Grantaire eating the still life he was supposed to paint.
That’s Cézanne’s The Basket of Apples btw [x]
les miserables
I really hate that Les Miserables has become the new cringe fandom flavour of the month. Not only because I hate cringe culture with the burning power of a thousand suns, but because it all seemed so important back in 2013, all these kids looking at one of the world’s most famous books with a critical eye, celebrating the sympathetic portrayals of those still even now downtrodden in society, talking about history, talking about Victor Hugo’s perceptions of gender and race, seeking to fix them…
All gone now, gone in favour of “lol, remember a few years ago when everyone was really obsessed with some dumb book” sort of things. I don’t know if it’s people frantically seeking to disavow whatever their younger selves were passionate about, because passion is uncool; or the same strand of I’m Not Like Other Girls -ism that lurks in every corner of every fandom. But I wish it’d go away.
“Jean Meowljan had never loved anything. For twenty-five years he had been alone in the world. He had never been a father, husband, lover, or furriend…the tender emotions of his youth, if he had any, had been lost in oblivion.
When he saw Clawsette and rescued her, he felt his heart move again. Everything within him, all feeling and affection, was roused and poured onto this kitten.”
Classicat #11: Jean Meowljan and Clawsette (with her doll Catherine), from Les Meowserables by Victor Mewgo
In the book there’s a scene where Meowljan and Clawsette are making their way towards Pawris on foot when Clawsette gets tired. She doesn’t complain, but Meowljan notices anyway. So he carries her the rest of the way (she weighs nothing to him because of his Convict Strength) while she sleeps on his shoulder.
In honour of the 155th year since the last portion of Les Miserables was released on June 30th 1862, Google has dedicated a doodle to Victor Hugo.
Google says the following:
Today we celebrate world-renowned poet, statesman, and human rights activist Victor Hugo. The final chapter of his epic novel Les Misérables was published on this date in 1862.
Before he turned 30, Hugo was already an established poet, dramatist, artist, and novelist. Today’s Doodle depicts some of his best-known works, includingNotre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) (1831) and the poetry collection Les Contemplations (1856). Between those milestones, Hugo began his legendary novel Les Misérables, about social injustice, redemption, and revolution.
By the time Les Misérables was published in 1862, Hugo had been exiled almost 10 years for his political views. During that time, he produced three poetry collections, plus numerous books about social and economic disparity, including Les Travailleurs de la Mer (Toilers of the Sea) and L’Homme Qui Rit (The Man Who Laughs). Hugo later founded the Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale to support artists’ rights.
Hugo appeared on a French banknote and is honored with streets, parks, hiking trails, and statues in most large French cities, as well as in Guernsey, where he lived in exile. Today’s Doodle is a fitting addition to the long list of tributes to the venerable Victor Hugo.
