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The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History
By Victor Hugo
Length23h 6m
About this audiobook
A surreal and provocative romance that delves into the physical and social distortions of 17th-century England. Gwynplaine, a man disfigured with a permanent grin, becomes a symbol of the suffering masses and the grotesque indifference of the aristocracy. This hauntingly beautiful narrative challenges our perceptions of beauty and power, revealing the true face of a divided society.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length23 hrs 6 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 24, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1THE LAUGHING MAN.
77CHAPTER VI.: BARKILPHEDRO.
2A ROMANCE OF ENGLISH HISTORY.
78CHAPTER VII.: BARKILPHEDRO GNAWS HIS WAY.
3PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
79CHAPTER VIII.: INFERI.
4URSUS.
80CHAPTER IX.: HATE IS AS STRONG AS LOVE.
5I.
81CHAPTER X.: THE FLAME WHICH WOULD BE SEEN IF MAN WERE TRANSPARENT.
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6II.
82CHAPTER XI.: BARKILPHEDRO IN AMBUSCADE.
7III.
83CHAPTER XII.: SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND ENGLAND.
8IV.
84BOOK THE SECOND.
9ANOTHER PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
85CHAPTER I.: WHEREIN WE SEE THE FACE OF HIM OF WHOM WE HAVE HITHERTO SEEN ONLY THE ACTS.
10THE COMPRACHICOS.
86CHAPTER II.: DEA.
11I.
87CHAPTER III.: "OCULOS NON HABET, ET VIDET."
12II.
88CHAPTER IV.: WELL-MATCHED LOVERS.
13III.
89CHAPTER V.: THE BLUE SKY THROUGH THE BLACK CLOUD.
14IV.
90CHAPTER VI.: URSUS AS TUTOR, AND URSUS AS GUARDIAN.
15V.
91CHAPTER VII.: BLINDNESS GIVES LESSONS IN CLAIRVOYANCE.
16VI.
92CHAPTER VIII.: NOT ONLY HAPPINESS, BUT PROSPERITY.
17PART I.
93CHAPTER IX.: ABSURDITIES WHICH FOLKS WITHOUT TASTE CALL POETRY.
18BOOK THE FIRST.
94CHAPTER X.: AN OUTSIDER'S VIEW OF MEN AND THINGS.
19CHAPTER I.: PORTLAND BILL.
95CHAPTER XI.: GWYNPLAINE THINKS JUSTICE, AND URSUS TALKS TRUTH.
20CHAPTER II.: LEFT ALONE.
96CHAPTER XII.: URSUS THE POET DRAGS ON URSUS THE PHILOSOPHER.
21CHAPTER III.: ALONE.
97BOOK THE THIRD.
22CHAPTER IV.: QUESTIONS.
98CHAPTER I.: THE TADCASTER INN.
23CHAPTER V.: THE TREE OF HUMAN INVENTION.
99CHAPTER II.: OPEN-AIR ELOQUENCE.
24CHAPTER VI.: STRUGGLE BETWEEN DEATH AND LIFE.
100CHAPTER III.: WHERE THE PASSER-BY REAPPEARS.
25CHAPTER VII.: THE NORTH POINT OF PORTLAND.
101CHAPTER IV.: CONTRARIES FRATERNIZE IN HATE.
26BOOK THE SECOND.
102CHAPTER V.: THE WAPENTAKE.
27CHAPTER I.: SUPERHUMAN LAWS.
103CHAPTER VI.: THE MOUSE EXAMINED BY THE CATS.
28CHAPTER II.: OUR FIRST ROUGH SKETCHES FILLED IN.
104CHAPTER VII.: WHY SHOULD A GOLD PIECE LOWER ITSELF BY MIXING WITH A HEAP OF PENNIES?
29CHAPTER III.: TROUBLED MEN ON THE TROUBLED SEA.
105CHAPTER VIII.: SYMPTOMS OF POISONING.
30CHAPTER IV.: A CLOUD DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS ENTERS ON THE SCENE.
106CHAPTER IX.: ABYSSUS ABYSSUM VOCAT.
31CHAPTER V.: HARDQUANONNE.
107BOOK THE FOURTH.
32CHAPTER VI.: THEY THINK THAT HELP IS AT HAND.
108CHAPTER I.: THE TEMPTATION OF ST. GWYNPLAINE.
33CHAPTER VII.: SUPERHUMAN HORRORS.
109CHAPTER II.: FROM GAY TO GRAVE.
34CHAPTER VIII.: NIX ET NOX.
