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Les Misérables
Les Misérables

Chapter CLXVII

Chapter 167 of Les Misérables is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Victor Hugo • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Les Misérables
Context Illustration Reading 1/2 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”
To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.
He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.
In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.
He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Les Misérables

Chapter CLXVII

Chapter 167 of Les Misérables is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”
Line 2
To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.
/tuː sʌm ʌp hiː wɑːz ˈvenərəbəl ɪn spaɪt ʌv ɔːl ðɪs/
Line 3
He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.
/hiː hæd ˈsʌmθɪŋ ʌv ðə eɪˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəri əˈbaʊt hɪm ˈfrɪvələs ənd ɡreɪt/
Line 4
In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.
Line 5
He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

attaining verb US /əˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “attain” — to gain with effort

From this reading “He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dog's noun US /dɔːɡz/

possessive form of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eighteenth adjective US /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading “He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eighty adjective US /ˈeɪti/

being ten more than seventy

From this reading “He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frivolous adjective US /ˈfrɪvələs/

not serious in content or attitude or behavior

From this reading “He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Restoration noun US /ˌrestərˈeɪʃən/

the reign of Charles II in England; 1660-1685

From this reading “In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rue noun US /ruː/

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading “In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
venerable adjective US /ˈvenərəbəl/

impressive by reason of age

From this reading “To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

eighteenth century adjective + noun

In this reading “He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.”

3,225 times in 426,211 chapters
in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.”

78,764 times in 426,211 chapters
early years adjective + noun

In this reading “In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.”

1,566 times in 426,211 chapters
lived in verb + particle counted as “live in”

live in the house where one works

In this reading “In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.”

64,539 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 66

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1814

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

Pending verification
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attainingverbUS /əˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “attain” — to gain with effort

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dog'snounUS /dɔːɡz/

possessive form of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eighteenthadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eightyadjectiveUS /ˈeɪti/

being ten more than seventy

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Faubourgnoun

a New Orleans district lying outside the original city limits; used in combination with the names of various quarters of the city

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frivolousadjectiveUS /ˈfrɪvələs/

not serious in content or attitude or behavior

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Germain

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

Pending verification
Gillenormand

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Pending verification
graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Luc-Esprit

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Pending verification
MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Marais

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

Pending verification
nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quitted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

Pending verification
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RestorationnounUS /ˌrestərˈeɪʃən/

the reign of Charles II in England; 1660-1685

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RuenounUS /ruː/

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SaintnounUS /seɪnt/

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Saint-Sulpice

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

Pending verification
Servandoni

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

Pending verification
seventy-fouradjective

being four more than seventy

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sumnounUS /sʌm/

a quantity of money

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading He had something of the eighteenth century about him; frivolous and great.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
venerableadjectiveUS /ˈvenərəbəl/

impressive by reason of age

From this reading To sum up, he was venerable in spite of all this.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society, long after attaining the age of eighty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Such was M. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand, who had not lost his hair,—which was gray rather than white,—and which was always dressed in “dog’s ears.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration, M. Gillenormand, who was still young,—he was only seventy-four,—lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain, Rue Servandoni, near Saint-Sulpice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 167 of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo holds 13 sentences, grouped into 3 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 167 of Les Misérables contain?

Chapter 167 holds 13 sentences of Les Misérables, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 167 of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 13 sentences, grouped into 3 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 167 of Les Misérables?

Work through the 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 3 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 167 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 167 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Les Misérables

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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in Les Misérables

Words and structures a reader meets early in Les Misérables, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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