yawned the unexpected ravine. The second line drove the first into it, and the third drove the second. The horses reared then lunged backwards, landed on their rumps, slid with all four legs in the air, unseating and flettening their riders; unable to reverse, the whole column solely a projectile, the impetus gathered to trample the English now trampling the French. The inexorable ravine could only capitulate when filled. Riders and horses rolled pell-mell into the pit, crushing each other, together forming but one flesh, and when this trench was filled with living men they were trodden underfoot and the rest were able to pass. Almost a third of Dubois's brigade fell into that abyss.

Rose

The moment was horrifying. There was the ravine, unexpected, yawning right at the horses' hooves, two fathoms deep between its twin banks. The second row pushed the first in and the third pushed the second; the horses reared, threw themselves backwards, fell on their rumps, slid with their four feet in the air, knocking off and crushing their riders, no way of turning back. The entire column was now no more than a projectile, the force gathered to crush the English crushed the French, the inexorable ravine could surrender until it was filled, riders and horses rolled into it pell-mell, grinding each other, forming one flesh in this gulf, and when the pit was full of men still alive, they marched over them and the remainder followed suit. Almost a third of Dubois's brigade toppled into this abyss.

Fall at Ohain Road - image source

The Ravine of Waterloo (1895) by Ulpiano Checa 

What a ghastly way to die!

V2 B1 C13 - Catastrophe

The shadow of a momentous justice lay over Waterloo. It was the day of destiny, when a force greater than mankind prevailed....On that day the course of mankind was altered. Waterloo was the hinge of the nineteenth century. A great man had to disappear in order that a great century might be born.

Day of Destiny - David Cartwright 

V2 B1 C14 - The Last Square

By nine o'clock that evening only one square, at the foot of the plateau of the Mont St Jean, the slope scored by the hooves of the cuirassiers, was holding out against the concentrated artillery-fire of the victorious enemy.

The Battle of Waterloo, 16–19 June 1815, the Defeat of Kellerman's Cuirassiers - Thomas Sidney Cooper

Hugo finishes the battle scenes of Waterloo late in the evening of the 18th June with V2 B1 C19 - The Battlefield at Night. He tells us that

Every army has its camp-followers and it is these that we must look, to the bat-like creatures, half-ruffian, half-servant, engendered by the twilight of war, wearers of uniform who do no fighting, malingerers, venomous cripples, sutlers riding in small carts, sometimes with their women, who steal what later they sell, beggars offering their services as guides, rogues and vagabonds of all kinds.

Corpses Interred at Hougoumont 1816 - James Rouse

As I read this section I remembered Jeannette Winterson's The Passion which featured precisely these battlefield hanger-on-er's. It came as no surprise to see which one of our previous, less savoury characters was here, after the battle, picking pockets, with self-preservation and self-serving traits already on display.

And a new name - Pontmercy.

The battlefield of Waterloo was quickly turned into an historic monument. Just as quickly, different versions, opinions and interpretations were put about. All battles are messy, ugly, brutal places full of confusion and chaos. The loss of life is horrendous. The carnage and trauma is glorified so that all that loss and misery is not for nothing. Whether its the weather, fate, god, destiny or luck, reasons are looked for, as those left behind to deal with the clean up and their grief, try to find meaning and a sense of purpose.

The Lion Mound (Butte du Lion) was created from the ruins of the battlefield near Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium. Nearby is a rotunda that contains a massive panoramic painting of the battle by Louis Dumoulin. It consists of 14 panels. Two of the episodes are shown below.

Finally Facing My Waterloo

Birthday Check In

Week 2 Catch Up

Translations

Week 1 First Impressions

#lesmisreadalong

Finally Facing My Waterloo

AKA The End of Volume One of Les Miserables.

Or An Opportunistic Chance to Reference an ABBA Song!

My life continues its rather crazy, hectic pace at the moment. Everything feels rushed and harried...everything that is except my quiet time each most mornings when I sit down with my chapter of Les Mis. Slow reading our way through this glorious French classic has been my saving grace, my moment of peace and calm that I have come to look forward to immensely.

I may not get much time to tweet, visit other blogs or delve very deeply into each chapter, but when I do, I love seeing how everyone else is going and how they are approaching this year-long reading marathon.

Nick has created a fabulous post comparing the various movie versions of the candlestick scene. It was an interesting exercise, especially as I find myself continually comparing the translations used by various translators.

