Les Miserables: Introduction

[historicula]

As mentioned previously, I'm reading Les Miserables with jackspade64 (Modern Library Classics edition with translation by Julie Rose). The current plan is to read one chapter a week and then discuss over Skype. In that regards, some things from Gopnik's introduction that I found interesting:

"[Hugo] believes in individual acts, even heroic individual acts,

Comments

[jackspade64]

I just realized that you and I are going to have very interesting conversations about this--this being the book and not just what you've quoted--because we think and assign meaning/importance in fundamentally different ways. You will bring critical and logical analysis and confuse me with precise technicalities. I will bring personal and unrelated connections and confuse you with irrational interpretations. This will be fun. (<-- sarcasm-free statement)

. . .

I wrote a fairly convulted and lengthy reflection on the thinking metaphor. But I've opted to delete it all and simply reply with this:

"How is the balance between intellect and will sustained?" Ethics.
"Conversely, what causes it to fail?" Desire.

I'll add a note to say that, personally, I think that the metaphor of supposedly primal will being a chaotic inferno is itself flawed in a way. I think the desire for stability/order is just as primal and just as strong.

When I actually read the introduction and have a full context--and we talk!--we can discuss more, I suppose.

[historicula]

Ha! True! But that's what makes it so fun to be friends. I look forward to hearing your interpretations and seeing where you find significance. It should prove insightful