Greetings jgnat!
Welcome to the estimable entourage of AUTODIDACTS NON-ANONYMOUS! I'm with Clam - Jean Valjean est mon hero. Surely, he was not an evil man; he only stole un peu de pain. He stole bread and it caused him pain. Now, if he had been a citizen of Germany, and stolen into the bakery and stolen some stolen, that might have been another matter. The point is, he did not knead dough, he needed bread! And that blessed priest who perceived the good in JV and simply informed the arresting officer that he meant for Jean to take the silver candlesticks [?], but in his haste, Jean left them behind! Jean resolves to help his fellowman in deed and truth and is a beloved man. I've forgotten the antagonist's name - Jarvet ? - but his relentless and ruthless pursuit of pauvre Jean is the plot that thickens and turns us into manic page turners. I am totally in awe of M. Hugo's climactic climb to conclusion! Anachronistically, if Darth Vadar could make a choice between the Evil Emperor and Luke Skywalker, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, then we must not misjudge Inspector Nemesis [what was he, truly, at heart?] for merely doing his job - for the crown or for the people? After all, it was the Revolution! I love authors who can so beautifully draw their characters and breathe life and vitality into them. Thanx for a delightful topic. I really tried not to reveal too much as you are, at present, threading your way through this timely tome.
BTW, LVB so loved your thoughts on his illegible handwriting! As far as we know, he knew no Elise!
CoCo