Les Misérables, Book 5: Grandson and Grandfather, Chapter 1 summary
Book 5: Grandson and Grandfather, Chapter 1 of 365 · 5 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 1, Boulatruelle spots a familiar-looking stranger in the forest of Montfermeil and follows him, convinced that his movements concern buried treasure. His choice to force a straight route through thick undergrowth delays him, and he reaches the clearing only to find the man gone and a freshly dug hole empty.
What happens
- Boulatruelle returns to road work after the authorities release him because his drunkenness makes his role in an ambush unclear.
- Before dawn, he sees a familiar-looking man among the trees and connects him with his hopes of finding buried treasure.
- He follows traces through the woods, loses the trail, and climbs a beech tree to locate the stranger.
- He sees the man enter a clearing marked by a chestnut tree patched with zinc.
- Boulatruelle struggles through dense undergrowth for forty minutes, then finds an empty hole and curses the vanished man.
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What to notice
The sentence connects his criminal habits with his practical mistake. His supposedly quicker route delays him until the stranger disappears.
Quick check
What does Boulatruelle find when he reaches the clearing?
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