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Victor Hugo
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The Man Who Laughs (Annotated) Kindle Edition

by Victor Hugo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 199 ratings
See all formats and editions
This ebook includes a biographical introduction, a short, critical analysis of Hugo's work within the historical context and a brief introduction to this work.

First published in 1869 and written whilst in exile on Guernsey, The Man Who Laughs is a novel recounting the fortunes and otherwise of Gwynplaine, first a boy and then a man with mysterious origins who is so facially disfigured that he always appears to be laughing. The only person who doesn't appreciate his disfigurement is the blind girl Dea, whom Gwynplaine rescued from certain death in the novel's prologue.
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    July 17, 2013
  5. File size
    2865 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

During a snowstorm, a young homeless boy rescues an infant whose mother has frozen to death. Desperate for shelter, they join a carnival run by a man named Ursus. Gwynplaine, the boy, left with a perpetual grin from a mysterious disfigurement, soon becomes a main attraction at their shows. The Man Who Laughs is a novel by Victor Hugo.

About the Author

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet and novelist. Born in Besançon, Hugo was the son of a general who served in the Napoleonic army. Raised on the move, Hugo was taken with his family from one outpost to the next, eventually setting with his mother in Paris in 1803. In 1823, he published his first novel, launching a career that would earn him a reputation as a leading figure of French Romanticism. His Gothic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) was a bestseller throughout Europe, inspiring the French government to restore the legendary cathedral to its former glory. During the reign of King Louis-Philippe, Hugo was elected to the National Assembly of the French Second Republic, where he spoke out against the death penalty and poverty while calling for public education and universal suffrage. Exiled during the rise of Napoleon III, Hugo lived in Guernsey from 1855 to 1870. During this time, he published his literary masterpiece Les Misérables (1862), a historical novel which has been adapted countless times for theater, film, and television. Towards the end of his life, he advocated for republicanism around Europe and across the globe, cementing his reputation as a defender of the people and earning a place at Paris’ Panthéon, where his remains were interred following his death from pneumonia. His final words, written on a note only days before his death, capture the depth of his belief in humanity: “To love is to act.”

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00E1T3VKW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Moorside Press (July 17, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 17, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2865 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1495338983
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 199 ratings

About the author

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Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo

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Victor Marie Hugo (/ˈhjuːɡoʊ/; French: [viktɔʁ maʁi yɡo]; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry and then from his novels and his dramatic achievements. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles stand particularly high in critical esteem. Outside France, his best-known works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and Notre-Dame de Paris, 1831 (known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). He also produced more than 4,000 drawings, which have since been admired for their beauty, and earned widespread respect as a campaigner for social causes such as the abolition of capital punishment.

Though a committed royalist when he was young, Hugo's views changed as the decades passed, and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and the artistic trends of his time. He is buried in the Panthéon. His legacy has been honoured in many ways, including his portrait being placed on French franc banknotes.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Étienne Carjat [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
199 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the story excellent. They also mention the text font is tiny and some parts are very wordy.

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StoryVisual presentation
9 customers mention "Story"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the story excellent, holds their interest from beginning to end, and is worth reading.

"...The book has alot of narrative, goes into alot more about character Gwynplaine's background with his father, Lord Clancharlie and Gwynplaine's..." Read more

"...I’m sure the story is great, hence the 5 star rating." Read more

"Great story by segments... I mean, there were some intercalated chapters providing very detailed descriptions of nobility titles and names of people..." Read more

"A great twist on history" Read more

8 customers mention "Visual presentation"0 positive8 negative

Customers find the visual presentation of the book tiny, with no typesetting and chapter titles that read like headings. They also say the text flow is screwed up and whole pages start in the middle of the page.

