THE LAUGHING MAN

Another epic novel from the pen of Victor Hugo, perhaps the greatest romantic author of the 19th Century. The Laughing Man (L'Homme Qui Rit) is a gothic romance with satirical, political and spiritual overtones. Set in England after Cromwell's failed republic and during the reign of Queen Anne (early 18thC) the story follows the fortunes of a small boy who has been cruelly and deliberately disfigured when he was just an infant. Abandoned on a coastal promontory in foul weather, he bravely saves a baby from certain death before they are both adopted by a misanthropic showman and his companion wolf.

The boy, Gwynplaine, grows to manhood, earning his living as a performing 'grotesque' in fairs and shows around the country. Eventually his celebrity draws the troupe to London. It's there that his aristocratic origins, of which he had been oblivious, are revealed and he becomes embroiled in a series of courtly intrigues. His loyalty and his love for his travelling 'family' are tested to the limit. Hugo writes with wit, drama and bold imagery. He explores love and passion, loyalty and treachery, in a fantastical world of fairgrounds, prisons and palaces. His supporting cast of characters are naturally 'larger than life'.

Hugo was a polymath and in his original text he showcases his immense knowledge of 19th Century science, politics, history etc etc. These diversions and tangents comprise almost half of Hugo's manuscript and can discourage a contemporary reader/listener.

This edition has been intelligently abridged from Hugo's original text. Patrick Dickson has distilled the novel focusing on the momentum of Hugo's extraordinary adventure enabling a modern reader/listener to enjoy the ride without losing the delights of Hugo's esoteric and unique story-telling style.

Quotes:

"Destiny never opens one door without closing another. The Paradise of the rich is made out of the Hell of the poor."—VH 1869