I started the year with my lovely hardback edition translated by Norman Denny. It had been sitting on my TBR shelf for quite a few years, so I'm thrilled to be finally getting into. Denny's use of language is formal but not difficult. I find it has a very 'classic' feel to it, which I appreciate when I'm reading, you know, a classic. However, he has also taken some liberties with his editing-as-he-goes approach. I wish the translator of my copy of Dostoyevsky's The Brother's K had been so kind! From all accounts, though, this is not great for Hugo or Les Mis. All his minutiae is necessary and deliberately included. Apparently!

A few weeks into January, the Julie Rose translation of Les Mis came my way (one of the advantages of working in a bookshop!). It's interesting to compare. Rose's translation is more casual and feels thorough but I still prefer the Denny version. However my translation curiosity was not sated by this little excursion. Au contraire.

As with the Russian writers a few years ago, I found myself caught up in which translation is really best for me.

My first dilemma occurred with the description of Madame Thenardier in V1 B4 C1. Denny says,

This Madame Thenardier was robust, big-boned and red-headed, a typical soldier's woman with the roughness characteristic of her kind...She was still young, not more than thirty. Had she been standing upright, instead of sitting crouched in the doorway, her height and general look of the fair-ground wrestler might have alarmed the stranger and so shaken her confidence as to prevent the events to be related from taking place. Destinies may be decided by the fact a person is seated and not standing.

Rose says,

This Madame Thenardier was a redhead, fleshy, yet bony; the soldier's-wife type in all its ghastliness....She was still young; had only just turned thirty. If the woman squatting had stood up, her height and her bearing, which were those of an ambulatory colossus fit for the fairground freak show, might well have frightened off the traveller, derailed her confidence, and caused what we are about to relate to vanish into thin air. Whether a person sits or stands - fate hangs by threads like these. 

Word order is different, as too is the description of M. Thenardier's height and girth. Fantine is described as a stranger and a traveller. Two, almost opposite ideas.

A few chapters later, I noticed V1 B5 C2 that Denny describes Pere Madeleine as someone who,

demanded goodwill from the men, pure morals from the women, and honesty from all.

Later in the chapter, the gossips referred to Madeleine as a 'businessman', 'a careerist', 'an adventurer' and 'a peasant.'

Meanwhile Rose tells us that he,

required goodwill of the men and pure morals of the women and honesty of everyone.

The gossips call him a 'trader', an 'ambitious' man, 'an adventurer' and 'a brute.'

How can one translator get 'peasant' and the other 'brute' from the same French word? One would is about class and the other about a physical description.

What was I too do?

Louise has been raving about her Christine Donougher edition the entire readalong. Enough so for me to search it out at work. Alas it was no longer in print in Australia...so I had to go to one of our overseas suppliers to find a copy. It was worth the effort.

It has deckled edges!

Have I ever told you all how much I adore deckled edges?

I'm also enjoying her translation. She says of Madame Thenardier that she was a,

brawny and angular sandy-haired woman, the archetypal soldier's wife in all her charmlessness....She was still young, barely thirty. Being very tall and built like a walking colossus such as you might expect to find in the fairground, this woman, who was squatting down, had she stood upright might perhaps have scared the traveller from the outset, undermined her trustfulness and forestalled what we have to relate. Someone sitting instead of standing - destinies hang on this.

Two redheads and one sandy haired Madame Thenardier?

What about Madeleine?

For Donougher he,

expected willingness of the men, respectability of the women, and honesty of everybody.

And the gossips thought he was a 'tradesman', 'an ambitious fellow',  'an adventurer' and 'a crass ignoramus'!

My confusion will never be resolved...unless I learn to read French myself!

The whole expected/required/demanded thing reminded me of the passage in Steinbeck's East of Eden where the various translations of the bible are discussed and how one word in one passage changes the intent and meaning in a profound way - the words being shall, must and may. I wonder what the French word was that can be translated in three such diverse ways?

After all that, I find that I'm now moving between Denny and Donougher depending on my mood on the day. If I have enough time, or the chapter is particularly short, I read both versions just to extend the Les Mis love a little longer. I only refer back to the Rose if I'm translation comparing a section or phrase that seemed starkly different in the first two.

Yes, I am a book geek!

So now we turn our eyes towards the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon.

In Part One we met Monsigneur Bienvenu, Jean Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, the Thenardier's and their daughters, Eponine and Azelma and finally Javert.

Who awaits us in Part Two?

Birthday Check In

Week 2 Catch Up

Translations

Week 1 First Impressions

#lesmisreadalong

Les Mis Birthday Check In

I'm 50 this weekend! Yes, really!

