19th Century Epic Romances discussion

Please discuss this section of the book here. Please remember to label all spoilers.

I just finished this book yesterday and I have to say the Friends of the ABC and Marius are very interesting but in very distinct ways. For me the best part of this volume was the last book because of all the action that takes place within it and whatnot.

There are some really cute parts as well that deal with Marius and a certain someone, the mystery that surrounds this character is pretty fun to read even though you figure it out early on but why wreck it for Marius?

The return of the Thenadiers (sorry if I misspelt that) was both pitiful and detestable all at once. For the most part I felt really sorry for the Eponine and Azelma and what their father was making them do.

There are lots of revelations made in this section by Marius, he really is a very great character and I can't wait to see happens next to everybody in the following two volumes.

Hugo's writing is so beautifully poetic! I love how he writes about the Paris urchin, introduces Gavroche, and leads right into Marius' backstory. And all the while, he is able to continue making his arguments for the people's education and enlightenment! It's beautifully written.

I've also been struck by how very interconnected each of the characters in the story is. No wonder the story is so long! Marius lives now in the same building as Gavroche's family, his father was the soldier rescued by Thernandier, whose daughters Cosette grew up with until she was taken away by Valjean! Goodness! That's pretty interconnected - but not obviously, which is what makes for such a wonderful story! :)