The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History
by Victor Hugo
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About This Book
The Man Who Laughs (1869) is a novel by Victor Hugo. Written while Hugo was living in exile on the island of Guernsey, The Man Who Laughs is set between the 17th and 18th centuries in England, a time of political unrest and class conflict in which he identified parallels to France of the 19th century. Although the novel was largely panned at the time, it has since been recognized as one of Hugo’s greatest works. The Man Who Laughs has inspired over a dozen adaptations in film, theater, and comics, including a 1928 American silent film that served as source material for the Joker in the origina...
Chapters (287)(click to expand)
- The Man Who Laughs
- A Romance of English History By Victor Hugo
- CONTENTS.
- Preliminary Chapter.—Ursus Another Preliminary Chapter.—The Comprachicos
- PART I.
- BOOK THE FIRST.—NIGHT NOT SO BLACK AS MAN.
- I.—Portland Bill II.—Left Alone III.—Alone IV.—Questions V.—The Tree of Human Invention VI.—Struggle between Death and Night VII.—The North Point of Portland
- BOOK THE SECOND.—THE HOOKER AT SEA.
- I.—Superhuman Laws II.—Our First Rough Sketches Filled in III.—Troubled Men on the Troubled Sea IV.—A Cloud Different from the Others enters on the Scene V.—Hardquanonne VI.—They Think that Help is at Hand VII.—Superhuman Horrors VIII.—Nix et Nox IX.—The Charge Confided to a Raging Sea X.—The Colossal Savage, the Storm XI.—The Caskets XII.—Face to Face with the Rock XIII.—Face to Face with Night XIV.—Ortach XV.—Portentosum Mare XVI.—The Problem Suddenly Works in Silence XVII.—The Last Resource XVIII.—The Highest Resource
- BOOK THE THIRD.—THE CHILD IN THE SHADOW.
- I.—Chesil II.—The Effect of Snow III.—A Burden Makes a Rough Road Rougher IV.—Another Form of Desert V.—Misanthropy Plays Its Pranks VI.—The Awaking
- PART II.
- BOOK THE FIRST.—THE EVERLASTING PRESENCE OF THE PAST. MAN REFLECTS MAN.
- I.—Lord Clancharlie II.—Lord David Dirry-Moir III.—The Duchess Josiana IV.—The Leader of Fashion V.—Queen Anne VI.—Barkilphedro VII.—Barkilphedro Gnaws His Way VIII.—Inferi IX.—Hate is as Strong as Love X.—The Flame which would be Seen if Man were Transparent XI.—Barkilphedro in Ambuscade XII.—Scotland, Ireland, and England
- BOOK THE SECOND.—GWYNPLAINE AND DEA.
- I.—Wherein we see the Face of Him of whom we have hitherto seen only the Acts II.—Dea III.—"Oculos non Habet, et Videt" IV.—Well-matched Lovers V.—The Blue Sky through the Black Cloud VI.—Ursus as Tutor, and Ursus as Guardian VII.—Blindness Gives Lessons in Clairvoyance VIII.—Not only Happiness, but Prosperity IX.—Absurdities which Folks without Taste call Poetry X.—An Outsider's View of Men and Things XI.—Gwynplaine Thinks Justice, and Ursus Talks Truth XII.—Ursus the Poet Drags on Ursus the Philosopher
- BOOK THE THIRD.—THE BEGINNING OF THE FISSURE.
- I.—The Tadcaster Inn II.—Open-Air Eloquence III.—Where the Passer-by Reappears IV.—Contraries Fraternize in Hate V.—The Wapentake VI.—The Mouse Examined by the Cats VII.—Why Should a Gold Piece Lower Itself by Mixing with a Heap of Pennies? VIII.—Symptoms of Poisoning IX.—Abyssus Abyssum Vocat
- BOOK THE FOURTH.—THE CELL OF TORTURE.
- I.—The Temptation of St. Gwynplaine II.—From Gay to Grave III.—Lex, Rex, Fex IV.—Ursus Spies the Police V.—A Fearful Place VI.—The Kind of Magistracy under the Wigs of Former Days VII.—Shuddering VIII.—Lamentation
- BOOK THE FIFTH.—THE SEA AND FATE ARE MOVED BY THE SAME BREATH.
- I.—The Durability of Fragile Things II.—The Waif Knows Its Own Course III.—An Awakening IV.—Fascination V.—We Think We Remember; We Forget
- BOOK THE SIXTH.—URSUS UNDER DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
- I.—What the Misanthrope said II.—What He did III.—Complications IV.—Moenibus Surdis Campana Muta V.—State Policy Deals with Little Matters as Well as with Great
- BOOK THE SEVENTH.—THE TITANESS.
- I.—The Awakening II.—The Resemblance of a Palace to a Wood III.—Eve IV.—Satan V.—They Recognize, but do not Know, Each Other
- BOOK THE EIGHTH.—THE CAPITOL AND THINGS AROUND IT.
