1869 Victor Hugo The Man Who Laughs, First American Edition, Social Injustice And Class Struggles

"The Man Who Laughs" is a novel by renowned French author Victor Hugo, originally published in 1869. This edition is an English translation by William Young, released in the same year as the original French version, indicating Hugo's international popularity and influence. Published by D. Appleton and Company in New York, at their Grand Street address, this translation made Hugo's work accessible to American readers. While less famous than Hugo's "Les Misérables" or "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," "The Man Who Laughs" is still considered an important part of his literary output. Set in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the novel follows the life of a young man with a disfigured face, exploring themes of social injustice and class struggles that are characteristic of Hugo's work.