The Les Misérables Reading Companion

65 Episodes

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Ep01 - Preface²

2018-01-0237:51

An introductory episode, where I tell you a bit about my plans for this podcast, and then we turn to Hugo's brief preface to his long novel.

Ep02 - I,1,i - ix - Why a Bishop?

2018-01-0241:32

We start our reading of the novel by thinking about the Bishop of Digne, and why Hugo spends so much time on him to start the novel.

Ep03 - I,1,x - xiv - The Bishop, Builder of Bridges

2018-01-0937:47

We look at the various ways in which the Bishop spans cultural and political divides.

Ep04 - I,2,i-v - How to Feed the Body and Soul

2018-01-1641:31

We meet Jean Valjean, as he arrives in Digne and first encounters the Bishop.

Ep05 - I,2,vi-ix - Understanding Despair

2018-01-2335:15

We consider our first glimpse behind the veil, into Jean Valjean's mind.

Ep06 - I,2,x-xiii - The Bishop's Real Work

2018-01-3039:16

We explore the famous scene(s) that will change Jean Valjean's life.

Ep07 - I,3,i-ix - First Illusions

2018-02-0637:43

We meet Fantine, and get an up-close look at the year 1817.

Ep08 - I,4,i - I,5,iv - New Misérables

2018-02-1334:01

We leave a lot unsaid, for now, as we add some new characters to our cast.

Ep09 - I,5,v-xi - Predators and Prey

2018-02-2038:42

We talk about humans behaving like animals, and worse, as we meet Javert, and discuss Fantine's "descent."

Ep10 - I,5,xii - I,6,ii - Heroism and Complicity

2018-02-2737:20

The men around Fantine are both heroic and.... less so. And Hugo is as well.

Ep11 - I,7,i-iv - The Truth About Madeleine

2018-03-0640:00

We watch Jean Valjean ask "Who am I?" and two special guests chip in some thoughts about his dream.

Ep12 - I,7,v-viii - On a Horse, With No Name

2018-03-1332:33

We discuss horse-drawn travel, our hero's anonymity, and his final agonizing moments of indecision.

Ep13 - I,7,ix-xi - Forming Convictions

2018-03-2034:39

Our hero's dilemma finds resolution in a strangely familiar place.

Ep14 - I,8,i-v - Meeting God

2018-03-2734:35

Divine encounters come in many forms.

Ep15 - II,1,i-xix - Waterloo

2018-04-0339:10

We think about just what, exactly, this long digression about Waterloo is doing in this book.

Ep16 - II,2,i - II,3,iii - Fate, Hope, and Spiders

2018-04-1035:06

Caught in the web of fate, what reason is there for hope?

Ep17 - II,3,iv-viii - People You Might Meet in the Woods

2018-04-1734:43

We look more deeply into another of the novel's most famous scenes.

Ep18 - II,3,ix - II,4,iv - The Two Forçats

2018-04-2435:55

Two kindred souls finally find each other.

Ep19 - II,4,v - II,5,x - Mysteries

2018-05-0134:46

Will our hero escape the clutches of the police? And what kind of strange place will his safe haven turn out to be?

Ep20 - II,6,i-xi - Cloistered

2018-05-0836:15

We discuss Hugo's take on life inside his fictional convent.

#box-pro-ellipsis-17327828016682{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}The Les Misérables Reading Companion