Les Misérables, Book 2: The Intestine of the Leviathan, Chapter 5 summary
Book 2: The Intestine of the Leviathan, Chapter 5 of 365 · 2 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 5, the narrator describes the modern Paris sewer as clean, orderly, and officially respectable, while warning that harmful fumes and suspicious smells remain. He calls its improvement a transformation rather than mere progress and names the forgotten Bruneseau as the man responsible.
What happens
- The narrator presents the modern sewer as orderly, straight, and almost respectable.
- Its architecture follows regular lines, while official language gives its features more dignified names.
- Prowlers and rodents still inhabit the underground network, though even the rats appear tame.
- Despite cleaning and disinfection, the sewer retains unhealthy fumes and a suspicious smell.
- The narrator calls this change a revolution and credits Bruneseau with bringing it about.
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Who does the narrator credit with transforming the sewer?
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