Never, even among animals, does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey. That is only to be seen among men.
My friends, remember this: There are no bad herbs, and no bad men; there are only bad cultivators.
Monsieur, innocence is its own crown. Innocence has no truck with highness. It is as august in rags as it is draped in the fleur-de-lis.
Monsieur' to a convict is a glass of water to a man dying of thirst at sea; ignominy thirsts for respect.
Mirrors, those revealers of the truth, are hated; that does not prevent them from being of use.
Love is like a tree: it shoots of itself; it strikes it's roots deeply into our whole being, and frequently continues to put forth green leaves over a heart in ruins. And there is this unaccountable c...
Look not at the face, young girl, look at the heart. The heart of a handsome youngman is often deformed. There are hearts in which love does not keep. Young girl, thepine is not beautiful; it is not b...
Let us never fear robbers not murderers. Those are dangers from without, petty dangers. Let us fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices are the real murderers. The great dangers lie with...
Let misery hide itself in silence, otherwise it becomes treason.
Ladies, a second piece of advice--do not marry; marriage is a graft; it may take hold or not. Shun the risk.
Knowing that she was beautiful, she felt thoroughly, although in an indistinct way, that she had a weapon. Women play with their beauty as children do with their knives. They would themselves with it.
Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. Itis your soul that I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts andthe spirit of perdition, and I give it to God.
Jean Valjean watched these ravages with anxiety. He who felt that he could never do anything but crawl, walk at the most, beheld wings sprouting on Cosette.
Jean Valjean opened his eyes wide, and stared at the venerable Bishop with an expression which no human tongue can render any account of.
Jean Valjean opened his eyes and looked at the bishop with an expression which no human tongue can describe.
Jean Valjean had undertaken to teach her to read. Sometimes, as he made the child spell, he remembered that it was with the idea of doing evil that he had learned to read in prison. This idea had ende...
Jean Valjean had entered the galleys sobbing and shuddering; he emerged impassive. He had entered in despair; he emerged gloomy.
It is sad to tell, but after having tried society, which had caused his misfortune, he tried Providence which created society, and condemned it also.
It is necessary, for the sake of the forward march of the human race, that there should be proud lessons of courage permanently on the heights. Daring deeds dazzle history and are one of man's great s...
It is immoral that a mattress should have so much power. Triumph of that which yields over that which strikes with lightning. But never mind, glory to the mattress which annuls a cannon!