The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2004-06-01 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #12587 |
Description
"The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History" by Victor Hugo is a Gothic novel published in 1869. Set in late 17th-century England, it follows Gwynplaine, a young nobleman disfigured as a child by royal command, his face carved into a permanent grin. Traveling with a philosopher and a blind girl he rescued, Gwynplaine becomes a carnival performer whose grotesque smile provokes laughter and desire. When his true identity surfaces, he's thrust into a cruel aristocratic world that destroyed him, forcing a confrontation between his past and present. (This is an automatically generated summary.)