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40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another stunning masterpiece from Hugo, January 30, 2002
In the broadest terms, the central theme of this novel is: "Man's cruelty against man". More specifically, it maybe stated as: "The injustice and inhumanity meted out to, and the exploitation and oppression of the underprivileged, impoverished and vulnerable section of society by the privileged, powerful and wealthy."
According to Hugo, this is the fundamental problem of mankind - in fact, the essential condition of mankind.
TMWL is Hugo's most vehement denunciation of the evils and iniquities that exist in human society.
He has not just denounced (with bitter sarcasm) the masters of the human race-exposing the emptiness, immorality and meaninglessness of their lives-condemning their lust for power, their total disregard for the sufferings of mankind and their abuse of power and position- but has also shown how ugly and devastating is the oppression of the poor and weak.Integrated with this theme is the (secondary) theme of the conflict between moral and immoral love-love guided by the spirit and love guided by the flesh. At yet another level, the theme is : "The struggles of man-against all the forces in life which seek to destroy his spirit and cow him down- against evils in society, against weaknesses and evils within his own self and against the destructive forces of nature."
Whether man triumphs or not, is determined by the purpose Hugo wants to accomplish. In TMWL, the antagonizing flaws as well as the overwhelming genius of Hugo reach their highest pitch. Never has Hugo dwelt so lovingly and carefully on each and every situation, thought, emotion and character. His characterization has rarely reached the depth and complexity as it does here: Gwynplaine - the symbol of the basic problem confronting mankind-embodiment of the entire idea (& all the themes) dramatized by the novel.
Ursus - the symbol of wisdom, knowledge, justice and humanity driven by the injustice and oppression around him into bitterness, fear, cynicism - and hatred for man.
Dea-the symbol of Ideal love - based on the recognition of the values held by and virtues of man, totally oblivious of his physical appearance-love which has eyes only for the soul.
Barkilphedro - the symbol of hatred for the sake of hatred - who finds pleasure in others' sorrows.
Josiana - the most fascinating creation of Hugo-is meant to symbolize immoral love - a "love" which is a negation of the very meaning of love and a negation of values. Her craving for the uncommon, extraordinary or abnormal is not for the sake of these- but arises from her conception of herself-as something absolutely out of this world (which she is). Since she is the epitome of the different, beyond conformity, beyond the common pale of life-she shall have only that which is as uncommon, shocking, scandalizing and unique as she is-whether a God or a monster-morality, values, virtues, vices don't matter (reflecting, as an extreme case, the irrelevance of moral values in the lives of the rich-& how meaningless is their concept of love). Hugo's style is at its poetic best-the imagery, the language, the metaphors are so colorful, vivid and lyrical that it makes a standard and a genre of its own- unequaled and unsurpassed.
However, he tends to drag issues and keeps repeating one thing beyond any conceivable necessity.
His interrupting essays make reading tiresome at times.
He gives too many unnecessary details.
