Victor “Ego” Hugo actively refused to go to the Polytechnic school because he didn’t want to do A Math; his father tried to force him, financially, and he willfully bombed out
but by all records he totally could do math
he just really, really,really didn’t want to, ever
Furthermore, his dad actively didn’t want him to be a writer and cut him off financially unless he would agree to follow a more Mathtastic career; this is certainly a part of why Hugo worked so intensely on his writing career as a very young man
Les Mis is not only full of terrible math; it is in many ways the result of and monument to one man’s absolute devotion to Not Doing Math
Tag: les mis
Enjolras, lying in bed with Grantaire but he’s an arm’s length away: *exists*
Grantaire, a cold boi, lying in bed with his husband, who’s an arm’s length away: Mmph, warmth
Enjolras: *shuffles slightly towards his husband but he’s still angry with him*
Grantaire: mmmmmmmph
Enjolras, crossing his arms but shuffling closer: I hate you
Grantaire, smiling goofily: nope
What she says: I’m fine
What she means: I hate adaptations that turn Javert into The Villain™
because they act like Valjean’s suffering isn’t caused by a corrupt society that oppresses its most vulnerable members, but by One Guy Who Is Mean. It’s not that “Book-Javert never did anything wrong uwu”: it’s that these adaptations shift Hugo’s criticisms of society at large onto a single dude
Hugo is like: “wow we as a society are really cruel to poor people and ex-cons!”
While these adaptations are like “wow that one guy Javert is really cruel to poor people and ex-cons!
and what do you mean this is actually a larger social problem caused by underlying issues of historical systemic oppression and institutionalized prejudice that affect everyone??!”It’s a way of… stripping the deeply-political Les Mis of its political message, and it’s kinda creepy tbh
Musical/movie Marius: a brave student who is a ~leader and ~important to the rebellion. They can’t win without him!
Book Marius: the 19th century equivalent of accidentally accepting a Facebook event invite and then feeling obliged to go
Give me modern au
(adopted)
teen Cosette having loads of self-esteem issues
Give me teen Cosette being so shy she perpetually hides her face in a scarf and nervously plays with her hair whenever she can’t do so, never looking directly someone in the eyes to avoid seeing mockery in them
Give me teen Cosette who can only find flaws in her appearance – she’s too skinny, too pale, with too many dark circles under her eye, the brace doesn’t suit her- no matter what her totally enamoured and loving papa says
Give me teen Cosette not having many friends because of this but still being polite and kind and generous with everyone
Give me growing up Cosette who start getting tired of this and sick of being afraid of being herself and showing herself for what she is and what she looks like
Cosette who starts watching make up tutorials on youtube and becomes very good at make up herself (”No papa, my smile isn’t the only make up I need”)
Cosette who’s still unsure of herself but fake it till you make it, am I right?
Give me Cosette who after some time finally gathers the strength to show up at those “les amis de l’abc” meetings she always heard of and never had the courage to attend
Cosette who introduce herself with such conviction (daring anyone in the small crowd of strangers not to take her seriously) and yet grace that someone shouts “wow Enjolras why didn’t you tell us you had a twin”
Enjolras being dubious about her at first but immediately regretting it the moment he hears her talking about equality and feminism and glass ceiling (“I’M SO SORRY THAT’S SO HYPOCRITICAL OF ME DOUBTING SOMEONE FOR BEING GOOD-LOOKING”)
Cosette that gradually grows to be so comfortable around these kind and totally crazy people that she even manages to show herself without make up (and is still obviously gorgeous ) (her papa cries a little when he sees her go out like that so confidently but shh don’t tell that to anyone)
Give me growingly-confident Cosette gradually revealing her sunny and kind but also mischievous personality to her friends
Give me Cosette who doesn’t take anyone shit anymore and doesn’t allow anyone to walk over her or her friends
young shy Cosette growing up to slay
(✿◠‿◠)
(✿◠‿◠)
(✿◠‿◠)
do you ever just think about the fact
that when Grantaire dies
Victor Hugo says he’s been hit by a coup de foudre
and in english we read that as him being struck down by lightning (in the penguin translation it just says he falls at enjolras’ feet) but
eugh coup de foudre is a EUPHAMISM FOR LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
fucking
victor
hugo
and cry
#s t rUCK TO THE BONE IN A MOMENT O F BREA TH LES S DELIG HT
I’ve seen this post a whole bunch of times but something only just clicked-
Early on during the introduction to Les Amis, Grantaire is described as not understanding exactly what he feels for Enjolras, bar knowing it’s a fascination. Hit by a coup de foudre at the very last second, Grantaire finally realises that what he’s feeling for Enjolras is love.
And then he dies.
¯_( ಠ_ಠ)_/¯ 