Les Misérables, Book 5: The End Is Nothing Like the Beginning, Chapter 1 summary
Book 5: The End Is Nothing Like the Beginning, Chapter 1 of 365 · 3 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 1, Cosette’s grief eases, and she begins watching a handsome officer, Théodule Gillenormand, pass her garden while Marius remains consumed by sorrow. Her uncertain feelings lead the narrator to examine the risks of an isolated young woman’s attachments, without settling whether her love for Marius still survives beneath the surface.
What happens
- Spring, youth, and affection for her father soften Cosette’s sorrow until she notices that she no longer thinks about Marius.
- Cosette notices a handsome lancer officer, records his passing time the next day, and sees him almost daily.
- Théodule Gillenormand’s comrades point out Cosette’s attention, but he dismisses the idea of noticing every girl who watches him.
- Marius longs to see Cosette as he sinks toward death, while the narrator contrasts their different responses to sorrow.
- The narrator warns about unguided attachments and leaves uncertain whether Cosette still holds a deep memory of Marius.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of I miserabili, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
In this chapter
What to notice
The comparison explains why Cosette can notice another man while Marius remains desperate. The narrator treats this difference as nobody’s fault.
Quick check
What does Cosette do the second time she sees the officer pass?
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of I miserabili, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
