Reviews

The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo

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laefe's review against another edition

4.0

L'uomo che ride, il dolce e caro Gwynplain non è altri che un gobbo cresciuto da un Ursus e non da un Frollo. Anche qui la vera deformità sta nell'anima (e in chi ride), e solo per il tema trattato queste pagine di Hugo si meriterebbero le 5 stelle, se non fosse che l'eterno "sorriso" di Gwynplain mi sia sembrato tanto più un espediente di critica nei confronti di una certa classe, rispetto ad un giusto desiderio di raccontare una bella storia (che bella comunque è). Critica e narrativa possono convivere benissimo insieme (si veda I Miserabili), ma la storia, una volta esaurita la critica, prende una rincorsa verso la parola "fine", e non si ferma più a guardare in faccia nessuno. Troppe pagine dedicate a chi ride, troppo poche quelle dedicate all'uomo che vorrebbe non farlo.
Ma in ogni caso la parola di Hugo è poesia: tra i suoi versi si ritrova sempre l'animo umano, e non c'è niente di più rigenerante.

parsnippers's review

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3.0

Well this books is not particularly uplifting. Hugo was in his element with random historical tangents, followed by soliloquy’s with dozens of rhetorical questions. Took me a minute (legit like 150 pages) to figure out just what the hell was even happening but when he ties it together the book really starts to cook. The ending is just some real sometimes bad things happen to good people and there’s no real rhyme or reason for the cruelty of man and nature or the divine. I wish the Dea character was fleshed out more, but man oh man is it #JusticeForGwynplaine. Also shoutout Homo the extremely good wolf, and Ursus the most crotchety but loving old man.

3.5 stars really, torn on giving it a 4th cuz the last half of the book is amazing but our verbose, lugubrious king may have had too much dip on his chip to start for this humble and not particularly intelligent doofus

anbar's review against another edition

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3.0

The life story of an orphaned boy disfigured with a permanent grotesque grin (inspiration for the Joker from 'Batman') illustrates Hugo's underlying themes of class and social injustice, as the orphan finds a family, loses it, and finds it again. Keep in mind, this is the same author who wrote 'Les Miserables', so it's on the tragic side.
The art works best for male characters, I find--'beautiful' women tend to look like big-eyed, fish-lipped aliens--but the story is well told and not too preachy, since the adaptation abridged it down to the essential points. Conveys emotion very well. A good and fairly fast stand-alone read.

florii2310's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

bocajg's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

dknippling's review

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4.0

A boy who was disfigured as a political ploy returns to London as a mountebank and man of the people, triggering a tragic chain of events.

So: if you're going to read Victor Hugo, you're going to end up with some tragic melodrama and social commemtary. If you've ever read The Pricess Bride (the movie version doesn't cover this), then this is one of the writers that Goldman apparently mocked: there are chaaaapters on the social and political issues of the time that have only the most glancing reference to the plot. I skimmed those parts.

If you're in the mood for a swoon or two, give it a go, but avoid if you're only reading it for the probable tie to the Joker from Batman.