"I wish it was stated that the print in this is soooo small. I have to buy my daughter, who is a teen, a magnifying glass so she can read it." Read more

"...The writing isn’t even large print—I mean, it’s pretty to look at, but very unexpected size...." Read more

"Publisher cut corners to save publishing costs, small typeface , old translation uses archaic language...." Read more

"...The font is extremely small. It is so tiny it is almost painful to read. Just make the font bigger and run the book out to more pages!..." Read more

Uh...
5 out of 5 stars
Uh...
Super excited to read this book, but holy crap, it’s HUGE! I was expecting something I could carry in my purse to the coffee shop, not some coffee table art piece. The writing isn’t even large print—I mean, it’s pretty to look at, but very unexpected size.I’m sure the story is great, hence the 5 star rating.
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Top reviews from the United States

Kris
5.0 out of 5 stars Plain and simple.......fantastic
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
I chose this book because it has wonderful pictures from the film that Universal did with Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin, plus a stunning support cast. It's taking me some time to read the book, mainly because I'm not that familiar with Victor Hugo's work. I'm the type that....I saw the movie, why do I need to read the book. I obtained an excellent copy of the film, The Man Who Laughs, and have been smitten with Conrad Veidt ever since. His performance, the make-up.....you are riveted and almost forget the plot to the film. So, that's why I took the chance and found this book. ((((SPOILER ALERT))))

I like the film's from beginning-to-end alot better than the book's version. The book has alot of narrative, goes into alot more about character Gwynplaine's background with his father, Lord Clancharlie and Gwynplaine's future inheritance, etc. All in all, I'd read BOTH this book, and see the fantastic film by Universal.....just to see Conrad Veidt's performance, and the make-up. They sure don't make 'em like that anymore.
7 people found this helpful
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Marie Knue
4.0 out of 5 stars print soooo small
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
I wish it was stated that the print in this is soooo small. I have to buy my daughter, who is a teen, a magnifying glass so she can read it.
5 people found this helpful
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R.C.Wilde
5.0 out of 5 stars Uh...
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Super excited to read this book, but holy crap, it’s HUGE! I was expecting something I could carry in my purse to the coffee shop, not some coffee table art piece. The writing isn’t even large print—I mean, it’s pretty to look at, but very unexpected size.

I’m sure the story is great, hence the 5 star rating.
Customer image
R.C.Wilde
5.0 out of 5 stars Uh...
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2018
Super excited to read this book, but holy crap, it’s HUGE! I was expecting something I could carry in my purse to the coffee shop, not some coffee table art piece. The writing isn’t even large print—I mean, it’s pretty to look at, but very unexpected size.

I’m sure the story is great, hence the 5 star rating.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
9 people found this helpful
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Emer Rand
5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest book ever
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2022
Verified Purchase
Ayn Rands favorite book. Mine too.
One person found this helpful
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Ronda Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2021
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Good
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Luisfer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great story by segments...
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
Great story by segments... I mean, there were some intercalated chapters providing very detailed descriptions of nobility titles and names of people who bare them that I found quite distracting and boring -- many pages seemed to me as if the author just wanted to stuff up and try to lengthen the book. The story picked-up greatly after these. I would have preferred a different ending :)
4 people found this helpful
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crystal kay
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2017
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A great twist on history
One person found this helpful
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James 76
1.0 out of 5 stars Hard to enjoy
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023
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Publisher cut corners to save publishing costs, small typeface , old translation uses archaic language. Most of the book is history essays with endless minutiae. Ending was disappointing.
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Top reviews from other countries

luis
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece.
Reviewed in Spain on April 14, 2022
Verified Purchase
The slow beggining prepares the reader for an impressive developtment of the story.
It is a beautifully written book.
I enjoyed it a lot. For me, the sensation was the same as reading Hamlet: awe.
Too great to be properly judged.
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Lilly
5.0 out of 5 stars Very impressed.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a very good edition of the book. It includes useful footnotes, introduction and many other extra information which helps you understand the book even further. I highly recommended Necropolis Press as a reliable source for university students.
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Bazza
1.0 out of 5 stars A SCAM !!!!!
Reviewed in Australia on January 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
this is missing the first half of the book !!!!
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julien
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderfull book
Reviewed in France on June 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
I don't know why I bought this book in english: I am french and can access it in the original language.
Great book anyway.
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S Houston
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
I watched a film version of the Man Who Laughs, and just had to read Victor Hugo's book. What an amazing story. Touching, with some of the best lines ever.
One person found this helpful
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