Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Laughs https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Homme_qui_rit

Release date is 2004-04-01

Produced by Carlo Traverso, Robert Rowe, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

"L'homme Qui Rit" by Victor Hugo is a philosophical and dramatic novel published in April 1869. Set in late 17th and early 18th century England, it follows the fate of Gwynplaine, a young boy abandoned by comprachicos—child traders who mutilate children for profit. Left with a face carved into a permanent smile, Gwynplaine's path crosses with Ursus, a wandering philosopher, and his wolf companion. Hugo weaves together themes of aristocracy, human cruelty, and social injustice in this sweeping tale. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Original publication data not identified