As to the plot structure, Hugo being a master plot-maker, it is tightly constructed but relies too heavily on coincidence and accident (which Hugo has unconvincingly tried to render logical). But these drawbacks, however exasperating, cannot but be ignored in the face of the startling ingenuity and originality of the story, the depth which Hugo reaches in exploring the human soul(the profound psychological and philosophical depiction of Gwynplaine's ripening manhood, his maturing sexuality-in all its confusion, agony and ecstasy is beautiful), the amazing artistry of his symbolism( one of the best being the dead body rotting in the open - symbolizing the monstrosity of human laws), and the grandeur and sweeping drama of his scenes-the best, most unforgettable ones being the climax scene (in the House of the Lords) and the one dealing with the fate of the hooker carrying the escaping Comprachicos (which I think is the best scene ever written-it is simply unsurpassable). In the end, I'd like to say that TMWL is one of the most powerful and compelling novels ever written. It is more than just a novel- it is a great work of art. The fact that this novel is hardly known today and has always been either ignored or condemned by critics is a sign of the disintegration of literature and art.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best novel by Hugo, July 23, 1999
By A Customer
I first read this book ten years ago and marvelled at the powerful writing and timeless themes. This book was my first introduction to Hugo and I could not wait to read his masterpieces: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Les Miserables". Although I acknowledge that these books are wonderful, I still hold that "The Man Who Laughs" is just as good, if not better, and more emotionally gratifying than other Hugo's classics.I first read this story in Russian and the English translation disappointed me. It was more choppy and rough than the Russian version and lacked the sofistication of the latter. However, it is still a great book nonetheless. The story is rich with complex characters that no one will soon forget. The human weakness of Gynplaine is very appropriate and his demise is almost poetic. Nobody should miss out on reading this incredible story and judge for themselves if it deserves to stay out of print when it is for sure one of the greatest novels ever written. The only negative aspect of the book that, although it did not bother me, may bother some readers is the preacheness of Gynplaine and Ursus, albeit done very masterfully. The character of Dea is too saintly. Although she needs to be very pure for the story to work, she is virtually a saint which is unsettling and makes the reader treat her at an arm's length instead of getting her into their souls as they undoubtfully do with Gynplaine. The whole milieu is very dark and that may make some people uncomfortable. When I first read it, it took me a long time to want to re-read it although I found it to be one of the best books I have ever read. These negative points are more than acquited by extremely well-told story with characters and situations that are unique and unforgettable. I though that this "old" story would not give me any new insight but it did. This story's major plus is my favorite character, Josianna: she is extremely complex although I got the feeling that Hugo wanted to make her more one-dementional. Still, her scene when she finds out that Gynplaine is a Lord and is going to be her husband is a brilliant testament to her wild and uncomformist nature. I urge anyone who has not read it to read it. Even if they do not like it, they will find the experience worth-while. For those readers who love Hugo, this is a not-to-be-missed read. For those readers who do not like Hugo, this is a must.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Serious fiction, June 16, 2002
Victor Hugo's 1868 novel "The Man Who Laughs" (l'Homme qui rit) is the superb narrative of a young man who, as a child, was abducted, sold and deformed -- obstensibly for profit, but, as it turns out, for dark political reasons as well. To tell too much of Gwynplaine's story is to give away the plot's secrets, though the truth is its key secret is revealed less than 200 pages into the novel. Set in England at the end of the 17th Century and the beginning of the 18th, "The Man Who Laughs" skewers English aristocracy the way "Les Misérables" (1862) did French authorities. Gwynplaine's long denunciation in the House of Lords is obviously Hugo speaking, while depictions of the scheming Barkilphedro, the dissolute Lord David Dirry-Moir, and the strange Josiana (whose passive-aggressive sexuality would have fascinated Freud) are reflections of the Stuart dynasty's ugly corruption "its features hidden by a mask of joy". (Queen Anne herself is dismissed as a fool.) The only pure characters are Dea, a blind woman in love with Gwynplaine, and Homo, a wolf. Even Ursus, the itinerant philosopher, seems to fight his humanity, denying the love he feels for his three companions: the scarred man, the blind woman, and the animal. Why this magnificent novel is not better known is a mystery. One reason, perhaps, is that it would be difficult to dramatize. (There was a 1928 silent film version which is rarely if ever shown.) There have, of course, been several versions of both "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", not to mention a megamusical based on the former. Hugo's prolixity and his penchant for sesquipedalian words must make translation an enormous chore, which is why Joseph Blamire's English translation (to my knowledge the only English translation to date) came out a full twenty years after the original publication. For the average 21st Century reader, this is nourishment not easy to digest. Hugo's style is a series of lengthy descriptions and digressions filled with obscure references. I've got one word for you: skim. But don't skim so rapidly that you miss some of the shining epigrams: "Aristocracy is proud of what women consider a reproach -- age! Yet both cherish the same illusion, that they do not change." Obviously, this is not junk food. On the contrary, for readers with rich tastes "The Man Who Laughs" is a literary feast.
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