What better way to celebrate than with a fellow February birthday bedfellow (Victor Hugo will be 216 on the 26th Feb after all).

I knew I couldn't maintain the very impressive participation rate that I began the #LesMisReadalong with, although I did think at the time, that it might last a little longer than two weeks!

Last time we spoke we were slow reading our way through Book 1 - An Upright Man.
Let's catch up:

• It's 1815
• Monseigneur Bienvenu is a very good man
• Jean Valjean not so much
• Life in France for the poor & uneducated is very hard indeed 
• Jean Valjean steals the silverware
• Monseigneur Bienvenu is a very, very good man despite no longer having any silverware OR candlesticks to his name
• Two years pass
• Hello Paris!
• Four lads and their girls frolic in the springtime
• Fantine has a baby girl, Cosette
• That scoundrel, Tholomyes deserts them
• Fantine leaves Cosette (in what probably amounts to the worse decision ever made in the entire course of history) with the Thenardier's
• Cosette sweeps the pavement
• The locals call her the Lark, l'Alouette

This made me think of the French song that I learnt as a little girl Alouette. I found this rather funky version of the song....and quickly realised that it's not the sweet, happy song I thought it was!

Bird dismemberment 101 - who knew?
But now it suddenly seems even more applicable to Cosette's story.

We are now 42 days into the #LesMisReadalong which brings us to Vol 1 Book 5, which Denny translates as DEGRADATION and Rose calls THE DESCENT.

• Montreuil-sur-mer is a changed town, suddenly propserous
• But where is Fantine?
• A stranger, saves the Captain's children from a fire
• Who is this Pere Madeleine?
• A captain of industry
• Says NO to being Mayor
• Refuses royal honours
• In 1820 changes his mind

'A good mayor is a useful person. How can you hold back when you have the chance to do good?'

1792

• Could this be a reformed Jean Valjean?
• Vol 1 Book 5 Chapter 3 - Sums deposited with Laffitte
• YES
• 2 candlesticks on the mantelpiece 

Things I've learnt so far?

The translators often chose rather different words and phrases that created subtle differences in meaning and understanding. I suspect these findings will evolve into a much more comprehensive post at some point.

Twitter is a great forum for readalongs! Forget the hate and fake news and trolls. The #LesMisReadalong page is a fabulous source of fun, fellowship and information. Social media at it's very best.

How are you travelling so far?

Week 2 Catch Up
Translations
Week 1 First Impressions

#LesMisReadalong Week 2 Chapters & Catch-ups

Week Two is still all about The Bishop.

I would hate to suggest that he was wearing out his welcome (see what I did there?) but I'm wondering when we might actually meet one of the BIG name characters I've heard about via literary osmosis over the years. (I think I'm the only #LesMisReadalong participant who hasn't read the book before OR seen the movie OR the musical. Everything is new and unknown to me.)

Below are some of the quotes from each chapter that caught my attention.

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 8 A Philosopher in His Cups:

The Comte: 

There is neither good nor evil but only growth.

The immortality of man is a daydream, a soothing promise which you may believe if you choose.

In the end, whatever you do, the grave is waiting.

The only thing to do is live.

The man who has nothing else has God.

God is for the masses.

What was Hugo's relationship with Marxism I wonder?


Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 9 A Sister's Account of Her Brother:
Struggling to put aside my feminist lens as I read about 'two devoted women (who) subordinated their actions, their thoughts, even their timorous feminine instincts to his habits & purposes, without his needing to express them in words.'

And surely this was a ridiculous thing to say, even for it's time?

'that especial feminine genius which understands a man better than he understands himself.'

Although this attitude towards women is probably partly why Hugo was able to justify having so many extramarital affairs during his lifetime. 'They served him as the occasion required, and if the best obedience was to vanish from his sight they did so.'

 

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 10 The Bishop Confronted By a Strange Light:

The Comte___:

'...man is ruled by a tyrant whose name is Ignorance'

'Conscience is the amount of inner knowledge that we possess.'

  

'I voted for the overthrow of the tyrant - that is to say, for an end to the prostitution of women, the enslavement of men, the dark night of the child....I helped to bring about the downfall of prejudice & error.'

'The French Revolution was the anointing of humanity.'

The Comte also mentioned the case of Cartouche's brother being hanged by the armpits until dead as being as 'grievous' a crime as the 'innocent child martyred in the Temple for the crime of being the grandson of Louis XV'.

But who was Cartouche? And why was his younger brother hanged?

