65 episodes
The Les Misérables Reading Companion Briana Lewis
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- Arts
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4.7 • 45 Ratings
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The Podcast about Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. In each episode, I will comment on a section of the book, to make it a bit less daunting, and hopefully help you enjoy it a bit more. I am a professor, but this podcast is created with a non-academic, non-expert, non-French-speaking audience in mind--that is, anyone who'd like to dive into this classic!
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Ep01 - Preface²
An introductory episode, where I tell you a bit about my plans for this podcast, and then we turn to Hugo's brief preface to his long novel.
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Ep02 - I,1,i - ix - Why a Bishop?
We start our reading of the novel by thinking about the Bishop of Digne, and why Hugo spends so much time on him to start the novel.
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Ep03 - I,1,x - xiv - The Bishop, Builder of Bridges
We look at the various ways in which the Bishop spans cultural and political divides.
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Ep04 - I,2,i-v - How to Feed the Body and Soul
We meet Jean Valjean, as he arrives in Digne and first encounters the Bishop.
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Ep05 - I,2,vi-ix - Understanding Despair
We consider our first glimpse behind the veil, into Jean Valjean's mind.
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Ep06 - I,2,x-xiii - The Bishop's Real Work
We explore the famous scene(s) that will change Jean Valjean's life.
Customer Reviews
Love this podcast
But bummed there aren’t new shows!
Fantastic and Thorough
This is just a must listen if you like the book. I wish I had known about this when I attempted to read the novel as it provides the necessary instruction to fully comprehend what is going on. Strong work!
Wonderful simply wonderful
After a dive through Dumas' Three Musketeers, I felt an inkling to read Les Misérables, a novel as a Lutheran Pastor I have wanted to read for some time but have been intimidated by the sheer size of it. Also, perhaps a bit of trepidation of not knowing enough French history to fully appreciate it . I took the plunge anyway and while only 30% into this masterpiece, I can say that is a masterpiece. I found myself wanting to find someone to read this novel with and none of my friends wanted to read it with me. I turned to the internet and came across your wonderful podcast. Dr Lewis insights are wonderful. Her knowledge of the period is perfect. And she teaches in such an easy style to listen to and learn from, it makes me envious.
Thank you for producing this labor of love. You have made a wonderful novel even more wonderful. I even wonder if it is too late to learn French.