R, what have you done this time?

@pilferingapples​ i’m stealing your tags because yeah that sounds about right

For the consideration of the privy council: Grantaire introducing Enjolras to music and cinema.

Consider Enjolras who is "austere in his enjoyments" learning that there is such thing as music that is not just background music to work to, and film that is not just designed to teach you something.

Consider Grantaire gaping at Enjolras for never having heard of the Beatles, sitting him down and forcing headphones over his fluffy golden hair to force him to listen to 'A Day in the Life'.

Enjolras going "this is so stupid" until it hits the second verse and he suddenly becomes very quiet.

Grantaire dragging Enjolras along to the cinema to watch reruns of The Fellowship of the Ring, after which Enjolras grumbles the whole way home, but asks to see the next movie just to "make sure they're all bad".

Grantaire showing up on Enjolras' doorstep with an armful of DVDs because he just has to educate him.

Enjolras discovering Wes Anderson, and the concept of comfort movies, curling up to watch a film not because it means anything or has a deep political comment to make about the human race, but just because it's fun.

Grantaire watching Enjolras more than the film.

Grantaire letting Enjolras borrow his Spotify to find something he likes and almost tearing up when Enjolras says "have you heard of this band called Fleetwood Mac? I've been listening to a couple of their songs".

Grantaire desperately trying to explain to Courfeyrac that it's "not a date! Enjolras has just never been to a proper concert before!"

Enjolras suggesting they share wired earbuds because it's "more efficient" and definitely not because it means they have to sit closer together.

Enjolras learning that life is not about how efficiently you plough through it.

I still haven’t forgiven Tom Hoper for cutting out Grantaire’s solo in Drink with me

It lasts less than 40 seconds, was it really necessary to take that from us 😭

Ok, so I see a lot of people saying that Grantaire and Eponine should be best friends, and I agree, but I also see a lot of people saying that Grantaire and Cosette should be best friends, and I agree with that too, but then there's also the people who think Eponine and Cosette need to be friends, and I love that too, so hear me out:

An R/Cossie/'Ponine trio.

Causing havoc at Les Amis meetings, having inside jokes that no one else understands in the slightest, Cosette and Eponine plotting to get R and Enj together. Cosette and Eponine who have an unspoken agreement to check up on R when they know he's not doing so well. Ep and R teasing Cosette mercilessly for her relationship with Marius. R drawing both of them.

I am in love with this idea now, leave me alone.

marius and grantaire’s friendship is so important to me 👉👈

Enjoltaire at the barricade to these lyrics:

Enjolras is the chief, the leader, of course everybody wants him, his motivation, his instructions, his fervour; they all look at him, follow him, continue to kindle the flame he lights. And grantaire, grantaire knows he is not worthy, he doesn't belong there, the cynic amongst believers, yet they are his friends so with them he will stay. But enjolras isn't his friend, is he, grantaire doesn't deserve to stand and fall by his side. Grantaire stays with his friends, and of course he will die when and where they die, there is no other choice for him. He doesn't belong next to enjolras, he's usurping the place of the right hand and the center, but the moment has come, so he walks up to enjolras

There are many reasons the odd, conservative "Grantaire was right since they all died" reading of the barricade is infuriating, but one is that like... when is Grantaire "right"? Does he ever say they shouldn't do what they're doing? Does he ever try to stop them?

It's more that Grantaire doesn't have the patriotic fervor to find the prospect of martyrdom anything but depressing, nor does he have the revolutionary belief that said martyrdom will make a difference going forward, or indeed that there is any better future to move towards in the first place

There's a reason Enjolras says Grantaire doesn't believe in anything rather than saying Grantaire disagrees with the rest of Les Amis – and there's a reason Grantaire answers that he believes in the concrete person standing in front of him, even if he can't believe in the (to him) abstract things they're risking their lives for.

The ability to believe in a better future is central, not a disagreement over the actions taking place. When reassuring Enjolras that Grantaire can handle Barriere du Main, Grantaire describes the physical actions required to get there, while not addressing his lack of belief and indeed in going to Barriere du Main, Grantaire performs the physical task asked of him but fails the one that requires belief.

The significance of OFPD is that Grantaire has the option to stay hidden and survive or stand up and knowingly martyr himself for the good of the future. That he chooses the latter is significant outside any romantic readings because it's a task that requires the exact type of belief that he has consistently been shown to be incapable of.

if grantaire's busted nose has a million fans, i'm one of them. if grantaire's busted nose has 5 fans, i'm one of them. if grantaire's busted nose has 1 fan, that fan is me. if grantaire's busted nose has no fans, i'm no longer alive. if the world is against grantaire's busted nose, i'm against the entire world. til my last breath, i'll support grantaire and his busted nose

We’ve reached the first Grantaire ramble! Here are some interesting and/or funny lines:

“Ecclesiastes says: ‘All is vanity.’ I agree with that good man, who never existed, perhaps.”

We’ve already read about how Grantaire is contradictory and his disrespectful attitude toward religion (his jokes about the cross in his introduction). Here, we get an example of both of those at once. He questions if Ecclesiastes (also a part of the Bible) was real, which would probably offend the religious sensibilities of more devout Christians, but he’s agreeing with him as he does so, thus affirming the words of the text. 