It turns out the Louis Dominique Garthausen, aka Bourguignon, aka Cartouche was the leader of a gang that terrorised Paris around 1719. He was eventually 'broken on the wheel' for his crimes in 1721.

For two widely different versions of Cartouche's life and crimes check out Executed Today and The Bandit of Paris. 

His brother's death sounded rather ghastly too. It was meant to be a non-fatal punishment/humiliation that involved being hanged under the armpits with the rope about his chest, for two hours. Unfortunately the weight of his body caused all the blood to run to his feet. He was cut down dead before the two hours time had passed.

It was a savage time indeed to be alive!

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 11 A Reservation:

A wealthy priest is a contradiction. A priest should be close to the poor.

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 12 The Loneliness of Monseigneur Bienvenu:

They confound the brilliance of the firmament with the star-shaped footprints of a duck in the mud.

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 13 What He Believed:

He believed as much as he could.

The Bishop's days overflowed with goodness of thought and word and action.

A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in - what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 14 What He Thought:

There are men who dig for gold; he dug for compassion.

But the REAL highlight about the end of Vol 1 Book 1 was a REAL life event. After being blogging buddies for about 7 years, Louise from A Strong Belief in Wicker and I finally met face to face.

It was an incredibly windy evening to be taking our copies of Les Mis on a ferry ride on Sydney Harbour, but we all survived intact! We enjoyed a fun evening talking books, blogging and life over a bottle of fine wine accompanied by some seriously delicious food (thank you Love.fish). Here's hoping it's the first of many such splendid catch-ups.

Louise has written a superb end of Vol 1 Book 1 wrap up post here.
Nick's Week One post about the Bishop is here, while his Week Two thoughts can be found here.

It's not too late to join in this magnificent readalong. Most of the chapters are only 2-3 pages long. Sixteen days in, I'm only up to page 82. If you've ever thought about reading this chunkster, but thought it was too overwhelming or too difficult, then think again. This slow, leisurely read is anything but overwhelming or difficult. It's very do-able and very enjoyable.
#LesMisReadalong

#LesMisReadalong Week 2 - Translations

One of the things that fascinates me when reading a book that has been translated from another language into English is how the translator goes about the process (or art) of translating.

Do they translate word for word? Or provide the general gist of the story? Do they modernise? Do they add or delete to help the story make sense? Do they censor or clean up rude, offensive words? Do they improvise and take poetic licence?

There are pro's and con's for each. And in the end, it comes down to personal preference.

Personally, I'm not a stickler for exact translations.
I'm happy for the translator to take some liberties to make the flow of the story work better in English, as long as it remains faithful to the author's intent. I'd rather have the impurities and offensive passages left in. And I do not like abridged versions.

I'd like to know a bit about the translator, especially their religious and political views. I have heard that the translator's own beliefs have been known to influence their interpretation away from the author's intended meaning if they happen to disagree or disapprove. Attempting to translate a book that is embedded in religious, social and political themes like Les Miserables most definitely is, the hazards must have been many.

I suspect there are whole discussions posts and forums out there, discussing this very topic. Perhaps one day soon, I have will have time to explore this further than my own little comparison below.

I picked this brief passage from the beginning of Vol 1 Book 1 Chapter 4 as I felt the little joke about the Bishop's highness or grandeur could easily be interpreted in many different ways.

Translated by Wilbour (June 1862)

His conversation was affable and pleasant. He adapted himself to the capacity of the two women who lived with him, but when he laughed, it was the laugh of a schoolboy. 

Madame magloire usually called him Your Greatness. One day he rose from his arm-chair, and went to his library for a book. It was upon one of the upper shelves, and as the bishop was rather short, he could not reach it. "Madame Magloire," said he, "bring me a chair. My greatness does not extend to this shelf." 

Translated by Wraxall (Oct 1862)

The Bishop's conversation was affable and lively. He condescended to the level of the two old females who spent their life near him, and when he laughed it was a schoolboy's laugh. Madam Magloire was fond of calling him "Your Grandeur." One day he rose from his easy chair and went to fetch a book from his library; as it was on one of the top shelves, and as the Bishop was short, he could not reach it "Madame Magloire," he said, " bring me a chair, for my Grandeur does not rise to that shelf."

Translated by Isabel F. Hapgood (1887)

His conversation was gay and affable. He put himself on a level with the two old women who had passed their lives beside him. When he laughed, it was the laugh of a schoolboy. Madame Magloire liked to call him Your Grace. One day he rose from his armchair, and went to his library in search of a book. This book was on one of the upper shelves. As the bishop was rather short of stature, he could not reach it. “Madame Magloire,” said he, “fetch me a chair. My greatness does not reach as far as that shelf.”

