Read in French · with English
Read Les misérables Tome I: Fantine in French, with English beside it
by Victor Hugo · 1802–1885
"Les misérables Tome I: Fantine" by Victor Hugo is a French epic historical novel first published in 1862. Set between 1815 and the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, it follows ex-convict Jean Valjean's struggle for redemption. The novel explores law and grace, justice and mercy, while examining the lives of society's most downtrodden members. Hugo weaves together themes of poverty, love, and moral philosophy against the backdrop of French history and Parisian life, creating what many consider one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
Summary generated automatically by Project Gutenberg.
- Read time
- 498 min
- Words
- 109,595
- Chapters
- 70
- Paragraphs
- 2,878
- Price
- Free
- Epic literature
- Ex-convicts -- Fiction
- Historical fiction
- Orphans -- Fiction
- Paris (France) -- Fiction
Il chemina ainsi quelque temps, marchant toujours, allant à l'aventure par des rues qu'il ne connaissait pas, oubliant la fatigue, comme cela arrive dans la tristesse.
He traveled thus for some time, walking on, going at random through streets he did not know, forgetting fatigue, as happens in sadness.
Tout à coup il sentit vivement la faim.
Suddenly he felt hunger sharply.
La nuit approchait.
Night was approaching.
Il regarda autour de lui pour voir s'il ne découvrirait pas quelque gîte.
He looked around to see if he might discover some lodging.
La belle hôtellerie s'était fermée pour lui; il cherchait quelque cabaret bien humble, quelque bouge bien pauvre.
The fine inn had closed for him; he was looking for some humble tavern, some wretched den.
Précisément une lumière s'allumait au bout de la rue; une branche de pin, pendue à une potence en fer, se dessinait sur le ciel blanc du crépuscule.
Just then a light was being lit at the end of the street; a pine branch, hanging from an iron bracket, stood out against the white twilight sky.
Il y alla.
He went toward it.
About the author
Victor Hugo1802–1885
Victor Hugo was a towering figure of French Romanticism, born in Besançon in 1802 and dying in Paris in 1885.
The Victor Hugo page, and where to start →Questions about Les misérables Tome I: Fantine
Can I read Les misérables Tome I: Fantine in French with English side by side online?
Yes, free. Paralelo shows the French original with a English machine translation beside it, aligned phrase by phrase: hover or tap a phrase and its counterpart lights up in the other column. Anyone can read a passage; a free account opens the whole book.
What level do I need to read Les misérables Tome I: Fantine here?
There is no set level. Les misérables Tome I: Fantine runs to 109,595 words in 70 chapters, and the translation sits beside it, aligned phrase by phrase, so you can start below the level the original would need on its own and lean on the translation only where you stumble.
Is Les misérables Tome I: Fantine really free to read?
Yes. The text is in the public domain, and the translation and alignment are ours to give. A free account opens the whole book; the paid tier is for unlimited explanations.
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How long does Les misérables Tome I: Fantine take to read?
About 8 hours at a normal pace, longer if you stop to look at the alignment, which is rather the point.
Book details
- Original language
- French
- Translation
- English, machine translation
- Source text
- Project Gutenberg #17489
- Licence
- Public domain worldwide
Guides that recommend books in French
All guides →More originally in FrenchSame language, same shelf
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