piThe Man Who Laughsi 1869 is a novel by Victor Hugo. Written while Hugo was living in exile on the island of Guernsey, iThe Man Who Laughsi is set between the 17th and 18th centuries in England, a time of political unrest and class conflict in which he identified parallels to France of the 19th century. Although the novel was largely panned at the time, it has since been recognized as one of Hugo's greatest works. iThe Man Who Laughsi has inspired over a dozen adaptations in film, theater, and comics, including a 1928 American silent film that served as source material for the Joker in the original 1940 issue of iBatman.i Again the child set himself to sweep away the snow. The neck of the dead woman appeared then her shoulders, clothed in rags. Suddenly he felt something move feebly under his touch. It was something small that was buried, and which stirred. The child swiftly cleared away the snow, discovering a wretched little body-thin, wan with cold, still alive, lying naked on the