The Laughing Man (Complete in Four Volumes)

Philadelphia, PA: George Barrie & Son. Very Good+ with no dust jacket. 1894. Hardcover. Very Good+ to Near Fine: All four volumes show a hint of sunning to the red cloth of the backstrip; the red titles on a pastedown titles labels - which are a bit toned - are somewhat muted as well; mild rubbing to the panels (a little more pronounced in Volume III) ; the expected light tanning to the text pages due to aging; the bindings are square and secure; the texts are clean. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome set, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing the mildest wear and minor, unobtrusive imperfections. Bright and clean. Corners sharp. Close to "As New". NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (8.5 x 5.75 x 1.65 inches) . Translated by Bellina Phillips. Language: English. Weight: 63 ounces. Tipped-in frontispiece plates with vellum protectors intact. Top Edges Gilt. Deckle fore-edges and bottom edges of the text block. High-quality paper. Hardcovers: no DJ as issued. Victor Hugo (1802 – 1885) was a French Romantic writer. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the greatest French writers of all time. The Laughing Man was originally published in April 1869. 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. Hugo intended parallels with the France of Louis-Philippe and the Régence. 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 book has inspired many artists, dramatists and film-makers. Hugo wrote The Laughing Man over a period of 15 months while he was living in the Channel Islands, having been exiled from his native France because of the controversial political content of his previous novels. Hugo's protagonist, Gwynplaine transgresses societal spheres by being reinstated from the lower class into the aristocracy—a movement which enabled Hugo to critique construction of social identity based upon class status. Despite an initially negative reception upon publication, The Laughing Man has come to be regarded as one of Hugo's greatest works. ; Novels of Victor Hugo, Volumes XXI through XXIV; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 1124 pages .