The Man Who Laughs

The Man Who Laughs is a novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title L'Homme qui rit. It takes place in England, during the reigns of James II and Queen Anne, and depicts the English aristocracy of the time as cruel and power-hungry. The novel tells about the life of a young nobleman, also known as Gwynplaine, disfigured as a child on the king's orders. Whole his life, he travels with his protector and companion, the vagabond philosopher Ursus. The novel is famous for Gwynplaine's damaged face, stuck in a permanent smile, which has inspired many artists, dramatists, and filmmakers, touched by this subject.