“Caligula made a horse a consul; Charles II. made a knight of a sirloin. Wrap yourself up now, then, between Consul Incitatus and Baronet Roastbeef.”

I don’t understand the reference with Charles II, but the wordplay is at least entertaining.

“ As for the intrinsic value of people, it is no longer respectable in the least. Listen to the panegyric which neighbor makes of neighbor.”

This suggests that he’s upset by the lack of community and callousness toward others that he observes in his daily life, but that his response has been cynicism rather than action. He even makes a reference to cynicism as a philosophy later on, joking about Diogenes’ cloak.

“Virtue, granted, but madness also. There are queer spots on those great men. The Brutus who killed Cæsar was in love with the statue of a little boy. This statue was from the hand of the Greek sculptor Strongylion, who also carved that figure of an Amazon known as the Beautiful Leg, Eucnemos, which Nero carried with him in his travels. This Strongylion left but two statues which placed Nero and Brutus in accord. Brutus was in love with the one, Nero with the other.”

Given that so much of Grantaire’s introduction was about his adoration of Enjolras and was filled with allusions to ancient Greek figures associated with homosexuality, it’s not surprising to see what appears to be another reference to queerness. It’s also not surprising that Grantaire’s attitude here is unclear, as he’s always full of contradictions. On the one hand, Brutus’ love for a statue of a boy is portrayed as a “spot” on his character, marring his image of virtue. Grantaire, though, just questioned the meaning of virtue itself, claiming that it was linked to violence (the “slayer”) and was determined by the victor, not by one’s character. Moreover, Brutus’ love of the statue of the boy is equated with Nero’s love of a statue of an Amazon (a woman), suggesting some level of equality between their loves. Consequently, this story could be less a commentary on queerness from Grantaire and more an instance of his general rejection of love, mocking Nero’s affection through the comparison with Brutus’. It could be a continued criticism of virtue, too. If “virtue” is violence and destruction, then love is a “spot” on virtue, even though love is typically thought of as a better trait.

His cynicism is a product of despair as well, as we see from his admission that he’s “sad” in between all his other statements. He’s still very petty, though, continuing to speak even after Bossuet silences him.

I admit that I don’t follow the references to theater and law in the other discussions (aside from the Charter), but it does give us an idea of the range of interests here. Les Amis may be bound by republicanism, but they not only have different opinions within that, but different hobbies and priorities. Grantaire’s in his own category (disavowing politics and also ranting in a very specific way), but Jean Prouvaire’s interest in mythology is really distinct from the focus on mistresses in Joly and Bahorel’s group, which is also different from the definitive political focus of Courfeyrac and Combeferre here. This isn’t to say they couldn’t all discuss these subjects - Grantaire is definitely knowledgeable about mythology, and Combeferre is basically interested in everything - but it still says something about how they choose to spend their time when they’re not doing activist work. It also gives us an indication of who’s closer to whom, even if they’re all friends. On top of that, the list of discussions (theater, politics, love, etc) gives us a feel for what a Parisian café was like at that time. It’s a wonderful way of giving us a sense of place while helping us get to know the characters.

Courfeyrac burning the Charter in the middle of all this is so funny. Combeferre, with his belief in gradual progress through education and small social changes, really tried to defend it (albeit “weakly”), but Courfeyrac was feeling chaotic, and the fire was right there.

babygirl

Again thinking about Enjoltaire. About a relationship doomed from the beginning. About something that might have been something sweet, maybe, someday. About friendships formed where distance should stand. About how they were never meant to be with each other. About how their relationship never could have worked, had they been given more time. And again, about how love and loyalty thrives in desperation. Again thinking about their poetic demise.

I wanted to try that colour wheel meme! I think the Doctor gets to count as a bit of a wild card...

just finished les mis... wow! i'm already sad and miss it :( but! here are some random thoughts post-finishing it:

hugo understands people and their relationships (and the interactions within said relationships) so well. this was my favorite aspect of the entire novel. i feel like i could pick apart so many different relationships and characterizations for hours

^ the above is how i could tell tolstoy really loved/admired him and was influenced by his work which was cool to see

my favorite section of the entire novel was the barricade section. he captured so much of humanity in such a vivid way within that section. also it was just gripping to read

favorite character was easily enjolras but no one is surprised. also loved jean valjean and grantaire. found myself loving cosette way more than i realized by the end of the novel

"to love or to have loved, that is enough. ask nothing further. to love is a consummation." that quote struck me more than i anticipated. i really loved how you could tell hugo geniunely loved humans and the world and how that love was a driving force throughout the entire novel. love - a love for and faith in the people, for change - is what pushes us forward and how progress occurs.

^ going off of that I thought of this quote from lady bird often: "don't you think maybe they are the same thing? love and attention?" you can tell hugo really loves paris

the sewer chapters were not as bad as people made them out to be like they're fine

To all the people who don’t understand why people ship ExR because Grantaire is a terrible, rude, stinky little apolitical toad and Enjolras is Enjolras, I need you to understand that that is the appeal.

the amount of les mis tattoos i want is kinda crazy

grantaire arriving to the first les amis de l’abc meeting