- I.—Analysis of Majestic Matters II.—Impartiality III.—The Old Hall IV.—The Old Chamber V.—Aristocratic Gossip VI.—The High and the Low VII.—Storms of Men are Worse than Storms of Oceans VIII.—He would be a Good Brother, were he not a Good Son
- BOOK THE NINTH.—IN RUINS.
- I.—It is through Excess of Greatness that Man reaches Excess of Misery II.—The Dregs
- CONCLUSION.—THE NIGHT AND THE SEA.
- I.—A Watch-dog may be a Guardian Angel II.—Barkilphedro, having aimed at the Eagle, brings down the Dove III.—Paradise Regained Below IV.—Nay; on High!
- THE LAUGHING MAN.
- A ROMANCE OF ENGLISH HISTORY.
- PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
- URSUS. I.
- II.
- III.
- IV.
- ANOTHER PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
- THE COMPRACHICOS. I.
- II.
- III.
- IV.
- V.
- VI.
- PART I.
- BOOK THE FIRST.
- NIGHT NOT SO BLACK AS MAN.
- CHAPTER I.
- PORTLAND BILL.
- CHAPTER II.
- LEFT ALONE.
- CHAPTER III.
- ALONE.
- CHAPTER IV.
- QUESTIONS.
- CHAPTER V.
- THE TREE OF HUMAN INVENTION.
- CHAPTER VI.
- STRUGGLE BETWEEN DEATH AND LIFE.
- CHAPTER VII.
- THE NORTH POINT OF PORTLAND.
- BOOK THE SECOND.
- THE HOOKER AT SEA.
- CHAPTER I.
- SUPERHUMAN LAWS.
- CHAPTER II.
- OUR FIRST ROUGH SKETCHES FILLED IN.
- CHAPTER III.
- TROUBLED MEN ON THE TROUBLED SEA.
- CHAPTER IV.
- A CLOUD DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS ENTERS ON THE SCENE.
- CHAPTER V.
- HARDQUANONNE.
- CHAPTER VI.
- THEY THINK THAT HELP IS AT HAND.
- CHAPTER VII.
- SUPERHUMAN HORRORS.
- CHAPTER VIII.
- NIX ET NOX.
- CHAPTER IX.
- THE CHARGE CONFIDED TO A RAGING SEA.
- CHAPTER X.
- THE COLOSSAL SAVAGE, THE STORM.
- CHAPTER XI.
- THE CASKETS.
- CHAPTER XII.
- FACE TO FACE WITH THE ROCK.
- CHAPTER XIII.
- FACE TO FACE WITH NIGHT.
- CHAPTER XIV.
- ORTACH.
- CHAPTER XV.
- PORTENTOSUM MARE.
- CHAPTER XVI.
- THE PROBLEM SUDDENLY WORKS IN SILENCE.
- CHAPTER XVII.
- THE LAST RESOURCE.
- CHAPTER XVIII.
- THE HIGHEST RESOURCE.
- BOOK THE THIRD.
- THE CHILD IN THE SHADOW.
- CHAPTER I.
- CHESIL.
- CHAPTER II.
- THE EFFECT OF SNOW.
- CHAPTER III.
- A BURDEN MAKES A ROUGH ROAD ROUGHER.
- CHAPTER IV.
- ANOTHER FORM OF DESERT.
- CHAPTER V.
- MISANTHROPY PLAYS ITS PRANKS.
- CHAPTER VI.
- THE AWAKING.
- PART II.
- BOOK THE FIRST.
- THE EVERLASTING PRESENCE OF THE PAST: MAN REFLECTS MAN.
- CHAPTER I.
- LORD CLANCHARLIE. I.
- II.
- III.
- IV.
- CHAPTER II.
- LORD DAVID DIRRY-MOIR. I.
- II.
- III.
- IV.
- CHAPTER III.
- THE DUCHESS JOSIANA.
- II.
- III.
- CHAPTER IV.
- THE LEADER OF FASHION.
- CHAPTER V.
- QUEEN ANNE. I.
- II.
- III.
- IV.
- CHAPTER VI.
- BARKILPHEDRO.
- CHAPTER VII.
- BARKILPHEDRO GNAWS HIS WAY.
- CHAPTER VIII.
- INFERI.
- CHAPTER IX.
- HATE IS AS STRONG AS LOVE.
- CHAPTER X.
- THE FLAME WHICH WOULD BE SEEN IF MAN WERE TRANSPARENT.
- CHAPTER XI.
- BARKILPHEDRO IN AMBUSCADE.
- CHAPTER XII.
- SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND ENGLAND.
- BOOK THE SECOND.
- GWYNPLAINE AND DEA.
- CHAPTER I.
- WHEREIN WE SEE THE FACE OF HIM OF WHOM WE HAVE HITHERTO SEEN ONLY THE ACTS.
- CHAPTER II.
- DEA.
- CHAPTER III.
- "OCULOS NON HABET, ET VIDET."
- CHAPTER IV.
- WELL-MATCHED LOVERS.
- CHAPTER V.
