The Man Who Laughs - PDF novel by Victor Hugo
The Man Who Laughs
Hugo intended parallels between England depicted and the France of Louis-Philippe and the Régence
Download 12 MB PDF book
Plot:
the life of a young nobleman, Gwynplaine, disfigured as a child (on the orders of the king), who travels with his protector and companion the vagabond philosopher Ursus and the baby girl he rescues during a storm. The novel is famous for Gwynplaine's mutilated face, stuck in a permanent laugh. The book has inspired many artists, dramatists, and film-makers
Review by Jim Dooley
This is an astonishing book and quite emotionally draining. I doubt if there is another writer who creates such an understanding of the human condition as does Victor Hugo...and, yes, that includes Charles Dickens who is one of my favourite authors.
Seldom have I read a story that was so entirely immersive. The writer took me deeply into the culture of the time, the settings, the politics, and gave me a sense of day-to-day life. Consequently, I knew these characters to the point that I could probably have predicted their actions had the story moved along a different path. Modern readers are likely to be troubled by the (at times) overwhelming detail.
Publication date: 1871.
Download 12 MB PDF book
