The student revolution is about to kick off big time so before i go any further i feel i should point out the main players of this event since i haven't yet, and since they're all gonna die soon i think it's only fair that i learn their names first. This lad named Enjolras seems to be the leader, and there's also Combeferre, Courfeyrac and Grantaire. (I have no idea how to pronounce any of those names by the way).
Enjolras is the only one i actually remember from the musical, maybe it's because he's the only one who was actually interesting apart from Marius, actually i didn't even realise the other boys had names, they seemed more like cannon fodder than actual characters.
Gavroche and Eponine are also mixed up in all this too, I think Gavroche is only there because he wants to be involved in something big, he seems very eager to fight even though the other boys don't pay much attention to him because he's only a child and Eponine is of course there because she's in love with Marius. I'll get back to her in a minute though. Marius hasn't arrived at the barricades yet because he's still brooding over the loss of Cosette.
You know Marius was a lot more interesting as a character in the musical, he had a lot more balls anyway! He was ready to fight and die with his mates whereas in the book he's just this lovesick moron who pretty much abandons all his beliefs once he meets Cosette and now that he thinks she's gone forever he only now decides to join the fight. I don't think i like Marius very much, i really thought i would actually, he started off well but his character went downhill once he fell in love, for fucks sake Marius stop being so bloody dramatic, grow some balls and make up your mind, do you want to live or do you want to die!
To be honest I think he's just a coward, and i hate cowards.
Anyway.....Gavroche proves his worth when he spots Javert supposedly working for the students cause, he tells the other lads that he's a policeman and working there as a spy so the other boys tie him up to a post and tell him they'll kill him if their barricades fall.
The lads then spend their last hours drinking and reciting love poems, which isn't a bad way to spend your last moments if you ask me, it's what I'd probably be doing, minus the poems though.
I don't really know a lot about what these boys are fighting for so i don't know if they're incredibly brave or extremely stupid, but i have respect for people who stand up for the things they believe in, it's something I've always admired in people actually.
It must be an amazing and terrifying experience to know that you're most likely going to die soon because of your beliefs.
But anyway i want to mention whats going on with Eponine. At this point in the book we're not supposed to know that Eponine is at the barricades because she's dressed up as a boy so she can fight alongside them, but I've seen the musical so i know it's really her. There's no point pretending Eponine i know whats going on, you cant fool me!
This part actually bugged me a lot in the musical, perhaps it was because in the version i saw the girl playing Eponine was far too pretty to ever be mistaken for a boy so it was totally unbelievable, when i was watching it i just kept thinking that if you're trying to look like a boy you should probably keep your boobs covered!
In the book however Eponine isn't supposed to look pretty, she's supposed to be skinny and ugly so it works a lot better as a plot device.
I think Eponines just lonely actually, her family's gone and even though Gavroche is her brother she barely knows him, Marius is the only person she has left so why wouldn't she want to be with him no matter what the cost, she has nothing else to live for anyway.
Fucking hell I've just realised Eponine has more balls than Marius! at least she knows what she wants anyway!
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