judyblue_ t1_jdpkwxy wrote on March 26, 2023 at 4:35 AM

My mother taught me the word "milquetoast" when I was a child, because that's how she felt about Marius. When I read it myself I realized how perfectly accurate her description is.

Paperfoldingfractal t1_jdqardv wrote on March 26, 2023 at 10:27 AM

Possibly; however, nothing prepared me for Marius' unbelievable badass arrival at the barricade! Here's this boy, moping, unable to make a decision about anything, upon arriving at the barricade sees Enjolras about to get bayonetted at one end of the barricade and Gavroche similarly at the other end. In one motion Marius pulls out two duelling pistols (fisticuffs) Javert(!) gave him 100 pages ago for something completely different and, guns akimbo, kills the two soldiers threatening his friends.

I loved it, it just comes completely out of nowhere and is almost anachronistic in that I'd expect that out of an 80s action movie. If a remake included it, it would be ridiculed as making Marius an action hero.

ZeMastor t1_jds4kjo wrote on March 26, 2023 at 7:32 PM

...but his arrival at the barricades had nothing to do with The Cause. At least the ABC's were fighting for something they believed in- a new Republic. Marius wasn't fighting for anything, or to make France a kinder, gentler democracy someday. He was depressed that the girl he was interested in was moving to England and he couldn't follow her (not that he'd introduced himself to her guardian like civilized people did back then). And Grandpa G wouldn't approve of their marriage. So he was mulling over a death wish. he wanted to die quickly, and he got this message that his "friends" were waiting for him at the barricades.

What he was doing was "suicide by cop" or in this case, getting involved in a shooting match against gov't troops. He took two lives for a cause that meant nothing to him. Not badass or heroic at all.

ChildhoodSadd OP t1_jdshp32 wrote on March 26, 2023 at 9:04 PM

Your comment just made me cringe more when I think back about him getting ready to blow himself and everyone up. There were definitely some dark motivations in there.

Man this book is good.