My ‘Les Mis’ Confession

Michael MacDonald, a longtime fan of “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo, shares his “Les Mis” confession, with three highlights and a critique. Do you agree?

I have a confession to make. I am a “Les Mis” groupie. Like a love-obsessed starlet, I have been following “Les Misérables” around for decades.

The musical will soon be celebrating its 40th anniversary. Its English-language adaptation, with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, has been running in London since October 1985, making it the second longest-running musical in the world.

“Les Mis” is still touring around the United States in 2024.

I have read the book “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo, have seen the live musical many times including a high school production, and have listened to the music CD at least 100 times over the years.

“Les Mis” is also a family favourite. When our daughter was four, my wife and I would be awakened in the morning by her singing in bed, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” She knew the song because our family had been listening to the CD in the car on many road trips. Our family has been singing it, at least in our heads, ever since.

The whole package

To me this famous story has everything: life and death, romance, historical context from the French Revolution, powerful characters, class warfare, and a strong moral code. The songs from the musical have powerful lyrics and soaring melodies that fit perfectly with the complex storylines.

The book and the musical got off to rough starts, however. When the musical previewed in London in 1985, one critic called it “sentimental mush.” Baudelaire called Hugo’s 1862 novel “a vile and inept book.”

Such commentary hasn’t hurt its massive success, though. “Les Misérables,” the musical, has been seen by over 70 million people in 44 different countries, in 22 languages, and is still going strong.

Three highlights from this ‘Les Mis’ confession

Here are a few of my favorite highlights (be forewarned of spoilers)

1. The Bishop’s fierce moral courage

Early in the story, Jean Valjean has been released from serving 19 years of hard labour in prison, for committing a petty crime. After his release, he is a free man, but he struggles to survive. He has no money, is not allowed to work, and has no place to live. He is shunned by society and offered no help, nor compassion.

He finally comes across a church. The Bishop allows him in, offers him lodging for the night and shares a meal with him. In the night, Valjean struggles to make sense of the bishop’s compassion, how society has rejected him, and his anger over his long and hard imprisonment.

He reacts badly by stealing some silver from the church. After he leaves the church, he is caught by the French constables. Valjean lies and says the silver was a gift from the Bishop. When the Bishop is asked about this story, in front of Valjean, he sings (lyrics from the musical):

But my friend you left so early

Surely something slipped your mind

[The bishop gives Valjean more silver, two candlesticks]

You forgot I gave these also

Would you leave the best behind?

So, Messieurs, you may release him

For this man has spoken true

I commend you for your duty

And God’s blessing go with you.

Courageously, the Bishop is willing and able to see the injustices of the French legal system and to act with his own moral code. He doesn’t turn his back on Valjean by refuting his lie that the stolen silver was a gift. He doesn’t help the constables, who would like nothing better than to throw Valjean back into prison.

The Bishop uses his power and status in French society to help Valjean. He protects Valjean from the police, then follows this with an act of generosity by giving Valjean even more silver than he stole.

Now, Valjean has an even greater reckoning to sort out. “I feel my shame inside me like a knife.” This time, rather than steal, he prays to God and commits himself to an honest life. Then begins a new story for Jean Valjean, filled with love and compassion for others.

The Bishop’s moral courage saves a man from himself and from a punitive society. Until the obsessed police chief, Javert, hunts Valjean down. This relentless stalking of Valjean by Javert is a recurring theme throughout the story. Until the shocking ending for Javert.

2. Javert’s fatal flaw

Much later in the story, following a battle at the barricade in the streets of Paris, Valjean puts his life in danger and saves the life of the police chief Javert. This triggers a crisis in Javert. He tries to reconcile his black and white view of the world with Valjean’s decision and courage to save him.

Here is the story told in moving lyrics from the musical.

How can I now allow this man

To hold dominion over me?

This desperate man that I have hunted

He gave me my life. He gave me freedom.

My heart is stone and still it trembles.

The world I have known is lost in shadow.

Is he from heaven or from hell?

Javert is lost and cannot make sense of his lifelong condemnation of Valjean.

From Javert’s rigid perspective, a man is guilty when the law declares him so. The law is the law and it is divined by God. Valjean’s original crime was to steal food to feed his starving family. But this reason held no sway with Javert, nor the French courts.

By saving his life, Valjean gives Javert irrefutable proof that a man is not necessarily evil, just because the law says he is. A man is not destined to be a lifelong criminal, just because a crime was committed earlier in life.

Javert is incapable of reconciling Valjean’s forgiveness of him with his lifelong beliefs.

Forgiveness is not an option for Javert. To not follow the law as it is written would mean dishonour for Javert. Dishonour is a fate worse than death. He commits suicide, plagued by the thought that he may be living a dishonorable life.

He can’t live with himself any longer. And he can’t live in a world of compassion and forgiveness.

So, he jumps from a bridge into the river Seine and ends his life. Compassion wins. Blind allegiance to law and order loses.

3. Soaring melodies

There are so many incredible songs in “Les Mis” the musical it is hard to choose a favourite. You may know these examples: “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Red & Black”,” and Do You Hear the People Sing?” How could anyone decide?

These numbers are so memorable. Yet, I think I will go with “One Day More.”

This song brings moving harmonies from many of the story’s strong characters: Valjean, Cosette, Marius, Eponine, Enjolras, and Javert. Their own stories and relationships between each other are further developed in this song. It also blends together the main plot lines, while setting the stage for their resolution.

And boy does it soar!

One failing

Which brings me to one insightful critique from our daughter. Yes, the same one who used to sing “Do You Hear the People Sing?” in bed as a four-year-old. The “Les Misérables” movie (2012), also a musical, had strong performances by Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway.

Overall, though, a key ingredient was missing – the powerful music and emotional swells. Almost all the songs were sung with a clipped pace, making them sound more like speech rather than soaring songs. (I have read that this was the director’s decision).

As a result of this clipped singing, the movie felt rather flat to me, especially compared to the live shows. Maybe comparing a live musical with a film version is unfair, but I thought the movie could have been done better.

These are my top three highlights and one critique. And after immersing myself in “Les Mis” to write this piece, I am even more ready to go through it all again.

I can’t wait.

Michael MacDonald is a clinical psychologist (now retired) who has written a book about chronic pain, several ebooks, and an ongoing website and blog called A Warm Heart. He is an avid hockey player and a big fan of RoomtoRead.org and similar charities, which promote education and gender equality for girls in low-income countries.

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