110CHAPTER III.: LEX, REX, FEX.
35CHAPTER IX.: THE CHARGE CONFIDED TO A RAGING SEA.
111CHAPTER IV.: URSUS SPIES THE POLICE.
36CHAPTER X.: THE COLOSSAL SAVAGE, THE STORM.
112CHAPTER V.: A FEARFUL PLACE.
37CHAPTER XI.: THE CASKETS.
113CHAPTER VI.: THE KIND OF MAGISTRACY UNDER THE WIGS OF FORMER DAYS.
38CHAPTER XII.: FACE TO FACE WITH THE ROCK.
114CHAPTER VII.: SHUDDERING.
39CHAPTER XIII.: FACE TO FACE WITH NIGHT.
115CHAPTER VIII.: LAMENTATION.
40CHAPTER XIV.: ORTACH.
116BOOK THE FIFTH.
41CHAPTER XV.: PORTENTOSUM MARE.
117CHAPTER I.: THE DURABILITY OF FRAGILE THINGS.
42CHAPTER XVI.: THE PROBLEM SUDDENLY WORKS IN SILENCE.
118CHAPTER II.: THE WAIF KNOWS ITS OWN COURSE.
43CHAPTER XVII.: THE LAST RESOURCE.
119CHAPTER III.: AN AWAKENING.
44CHAPTER XVIII.: THE HIGHEST RESOURCE.
120CHAPTER IV.: FASCINATION.
45BOOK THE THIRD.
121CHAPTER V.: WE THINK WE REMEMBER; WE FORGET.
46CHAPTER I.: CHESIL.
122BOOK THE SIXTH.
47CHAPTER II.: THE EFFECT OF SNOW.
123CHAPTER I.: WHAT THE MISANTHROPE SAID.
48CHAPTER III.: A BURDEN MAKES A ROUGH ROAD ROUGHER.
124CHAPTER II.: WHAT HE DID.
49CHAPTER IV.: ANOTHER FORM OF DESERT.
125CHAPTER III.: COMPLICATIONS.
50CHAPTER V.: MISANTHROPY PLAYS ITS PRANKS.
126CHAPTER IV.: MOENIBUS SURDIS CAMPANA MUTA.
51CHAPTER VI.: THE AWAKING.
127CHAPTER V.: STATE POLICY DEALS WITH LITTLE MATTERS AS WELL AS WITH GREAT.
52PART II.
128BOOK THE SEVENTH.
53BOOK THE FIRST.
129CHAPTER I.: THE AWAKENING.
54CHAPTER I.
130CHAPTER II.: THE RESEMBLANCE OF A PALACE TO A WOOD.
55LORD CLANCHARLIE.
131CHAPTER III.: EVE.
56I.
132CHAPTER IV.: SATAN.
57II.
133CHAPTER V.: THEY RECOGNIZE, BUT DO NOT KNOW, EACH OTHER.
58III.
134BOOK THE EIGHTH.
59IV.
135CHAPTER I.: ANALYSIS OF MAJESTIC MATTERS.
60CHAPTER II.
136CHAPTER II.: IMPARTIALITY.
61LORD DAVID DIRRY-MOIR.
137CHAPTER III.: THE OLD HALL.
62I.
138CHAPTER IV.: THE OLD CHAMBER.
63II.
139CHAPTER V.: ARISTOCRATIC GOSSIP.
64III.
140CHAPTER VI.: THE HIGH AND THE LOW.
65IV.
141CHAPTER VII.: STORMS OF MEN ARE WORSE THAN STORMS OF OCEANS.
66CHAPTER III.
142CHAPTER VIII.: HE WOULD BE A GOOD BROTHER, WERE HE NOT A GOOD SON.
67THE DUCHESS JOSIANA.
143BOOK THE NINTH.
68II.
144CHAPTER I.: IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.
69III.
145CHAPTER II.: THE DREGS.
70CHAPTER IV.: THE LEADER OF FASHION.
146CONCLUSION.
71CHAPTER V.
147CHAPTER I.: A WATCH-DOG MAY BE A GUARDIAN ANGEL.
72QUEEN ANNE.
148CHAPTER II.: BARKILPHEDRO, HAVING AIMED AT THE EAGLE, BRINGS DOWN THE DOVE.
73I.
149CHAPTER III.: PARADISE REGAINED BELOW.
74II.
150CHAPTER IV.: NAY; ON HIGH!
75III.
151IMPRINT | DISCLAIMER
76IV.
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