#lm letters

[literarypigeon]

“In the troubled state of his conscience, he no longer thought of certain serious sides of existence. The realities of life do not allow themselves to be forgotten. They soon elbowed him abruptly.” (Vol III, Book IV, Chapter VI: Res Angusta)

… aka Marius was so busy having an existential crisis that he forgot he needed to pay rent. I’m shocked this has yet to happen to me irl.

[whorejolras]

In 1815, M. Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel was Bishop of

[pilferingapples]

LM 1.2.2: Baptistine and Magloire's fashions

 madame Magloire avait l'air d'une paysanne et mademoiselle Baptistine d'une dame

Madame Magloire had the air of a peasant, and Mademoiselle Baptistine that of a lady

..I'm realizing that I get completely difference vibes off "dame" and "lady", but that's down to a century of linguistic drift and it's not Hugo or Hapgood's fault.

Dresses!!

 Madame Magloire avait un bonnet blanc à tuyaux, au cou une jeannette d'or, le seul bijou de femme qu'il y eût dans la maison, un fichu très blanc sortant de la robe de bure noire à manches larges et courtes, un tablier de toile de coton à carreaux rouges et verts, noué à la ceinture d'un ruban vert, avec pièce d'estomac pareille rattachée par deux épingles aux deux coins d'en haut, aux pieds de gros souliers et des bas jaunes comme les femmes de Marseille. Madame Magloire wore a white quilted cap, a gold Jeannette cross on a velvet ribbon upon her neck, the only bit of feminine jewelry that there was in the house, a very white fichu puffing out from a gown of coarse black woollen stuff, with large, short sleeves, an apron of cotton cloth in red and green checks, knotted round the waist with a green ribbon, with a stomacher of the same attached by two pins at the upper corners, coarse shoes on her feet, and yellow stockings, like the women of Marseilles.

I can picture this perfectly, and it sounds like a fun, colorful outfit . And comfortable!

And then there's Baptistine's outfit:

La robe de mademoiselle Baptistine était coupée sur les patrons de 1806, taille courte, fourreau étroit, manches à épaulettes, avec pattes et boutons. Elle cachait ses cheveux gris sous une perruque frisée dite à l'enfant. Hapgood: Mademoiselle Baptistine’s gown was cut on the patterns of 1806, with a short waist, a narrow, sheath-like skirt, puffed sleeves, with flaps and buttons. She concealed her gray hair under a frizzed wig known as the baby wig.

This is an interesting combo! Her 1806 dress sounds like it was very fashionable for its day ( and though obviously that was 9 years ago, it wouldn't be too far from the fashionable silhouette in 1815)

Here's a lovely 1809 gown (arguably puce, even! ) from Victoria and Albert museum

the hair, though? The wig a l'enfant was a style made popular by Marie Antoinette; I'm not sure how many older women would still have been wearing it , but it's a distance away from the then-stylish neoclassical curls that would have been in style with an 1809 dress!

Here's a reenactment l'enfant wig, from Jennylafleur:

It would be quite a distinct combo, I think!

[literarypigeon]

“If you cry out, if you weep, the Thénardier is lying in wait for you. She is coming to take you back.”

I know you’re running away from Javert so you aren’t sent back to prison and forced to abandon your daughter

But goddamn, Papa Valjean, way to get her in the trauma???

[whorejolras]

les mis trending not during orestes fasting pylades drunk but during the sewer digression is sending me. rip vicky you would have loved this

[whorejolras]

yeah this strain is called permits-tu? it'll have you finding your recently lost faith in your character foil

[whorejolras]

[whorejolras]

me in the brick club chat in february: "detailed analysis and discussions of sex work and feminism with modern and canon era sources"

me in the brick club chat in 6 months: "so here's why enjolras and grantaire are lesbians"