false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170614515m/63038.jpg 63038 35 Victor-Marie Hugo (1802-1885) wrote L'Homme Qui Rit (The Man Who Laughs) in 1869. One of the greatest French novelists, poets, playwrights and socio-political figures of his time, he is probably best known for having written Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) (1831) and Les Misérables (1862), but The Man Who Laughs is a romantic masterpiece that deserves an equal measure of acclaim. The incredible love story of the man whose face has been disfigured into a laughing mask in childhood, the loyal blind girl who gives him her heart, and the cruelty of the privileged aristocracy whose laughingstock and savior he becomes, is remarkable in its emotional impact. But do not be deceived. The timeless trope of Beauty and the Beast is redefined here, for surfaces are misleading, and not everything is as it seems. The slow-paced, stately richness of descriptive detail is reward in itself for the reader looking for delicious immersion in the drama of history, but coupled with the depth of human insight, and the glimpse into a historical era and mindset, this is a timeless classic. 2335257 1862 The Man Who Laughs total:456|5:149|4:132|3:112|2:47|1:16| 456 1719 741 38 5 2 false false Thu Jan 29 12:03:16 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 16 11:46:34 -0800 2009 1
Never have I read a novel so beautifully constructed, lovingly constructed, with plots and sub-plots diverging and meeting repeatedly so masterfully, so surprising but at the same time, all parts seem so necessary.

The story deals a romantic time in England, ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jan 16 00:00:00 -0800 1991 Tue Apr 28 15:26:17 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 16:14:21 -0700 2009
Anyway, I read it mostly because the visual appearance of the Joker (of Batman fame) was based on Conrad Viedt's portrayal of Gwynplaine in the German silent film ve...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 16 13:11:01 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 18:07:06 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 1 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Sat Aug 25 15:55:30 -0700 2007 Fri May 30 04:02:55 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Wed Apr 22 12:33:42 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 16 04:21:24 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 22 12:33:42 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Sep 27 08:25:05 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 24 06:03:00 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon Jun 11 20:32:48 -0700 2007 Mon Jun 11 20:52:49 -0700 2007 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1995 Wed Mar 25 15:45:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 15:51:48 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 04 19:45:31 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 04 19:46:48 -0800 2009 2 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 18:29:36 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 18:32:19 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Tue Apr 28 06:48:09 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 06:49:05 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1994 Tue Mar 17 07:22:35 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 17 07:46:42 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Sun Dec 28 18:17:28 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 28 18:20:08 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Tue Sep 16 04:39:11 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 16 04:39:11 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Sat Mar 21 20:35:38 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 20:36:32 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Aug 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 12 04:16:23 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 25 09:30:52 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 21 21:51:19 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 21:52:18 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun May 17 13:20:31 -0700 2009 Sun May 17 13:20:31 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Nov 23 13:26:48 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 23 13:27:20 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Sat Apr 18 15:56:43 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 15:57:09 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=63038