How Tumblr Teens Reinvented Les Mis
So, this is a story that is near and dear to my heart. I blast the music in the car. I cry at the film. My copy of the Brick is riddled with sticky notes. Hugo owns this ass. Yep.I'm talking Les Mis.
“Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo is a story that has persisted for years, and in various incarnations. Since its publication in 1862, the story has been adapted and re-adapted in all forms, including a radio show, multiple films, a musical, and a subsequent movie-musical. While this is a trend doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon (BBC has a TV series in the works for later this year,) these large-scale adaptations are far from the only reasons Les Mis has remained relevant.
What keeps people talking actively online about Les Mis and its characters are much less publicized retellings of the story.
Yes, it’s fanfiction.
Archive of Our Own is a site that hosts fanworks based on previously published characters and narratives. The site boasts of over 17,000 works within the “Les Misérables” section, and most of the stories don’t even feature Jean Valjean, the epic protagonist of the original novel.
So, what are all of these fans reading and writing about, if not Valjean and Javert’s constant cat-and-mouse game? “Les Amis de l’abc,” or “The Friends of the Abc” are the fascination of this new generation of “Les Mis” fans. They are the group of young student revolutionaries that fight for freedom, and are tragically picked off one by one during battle. Enjolras, the leader of “Les Amis,” also leads the pack on Archive of Our Own, appearing in around 11,000 fan stories, while Valjean makes only just over 2,000 stories.
Minor characters from the original text are given new life in these works, and the results are beautifully fresh and unique in their forward-thinking. Because the characters fought for change in their original time period, it is not too far a stretch to think that, if they lived today, they might be fierce activists for LGBTQ rights or racial and gender equality. This is the appeal of “Les Amis” fanfiction; the revolutionaries are easily transferrable to modern day and take on a whole new identity in 2017’s America.
These works fill a gap in fiction that is still so wide in mainstream media. “Les Amis” fanfiction runs rampant with representation and diversity. The group has members of all races and ethnicities, religions, sexualities, genders, and ability-levels. Some stories explore mental illness, or physical disability. Some feature diverse relationships between gay or bisexual characters, asexual characters, gender-fluid characters, and polyamorous characters.
"There seems to be no concrete consensus on the racial identities of each character, but if there is one thing to bank on, you can’t assume they’re all white."
Fanart by Tumblr user Batcii
The world of “Les Misérables” fanfiction is truly one of the only places that guarantees representation. “Les Amis” writers are miles ahead of even the most “edgy” and “diverse” shows, movies, and fiction of today, and the work they produce is a shining example of what modern representation could and should look like.
This fandom of young people has proven to be more progressive and forward thinking than any adult in the industry today. And that's magical.
Below are links to some of my personal favorite Les Mis Fanfics for your enjoyment.
(this post contains affiliate links)