The Man Who Laughs (also published under the title By Order of the King from its subtitle in French) is a novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title L’Homme qui rit. It takes place in England beginning in 1690 and extends into the early 18th century reign of Queen Anne. It depicts England’s royalty and aristocracy of the time as cruel and power-hungry. The novel concerns the life of a young nobleman, also known as Gwynplaine, disfigured as a child (on the orders of the king), who travels with his protector and companion, the vagabond philosopher Ursus, and Dea, the baby girl he rescues during a storm. The novel is famous for Gwynplaine’s mutilated face, stuck in a permanent laugh. The 1928 American romantic drama silent film was directed by the German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni and starred Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine.
Creators/Key Contributors Paul Leni, Conrad Veidt, Victor Hugo
First Appearance L’Homme qui rit (The Man Who Laughs, By Order of the King, 1869)
First Publisher Universal Pictures
Appearance List Novel: L’Homme qui rit (The Man Who Laughs, By Order of the King, 1869). Film: The Man Who Laughs (1909), Das grinsende Gesicht (The Grinning Face, 1921), The Man Who Laughs (1928). Theater: Clair de Lune (1921). Comics: Classics Illustrated (May 1950).
Description The Man Who Laughs (also published under the title By Order of the King from its subtitle in French) is a novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title L’Homme qui rit. It takes place in England beginning in 1690 and extends into the early 18th century reign of Queen Anne. It depicts England’s royalty and aristocracy of the time as cruel and power-hungry. The novel concerns the life of a young nobleman, also known as Gwynplaine, disfigured as a child (on the orders of the king), who travels with his protector and companion, the vagabond philosopher Ursus, and Dea, the baby girl he rescues during a storm. The novel is famous for Gwynplaine’s mutilated face, stuck in a permanent laugh. The 1928 American romantic drama silent film was directed by the German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni and starred Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine.
