Reading Les Miserables - short question

[NguyenKimPhat]

I am sorry if this is in the wrong forum - please move it if it is it.

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My question is in regard to Les Miserable - the text. I read it about six years ago, when I was in tenth grade, and I remember that in the book, there was a description of a scene when Marius and Cosette (the two lovers) had their wedding night. and the morning after their wedding night was also described…

I remembered that there was this scene in the book, and so I decided to read the book again, in particular this chapter that described the wedding night… am I committing a sin of lust? I have to be honest - when this book was describing the wedding night and the morning after the wedding… I was interested and curious… and I am afraid that this was a sin for me to read because it was about sex. I know that the material in Les Miserable is NOT in any way pornographic, but I when I read this portion of the book… about their wedding day… I was really curious and excited when I read it - i was … trembling…

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Here is a quote from Les Miserable that really touched me:

“Marius glanced at Cosette’s charming bare arm, and
at the rosy things which were vaguely visible through the lace
of her bodice, and Cosette, intercepting Marius* glance, blushed
to her very hair.”

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Dear Forum Operator - if there is anything inappropriate in this post - please feel free to edit and delete it - i don’t meant to post anything offensive.

 

[RPRPsych]

I remembered that there was this scene in the book, and so I decided to read the book again, in particular this chapter that described the wedding night… am I committing a sin of lust? I have to be honest - when this book was describing the wedding night and the morning after the wedding… I was interested and curious… and I am afraid that this was a sin for me to read because it was about sex. I know that the material in Les Miserable is NOT in any way pornographic, but I when I read this portion of the book… about their wedding day… I was really curious and excited when I read it - i was … trembling…

Here is a quote from Les Miserable that really touched me:

“Marius glanced at Cosette’s charming bare arm, and
at the rosy things which were vaguely visible through the lace
of her bodice, and Cosette, intercepting Marius* glance, blushed
to her very hair.”

---

Dear Forum Operator - if there is anything inappropriate in this post - please feel free to edit and delete it - i don’t meant to post anything offensive.

“Curious and excited” isn’t necessarily lustful, most of us go through periods of being curious and excited about a variety of things.

And “dealing generally with the subject of sex between married persons” is certainly not pornographic. If Hugo had been more explicit, he wouldn’t have got away with it. (Remember the ruckus over Flaubert, who was tame enough by our standards.)

I actually found the quoted passage rather sweet and romantic, but maybe that’s just me.

 

[Joannm]

I am sorry if this is in the wrong forum - please move it if it is it.

---

My question is in regard to Les Miserable - the text. I read it about six years ago, when I was in tenth grade, and I remember that in the book, there was a description of a scene when Marius and Cosette (the two lovers) had their wedding night. and the morning after their wedding night was also described…

I remembered that there was this scene in the book, and so I decided to read the book again, in particular this chapter that described the wedding night… am I committing a sin of lust? I have to be honest - when this book was describing the wedding night and the morning after the wedding… I was interested and curious… and I am afraid that this was a sin for me to read because it was about sex. I know that the material in Les Miserable is NOT in any way pornographic, but I when I read this portion of the book… about their wedding day… I was really curious and excited when I read it - i was … trembling…

---

Here is a quote from Les Miserable that really touched me:

“Marius glanced at Cosette’s charming bare arm, and
at the rosy things which were vaguely visible through the lace
of her bodice, and Cosette, intercepting Marius* glance, blushed
to her very hair.”

---

.

That’s nothing…Take a glance at this. It’s in the bible.

How beautiful your sandaled feet,
O prince’s daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
encircled by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
my love, with your delights!
Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
and your mouth like the best wine.

 

[RPRPsych]

That’s nothing…Take a glance at this. It’s in the bible.

How beautiful your sandaled feet,
O prince’s daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
encircled by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
my love, with your delights!
Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
and your mouth like the best wine.

I’d forgotten about that. Saints and mystics have written pages about the Song of Songs; Victor Hugo pretty much pales in comparison.