Why and what is "D------?"

[honesttradesman]

I just started this novel. Why is the name of the city the bishop resides in only referred to as "D------?" What is the name of the city supposed to be?

[bibliophile190]

Personally, I haven't read Les Miserables, but I have read a lot of books where authors do the same thing. Often, they don't want to name a real city/village, so that they can describe it the way they want, or they just make up a place, it's probably not intended to be a real area.

[honesttradesman]

Thank you. You're on the right track, it sounds.


Personally, I haven't read Les Miserables, but I have read a lot of books where authors do the same thing. Often, they don't want to name a real city/village, so that they can describe it the way they want, or they just make up a place, it's probably not intended to be a real area.

[robertpool]

Most "experts" on Hugo agree that "D.." is Digne-les-Bains, a town in the French Alps.

[Javert]

In Russian translations the town is also called "Digne".

[wtwt5237]

Also in English translations

[kiki1982]

I read it in French and it says Digne just in the book. The character was also based on a real bishop of Digne as it seems.

[GodsGadfly]

Actually, the character was based upon St. Jean-Marie Vianney, the "Cure d'Ars," who was kind of like the 19th Century's equivalent of Padre Pio. He was assigned a kind of a backwoods parish because he was considered rather dull-witted. He lived a very austere life and was extremely generous to the poor. He also had the gift of reading souls. He spent most of his time in the confessional. People would flock to him from all over Europe to go to Confession to him.

One time, a famous actress came to Ars to meet him. He stopped several feet away from her, and said something to the effect of, "Madame, please step back. The stench of your soul is so horrid I must vomit."

[AngelofPhantoms]

I know what you're talking about. When i had one book it had D--- and M---sur M----, but I bought my own personal copy from Signet Publications and it had Digne and Montreuil sur Mer.