80 pages 2 hours read

Victor Hugo

Les Miserables

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1862

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Part 5, Books 5-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 5, Book 5 Summary: "Grandfather and Grandson"

Valjean recovers his buried fortune. Meanwhile, Marius slowly recovers from his gunshot wound at his family home. In addition to suffering a broken collarbone, he has lost a large amount of blood. He has no idea that the man who rescued him is Valjean. For six months, he is locked in a terrible fever "caused more by the trauma of his wounds than by the wounds themselves" (950), but he eventually pulls through and recovers completely. Once he is healthy again, Marius wants to find Cosette. In a bid to repair their damaged relationship, Monsieur Gillenormand changes his mind and grants his grandson permission to marry Cosette. He does not do this without hesitation. He is still concerned about his grandson marrying a working-class girl who has no money of her own. Marius is overcome with joy. Monsieur Gillenormand's concerns are dispelled when he meets Cosette and her adoptive father, however. He is stunned by Cosette's beauty and amazed by Valjean's revelation that he has arranged a dowry of six hundred thousand francs. Marius is less concerned by the talk of money. He is simply happy that he is finally able to marry the woman of his dreams.