Thank you all for reading this year! It was a pleasure to help out as a mod in this community.

For the people who will be reading it again next year, best of luck to you. For the people who are going on to read other “a year of” books, good luck with that. I hope you’ll have as great a year as I hope you had with Les Miserables this year.

Best wishes for next year’s reading as for everything else!

The final summary. Thanks to u/m2pixie!

Cosette and Marius enter Jean Valjean’s room; Cosette rushes to kiss her father, Marius drops his eyes but calls Valjean “Father,” Valjean himself thanks Marius and accepts Cosette’s affections. Valjean talks about how he needed to see Cosette and how he felt he was in the way of their happiness; Cosette says he was very bad to have left them in the way that he did, asks about his journey, and notices he seems ill. Marius tells Cosette Valjean is the one who saved his life by taking him through the sewer, then chastises Valjean for not having told the whole truth of his life, including the parts about being Monsieur Madeleine, saving Javert, and rescuing him. Valjean responds that it was because he did not want to embarrass them, then Marius says they are going to take him back to their house, and Cosette even moves as if to pick him up right there. Valjean says that “the proof that God is good is that she is here,” muses about how lovely a life it would be to live with Cosette and Marius, but says it is a pity because he is going to die in a few minutes. Both Cosette and Marius are alarmed and Cosette says she forbids him to die; Marius is confused because Valjean seems so full of life at this moment. A physician comes and realizes it was Marius and Cosette whom Valjean was mourning before; Valjean gains another burst of strength and takes the crucifix off the wall and lays it on the table. Valjean tells Marius that Cosette’s fortune really does belong to her and that he will find the whole account in the papers nearby. Valjean seems to see the Bishop (Myriel) above him and Cosette and Marius stand trembling as Valjean grows weaker again. Valjean says he loves them both very much, bequeaths his two candlesticks to Cosette, states he wants his tomb to be unmarked and wherever is most convenient, asks that they visit him sometimes, talks about when he first saw Cosette in the woods, and finally tells Cosette a bit about Fantine, her mother. Then, Cosette and Marius, in tears, grasp each of Valjean’s hands as he dies, looking up to heaven. Hugo closes by telling the reader of Jean Valjean’s grave: it is humble, far away from other fantastic tombs, and unmarked, but once a hand wrote upon it— He sleeps. Although so much he was denied, He lived; and when his dear love left him, died. It happened of itself, in the calm way That in the evening night-time follows day.

And here then, the last time these questions will be posted this year:

1.) What comments do you have about the characters and story in this chapter? How do you view the characters' actions and their thoughts? Did the characters grow/change, was something out of character etc.?

2.) What are your thoughts about the author's craft (and/or translator's craft) in this chapter? Which line did you enjoy the most and which the least and why did you like/dislike this specific line? Were there any literary devices that stood out to you or descriptions of people, clothing, scenery etc. that were of interest to you?

3.) What questions does this chapter leave you with? what other topics would you like to discuss with the group?

Final Line:

Comme la nuit se fait lorsque le jour s’en va./The way night comes when day is done.

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