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The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English HistoryVictor Hugo

The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History

by OpenStories

Original author: Victor Hugo

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"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.

The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History, by Victor Hugo. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #12587.

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  • 103chapters
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103 Chapters

  1. 1.Front Matter601 words
  2. 2.Conclusion: The Night and the Sea11,583 words
  3. 3.Chapter I: Portland Bill2,193 words
  4. 4.Chapter II: Left Alone1,267 words
  5. 5.Chapter III: Alone1,828 words
  6. 6.Chapter IV: Questions543 words
  7. 7.Chapter V: The Tree of Human Invention1,597 words
  8. 8.Chapter VI: Struggle Between Death and Life2,144 words
  9. 9.Chapter VII: The North Point of Portland1,631 words
  10. 10.Chapter I: Superhuman Laws1,035 words
  11. 11.Chapter II: Our First Rough Sketches Filled in1,631 words
  12. 12.Chapter III: Troubled Men on the Troubled Sea1,184 words
  13. 13.Chapter IV2,301 words
  14. 14.Chapter V: Hardquanonne622 words
  15. 15.Chapter VI: They Think That Help Is at Hand454 words
  16. 16.Chapter VII: Superhuman Horrors1,167 words
  17. 17.Chapter VIII: Nix Et Nox907 words
  18. 18.Chapter IX: The Charge Confided to a Raging Sea396 words
  19. 19.Chapter X: The Colossal Savage, the Storm1,197 words
  20. 20.Chapter XI: The Caskets755 words
  21. 21.Chapter XII: Face to Face with the Rock1,185 words
  22. 22.Chapter XIII: Face to Face with Night320 words
  23. 23.Chapter XIV: Ortach499 words
  24. 24.Chapter XV: Portentosum Mare1,704 words
  25. 25.Chapter XVI: The Problem Suddenly Works in Silence706 words
  26. 26.Chapter XVII: The Last Resource1,132 words
  27. 27.Chapter XVIII: The Highest Resource2,028 words
  28. 28.Chapter I: Chesil1,720 words
  29. 29.Chapter II: The Effect of Snow1,489 words
  30. 30.Chapter III: A Burden Makes a Rough Road Rougher1,491 words
  31. 31.Chapter IV: Another Form of Desert1,613 words
  32. 32.Chapter V: Misanthropy Plays Its Pranks4,715 words
  33. 33.Chapter VI: The Awaking1,149 words
  34. 34.Chapter I: Lord Clancharlie4,181 words
  35. 35.Chapter II: Lord David Dirry-Moir2,172 words
  36. 36.Chapter III: The Duchess Josiana2,796 words
  37. 37.Chapter IV: The Leader of Fashion2,564 words
  38. 38.Chapter V: Queen Anne2,630 words
  39. 39.Chapter VI: Barkilphedro1,695 words
  40. 40.Chapter VII: Barkilphedro Gnaws His Way1,741 words
  41. 41.Chapter VIII: Inferi608 words
  42. 42.Chapter IX: Hate Is as Strong as Love2,381 words
  43. 43.Chapter X2,762 words
  44. 44.Chapter XI: Barkilphedro in Ambuscade1,128 words
  45. 45.Chapter XII: Scotland, Ireland, and England2,659 words
  46. 46.Chapter I1,682 words
  47. 47.Chapter II: DEA881 words
  48. 48.Chapter III: “oculos Non Habet, Et Videt.”721 words
  49. 49.Chapter IV: Well-Matched Lovers984 words
  50. 50.Chapter V: The Blue Sky Through the Black Cloud1,249 words
  51. 51.Chapter VI: Ursus as Tutor, and Ursus as Guardian1,249 words
  52. 52.Chapter VII: Blindness Gives Lessons in Clairvoyance997 words
  1. 53.Chapter VIII: Not Only Happiness, but Prosperity1,811 words
  2. 54.Chapter IX1,823 words
  3. 55.Chapter X: An Outsider’s View of Men and Things1,928 words
  4. 56.Chapter XI3,166 words
  5. 57.Chapter XII887 words
  6. 58.Chapter I: The Tadcaster Inn1,159 words
  7. 59.Chapter II: Open-Air Eloquence1,898 words
  8. 60.Chapter III: Where the Passer-By Reappears1,728 words
  9. 61.Chapter IV: Contraries Fraternize in Hate1,577 words
  10. 62.Chapter V: The Wapentake967 words
  11. 63.Chapter VI: The Mouse Examined by the Cats2,371 words
  12. 64.Chapter VII2,014 words
  13. 65.Chapter VIII: Symptoms of Poisoning1,528 words
  14. 66.Chapter IX: Abyssus Abyssum Vocat3,071 words
  15. 67.Chapter I: The Temptation of St. Gwynplaine2,517 words
  16. 68.Chapter II: From Gay to Grave2,135 words
  17. 69.Chapter III: Lex, Rex, Fex777 words
  18. 70.Chapter IV: Ursus Spies the Police1,559 words
  19. 71.Chapter V: A Fearful Place646 words
  20. 72.Chapter VI1,269 words
  21. 73.Chapter VII: Shuddering598 words
  22. 74.Chapter VIII: Lamentation4,615 words
  23. 75.Chapter I: The Durability of Fragile Things3,052 words
  24. 76.Chapter II: The Waif Knows Its Own Course4,220 words
  25. 77.Chapter III: An Awakening926 words
  26. 78.Chapter IV: Fascination2,107 words
  27. 79.Chapter V: We Think We Remember; We Forget2,470 words
  28. 80.Chapter I: What the Misanthrope Said1,234 words
  29. 81.Chapter II: What He DID4,059 words
  30. 82.Chapter III: Complications711 words
  31. 83.Chapter IV: Moenibus Surdis Campana Muta1,730 words
  32. 84.Chapter V2,663 words
  33. 85.Chapter I: The Awakening849 words
  34. 86.Chapter II: The Resemblance of a Palace to a Wood1,309 words
  35. 87.Chapter III: EVE2,155 words
  36. 88.Chapter IV: Satan3,951 words
  37. 89.Chapter V712 words
  38. 90.Chapter I: Analysis of Majestic Matters4,011 words
  39. 91.Chapter II: Impartiality2,965 words
  40. 92.Chapter III: The Old Hall2,022 words
  41. 93.Chapter IV: The Old Chamber1,525 words
  42. 94.Chapter V: Aristocratic Gossip2,309 words
  43. 95.Chapter VI: The High and the Low1,255 words
  44. 96.Chapter VII6,092 words
  45. 97.Chapter VIII1,878 words
  46. 98.Chapter I1,281 words
  47. 99.Chapter II: The Dregs6,251 words
  48. 100.Chapter I: A Watch-Dog May Be a Guardian Angel1,448 words
  49. 101.Chapter II2,683 words
  50. 102.Chapter III: Paradise Regained Below1,809 words
  51. 103.Chapter IV: Nay; on High!2,608 words