- THE BLUE SKY THROUGH THE BLACK CLOUD.
- CHAPTER VI.
- URSUS AS TUTOR, AND URSUS AS GUARDIAN.
- CHAPTER VII.
- BLINDNESS GIVES LESSONS IN CLAIRVOYANCE.
- CHAPTER VIII.
- NOT ONLY HAPPINESS, BUT PROSPERITY.
- CHAPTER IX.
- ABSURDITIES WHICH FOLKS WITHOUT TASTE CALL POETRY.
- CHAPTER X.
- AN OUTSIDER'S VIEW OF MEN AND THINGS.
- CHAPTER XI.
- GWYNPLAINE THINKS JUSTICE, AND URSUS TALKS TRUTH.
- CHAPTER XII.
- URSUS THE POET DRAGS ON URSUS THE PHILOSOPHER.
- BOOK THE THIRD.
- THE BEGINNING OF THE FISSURE.
- CHAPTER I.
- THE TADCASTER INN.
- CHAPTER II.
- OPEN-AIR ELOQUENCE.
- CHAPTER III.
- WHERE THE PASSER-BY REAPPEARS.
- CHAPTER IV.
- CONTRARIES FRATERNIZE IN HATE.
- CHAPTER V.
- THE WAPENTAKE.
- CHAPTER VI.
- THE MOUSE EXAMINED BY THE CATS.
- CHAPTER VII.
- WHY SHOULD A GOLD PIECE LOWER ITSELF BY MIXING WITH A HEAP OF PENNIES?
- CHAPTER VIII.
- SYMPTOMS OF POISONING.
- CHAPTER IX.
- ABYSSUS ABYSSUM VOCAT.
- BOOK THE FOURTH.
- THE CELL OF TORTURE.
- CHAPTER I.
- THE TEMPTATION OF ST. GWYNPLAINE.
- CHAPTER II.
- FROM GAY TO GRAVE.
- CHAPTER III.
- LEX, REX, FEX.
- CHAPTER IV.
- URSUS SPIES THE POLICE.
- CHAPTER V.
- A FEARFUL PLACE.
- CHAPTER VI.
- THE KIND OF MAGISTRACY UNDER THE WIGS OF FORMER DAYS.
- CHAPTER VII.
- SHUDDERING.
- CHAPTER VIII.
- LAMENTATION.
- BOOK THE FIFTH.
- THE SEA AND FATE ARE MOVED BY THE SAME BREATH.
- CHAPTER I.
- THE DURABILITY OF FRAGILE THINGS.
- CHAPTER II.
- THE WAIF KNOWS ITS OWN COURSE.
- CHAPTER III.
- AN AWAKENING.
- CHAPTER IV.
- FASCINATION.
- CHAPTER V.
- WE THINK WE REMEMBER; WE FORGET.
- BOOK THE SIXTH.
- URSUS UNDER DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
- CHAPTER I.
- WHAT THE MISANTHROPE SAID.
- CHAPTER II.
- WHAT HE DID.
- CHAPTER III.
- COMPLICATIONS.
- CHAPTER IV.
- MOENIBUS SURDIS CAMPANA MUTA.
- CHAPTER V.
- STATE POLICY DEALS WITH LITTLE MATTERS AS WELL AS WITH GREAT.
- BOOK THE SEVENTH.
- THE TITANESS.
- CHAPTER I.
- THE AWAKENING.
- CHAPTER II.
- THE RESEMBLANCE OF A PALACE TO A WOOD.
- CHAPTER III.
- EVE.
- CHAPTER IV.
- SATAN.
- CHAPTER V.
- THEY RECOGNIZE, BUT DO NOT KNOW, EACH OTHER.
- BOOK THE EIGHTH.
- THE CAPITOL AND THINGS AROUND IT.
- CHAPTER I.
- ANALYSIS OF MAJESTIC MATTERS.
- CHAPTER II.
- IMPARTIALITY.
- CHAPTER III.
- THE OLD HALL.
- CHAPTER IV.
- THE OLD CHAMBER.
- CHAPTER V.
- ARISTOCRATIC GOSSIP.
- CHAPTER VI.
- THE HIGH AND THE LOW.
- CHAPTER VII.
- STORMS OF MEN ARE WORSE THAN STORMS OF OCEANS.
- CHAPTER VIII.
- HE WOULD BE A GOOD BROTHER, WERE HE NOT A GOOD SON.
- BOOK THE NINTH.
- IN RUINS.
- CHAPTER I.
- IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.
- CHAPTER II.
- THE DREGS.
- CONCLUSION.
- THE NIGHT AND THE SEA.
- CHAPTER I.
- A WATCH-DOG MAY BE A GUARDIAN ANGEL.
- CHAPTER II.
- BARKILPHEDRO, HAVING AIMED AT THE EAGLE, BRINGS DOWN THE DOVE.
- CHAPTER III.
- PARADISE REGAINED BELOW.
- CHAPTER IV.
- NAY; ON HIGH!
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