Structure of the Novel
It’s worth a few words here at the beginning about the way that the novel itself is structured. The 365 chapters that make up the novel are gathered together into 5 large “volumes” or “parts” and each one of those parts contains multiple “chapters”. When reading a book as large and sprawling as this one I find it really helpful to keep that structure in mind and be aware of where I am in that structure. So here, in this first chapter we are beginning the first of five volumes, and this first one bears the name Fantine. If my memory holds correctly Fantine is a major character in the novel and the mother of another major character. I guess I’ll find out if that is true as I read. This chapter not only begins the first volume, it also serves as the beginning of the first book in the first volume, which in this translation has the title “An Upright Man”. Looking ahead a bit I can see that this first book in the first volume has 14 chapters, so with a little guesswork I think we can safely assume that these first fourteen chapters will serve to introduce us to the character whose name serves as the title of this first chapter, Monseigneur Myriel.
Who Is This Upright Man?
We’re told in the book title (assuming it is referring to him) that he is an “upright man”, and we learn a few other details about him that set the story up for us.
- He’s 75 years old.
- He currently holds the bishopric in the town of Digne and has been there for about 9 years.
- He was appointed to this position by Napoleon who he happened to meet on some church business in Paris around the time of Napoleon’s coronation as emperor.
- His father had been part of the aristocracy before the French revolution and he was setup to inherit all of that position. The revolution was probably experienced as quite a blow to Monseigneur Myriel and his family.
- He was married but had no children and had fled to Italy during the beginnings of the revolution where his wife died.
- He became a priest while in Italy and eventually ended up as the priest in Brignolles before his appointment to Bishop.
We aren’t given many details about them, but it seems that upon his arrival to Digne there was a swirl of rumor surrounding him. Based on what we are told I would think that those rumors were most likely related to his family, his past marriage, and his relationship to the aristocracy. Regardless of the content, we are told that by the time we hit the actual beginning of our novel, the year 1815, these rumors had died down and were forgotten. To the people of Digne, Myriel was simply their beloved Bishop.
Small Town Echoes of the Dao and Proverbs
There’s this brilliant little line in this chapter that I wanted to draw attention to:
He had to accept the fate of every newcomer to a small town where there are plenty of tongues that gossip and few minds that think.
While this can be read in a very condescending way, I don’t think that’s the original intent. Rather than “small towns lack wisdom” I think it’s “small towns make for big problems”. It reminded me of two things that probably aren’t normally held together - a passage from the book of proverbs and a passage from the Dà o Dé Jīng. Those passages are:
Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. - Proverbs 17:28
Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don’t know. - Dà o Dé Jīng Chapter 56
As someone who is a verbal processor and often breaks awkward silence with a “just say anything” attitude, passages like this always give me pause. Though it is tangential to the main point being made in this chapter, I get the sense that M. Myriel makes the choice to ignore the prattle about his past and in silently demonstrating his beliefs and values the rumors eventually fell by the wayside. There’s a quiet wisdom to be found in holding your tongue. I wish I was better at it.
That particular passage from the Dao always reminds of one of my favorite songs from on of my favorite bands - “Goodbye, I!” by mewithoutYou. Here it is for any who might be interested in some similar meditations about knowing, talking, thinking and action.