Translated by Norman Denny (1976)

His conversation was friendly and light-hearted. He put himself on the level of the two old women who shared his life, and when he laughed it was the laughter of a schoolboy.

Mme Magloire was pleased to address him as Your Greatness. On one occasion he rose from his armchair to get a book which was on a top shelf. He was short in stature and could not reach it. 'Mme Magloire,' he said, 'will you be so good as to fetch a chair. My greatness does not extend so high.'

Translated by Lee Fahnestock and Norman MacAfee (1987)

His conversation was cheerful and pleasant. He adapted himself to the level of the two old women who lived with him, but when he laughed, it was a schoolboy's laughter.

Madame Magloire sometimes called him "Your Highness." One day, rising from his armchair, he went to his library for a book. It was on one of the upper shelves, and as the bishop was rather short, he could not reach it. "Madame Magloire," said he, "bring me a chair. My highness cannot reach that shelf." 

Translated by Julie Rose (2007)

In conversation, he was affable and cheery. He spoke at the same level as the two old ladies that spent their lives by his side; when he laughed, it was the laugh of a schoolboy.

Madame Magloire liked to call him Your Highness. One day, he got up out of his armchair and went to find a book. The book happened to be on one of the top shelves and, as the bishop was fairly short, he couldn't reach it. "Madame Magloire," he said, "bring me a chair, will you. My Highness doesn't extend to this shelf."

Christine Donougher (2013)

Thanks to our wonderful #LesMisReadalong host, Nick, I now have the Donougher version of this passage:

His conversation was affable and cheerful. He was sociable with the two old women who spent their lives with him. When he laughed it was the laugh of a schoolboy. 

Madam Magloire liked to call him 'Your Highness'. One day he rose from his armchair and went to his bookcase to fetch a book. As the bishop was rather small in stature he could not reach it. 'Madam Magloire,' he said, 'bring me a chair. My Highness falls short of that shelf.'

Victor Hugo (April 1862)

Sa conversation etait affable et gaie. Il se mettait a la partee des deux vieilles femmes qui passaient leur vie pres de lui ; quand il riait, c'etait le rire d'un ecolier.

Madame Magloire l'appelait volontiers Votre Grandeur. Un jour, il se leva de son fauteuil et all a sa bibliotheque chercher un livre. Ce livre etait sur un des rayons d'en haut. Comme l'eveque etait d'assez petite taille, il ne put y atteindre.

- Madame Magloire, dit-il, apportez-moi une chaise. Ma grandeur ne va pas jusqu 'a cette planche. 

Google translate (2018)

His conversation was affable and cheerful. He went to the side of two old women who spent their lives near him; when he laughed, it was the laughter of a schoolboy. Madame Magloire would gladly call it Your Highness. One day he got up from his chair and went to his library to get a book. This book was on one of the rays from above. As the bishop was rather small, he could not reach it. "Madame Magloire," he said, "bring me a chair. My greatness does not go up to this board.

I'm reading the Denny translation and thoroughly enjoying the language and style so far. But I believe I may strike a problem with a couple of sections that have been removed from the main text and transferred to an appendix. Although I can't actually find any appendix in my Penguin Classics hardback edition at all (reprinted in 2012).

Denny claimed to be primarily concerned with the 'author's intention' and 'readability'. He focused on showing the English reader the poetry of Hugo's writing. He explains that his translation is a 'slightly modified version of Hugo's novel designed to bring its great qualities into clearer relief by thinning out, but never completely eliminating, its lapses.'

During the week I picked up a used copy of the Julie Rose translation. I like the idea of her more modern retelling of the story - warts and all with all the gory details thrown in - but the online forums pan her liberal use of modern day slang in getting this message across.

Rose felt that she 'channelled' Hugo during the translation process in her home along the Parramatta River in Sydney. She likened the relationship to a 'marriage' and said she aimed to be 'faithful' to Hugo's purpose.

Denny was obviously less enamoured of Hugo's digressions and attention to the minute details than Rose was. Yet they both claim to be faithful to his intent.

I will stick with reading the Denny translation, but will dive into the Rose for the occasional comparison as I have the time (and the inclination!)

Which translation and edition are you reading?

How are you finding it so far? Did you have an introduction by the translator that gave you some insight into their process or thoughts about Hugo himself?

#LesMisReadalong Week One

I do not believe by any stretch of the imagination that I will complete 52 weekly Les Mis updates this year, but I will at least start the year with good intentions and unrealistic resolutions!

I've started off my Les Mis experience by trying to pull one or two significant quotes from each chapter. Google images helped with the rest. If you've been following along on Twitter, you will have already seen most of these chapter samplers already.

I'm also taking notes in an attempt to keep track of characters, places and themes.

I had planned to write much more about my first week with Les Mis and getting to know Monsigneur Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel, but a HUGE weekend away has put a hold on that for now.

Nick has provided a Les Mis structure and history post to get us all started off on the right foot. He has also provided a week one twitter update post here. We've certainly rocked the twitter chat so far with the #LesMisReadalong. A supportive, encouraging community has evolved and I've met some new-to-me bloggers and tweeters. I hope we can maintain the enthusiasm.

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 1 - Monseigneur Myriel 

"What is reported of men, whether it be true or false, may play as large a part of their lives, and above all in their destiny, as the things they do."

FRENCH SCHOOL, 19th Century, follower of Michel Martin Drolling
Portrait of Monsignor Myriel, Bishop of Digne, France (1754-1817)

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 2 - Monseigneur Myriel becomes Monseigneur Bienvenu

"We do not claim that the portrait we are making is the whole truth, only that it is a resemblance."

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 3 - A Hard Office for a Good Bishop

"Digne was a rugged diocese, with very little flat land, many mountains and, as we have seen, very few roads."

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 4 - Works Matching Words

There are in France thirteen hundred and twenty thousand peasant cottages which have only three outlets, eighteen hundred and seventeen thousand which have only two, a door & 1 window, & three hundred and forty-six thousand which have only a door. This is due to something known as the tax on doors & windows. Consider the fate of the poor families, old women and young children, living in these hovels, the fevers and the maladies. God gives air to mankind & the law sells it.

**So I learnt something new in Ch 4. The reason why many old homes in France (and England) had bricked up windows (or huge walls with no windows at all) was to avoid the window tax. This tax was not repealed in France until 1926.

**I was wondering how long it would take for the guillotine to make an appearance in Les Mis. Turns out I only had to wait four chapters.

As for the bishop himself, the spectacle of the guillotine caused him a shock from which he was slow to recover.A scaffold, when it is erected and prepared, has indeed a profoundly disturbing effect. We may remain more or less open-minded on the subject of the death penalty, indisposed to commit ourselves, so long as we have not seen a guillotine with our own eyes. But to do so is to be so shaken that we are obliged to take our stand for or against.

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 5

**Reveals the conundrums and nuances of translation that many of us are facing with this readalong...

"...including an essay on a line in Genesis - 'And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.' He contrasts this with three other versions: the Arabic, 'The winds of God blew'; that of Flavius Josephus, 'A wind from on high descended upon earth'; and finally the Chaldean version of the Rabbi Onkelos, 'A wind from God blew upon the the face of the waters.' 

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 6 - The Guardian of his House

The fireplace, its wooden surround painted to resemble marble, was normally without a fire; it contained instead two ornamental fire-dogs, a form of episcopal luxury, embellished with flower vases and foliations that had once been silver-gilt.

**One of my favourite quotes to date....

'The beautiful is as useful as the useful.' Then after a pause, he added: 'More so perhaps.'

Vol 1 Book 1 Ch 7 - Cravatte

#LesMisReadalong

First Book of the Year 2018

Happy New Year!

May your 2018 be joyous, healthy and full of grace.

For the past few years Sheila @Book Journey has hosted a First Book of the Year meme. Participants simply send her a book selfie showing the book/s they will be reading on New Year's Day.

I will be reading Les Misérables, not just on the first day of 2018, but for the whole, entire YEAR!

I've decided to join Nick @Catholic Life in his chapter a day readalong of Victor Hugo's classic.
It's not too late to join in.
The 365 chapters are short and sweet.
If you miss a day or two, it will be easy to get back on schedule.
I'm looking forward to such a leisurely read in fine company.

Follow us on Twitter #LesMisReadalong

I plan to tackle my OUT OF CONTROL TBR pile in 2018.
Please help by voting for your suggestions here.
I will collate the stats in a week or so.

The other post I like to spend time with at this time of year is Sheila's My One Word.
I struggled a LOT with my word this year, so I will need some time to reflect on this and what it means for 2018 and beyond.

But now it's time for my first coffee for the new year and my first chapter of Les Mis!