What is a cackling person? Book The Man Who Laughs read online. Introduction, introduction to the characters

Ursus, wandering around England, was once a philosopher. But after meeting a wolf in the forest, whom he named Gomo, he was drawn to a free life. Since then, this thoughtful, hunched man traveled in company with his four-legged companion on a small cart. There he had a sleeping place and even a laboratory where he created his drugs for sale. He lived on the proceeds from the performances that he himself wrote, and on the proceeds from the potions he sold. Ursus rarely laughed, and only a bitter laugh. He was a pessimist. At that time, the authorities persecuted comprachicos who specifically bought children in order to mutilate them.

Part I. Sea and night

On a chilly evening in January 1690, a child was abandoned on the shore of Portland Bay by a gang of sailing thugs. The boy reached human habitation, picking up a baby near the woman’s corpse along the way. He knocked on every house in a row to no avail. Finally, Ursus, who spent the night in his cart in a vacant lot, let him in. He was very surprised to find a one-year-old girl in the package brought by the boy. In the light of the coming morning, it turned out that the baby could not see at all, and someone had disfigured the face of the older child with an eternal smile.

Part II. By order of the king

Old Lord Clenchary emigrated to Switzerland after Cromwell's execution. The peer's mistress quickly found solace in the arms of Charles II, but Clancharlie's illegitimate son got a chance to make a name for himself at court. James II, having become king, wanted to correct the mistakes of the previous ruler, but the old man had already died by that time, his legal heir had disappeared. Therefore, the peerage with the title went to David, who was unrecognized by his father. And he found a bride worthy of him - Josiana, the king’s daughter, also illegitimate. Over time, Anne, daughter of James II, took the throne.

One day David showed his bride a freak saved by Ursus. His constantly grinning face with dyed bright red hair against the backdrop of the blind girl Deya who had grown into a beauty amused everyone around her. But it was the drowned comprachicos who were to blame for this ugliness.

Gwynplaine (the name of the freak) and Dey sincerely loved each other. Ursus was only happy looking at the adopted children. The extravagant Josiana got it into her head that Gwynplaine would be her lover. But he burned the letter from her, remaining faithful to his Deya. And the sweet girl was weakening due to an incurable illness.

Ursus's adopted son was arrested after burning the letter. In prison, someone was tortured in front of his eyes. And this man recognized him. Gwynplaine was immediately named Lord Fermain of Clancharlie, baron, marquess and peer of England. Out of surprise, having learned the whole truth about himself, he fainted and woke up already in the palace. They no longer allowed him to see Deya and Ursus, promising to bring them money.

Ursus saw a coffin being taken out of prison and decided that it was his son. And the duchess’s treacherous servant only confirmed this erroneous guess.

That same day, the freak was consecrated to the peerage of England. All Gwynplaine's good intentions to benefit the people by speaking at meetings of the lords only caused a stream of insults from the nobility. The last straw that broke the cup of patience was a quarrel with my brother David. The poor freak ran away in search of his family. But, alas, Ursus sold his cart and left somewhere. Gwynplaine was about to drown himself out of despair, but he was saved by Homo, who found the young man near the river bank.

Conclusion. Sea and night

It was the wolf who showed the way to the ship “Vograat”: on it the old man and Deya were preparing to sail. The girl was completely weak, because she missed her beloved so much. But his unexpected appearance excited her incredibly and her weak heart could not stand it. Deya died right in his arms. The shocked young man rushed into the Thames. He woke up completely alone to the melancholy howl of Homo.

1. Ursus

Ursus and the wolf Homo make a living by entertaining fairgoers. A wandering sixty-year-old philosopher practices ventriloquism, fortune telling, healing with plants, and performing comedies. own composition and playing musical instruments. The Guiana wolf, a breed of crustacean dog, performs different tricks and is a friend and likeness of its owner. Ursus' cart is decorated with useful sayings: on the outside there is information about the abrasion of gold coins and the dispersion of precious metal in the air; inside, on the one hand, there is a story about English titles, on the other, consolation for those who have nothing, expressed in the listing of the property of certain representatives of the English nobility.

2. Comprachicos

The Comprachicos were a community of vagabonds that existed in the 17th century, almost legally selling children and turning them into freaks for the amusement of the public. It consisted of people of different nationalities, spoke a mixture of all languages ​​and was an ardent supporter of the Pope. James II treated them patiently in gratitude for the fact that they supplied live goods to the royal court and were convenient for the higher nobility in eliminating heirs. William III of Orange, who replaced him, set about eradicating the Comprachicos tribe.

Part one. The night is not as black as a man

The winter of 1689-1690 was very cold. At the end of January, an ancient Biscay urka landed in one of the bays of Portland. Eight people loaded chests and food onto the Matutina. A ten-year-old boy helped them. The ship set sail in great haste. The child was left alone on the shore. He resignedly accepted what had happened and set off across the Portland plateau.

At the top of the hill, the child came across decayed remains. The corpse of a tarred smuggler dangling on the gallows made the boy stop. The crows that flew at the terrible ghost and the rising wind frightened the child and drove him away from the gallows. At first the boy ran, then, when the fear in his soul turned into courage, he stopped and walked slowly.

Part two. Urka at sea

The author introduces the reader to the nature of a snow storm. The Basques and French at the lesson rejoice at the departure and prepare food. Only one old man frowns at the starless sky and reflects on the formation of the winds. The owner of the ship talks with him. The doctor, as the old man asks to be called, warns of the onset of a storm and says that we need to turn west. The shipowner listens.

Urka gets caught in a snowstorm. Those sailing on it hear the ringing of a bell installed in the middle of the sea. The old man predicts the ship's destruction. A storm blows in and tears the outer rigging off the boat and drags the captain out to sea. The Kasket lighthouse warns a ship that has lost control of its imminent death. People manage to push off from the reef in time, but in this maneuver they lose their only log-oar. On the rocks of Ortach, the urka again miraculously escapes collapse. The wind saves her from death on Aurigny. The snowstorm ends as suddenly as it began. One of the sailors discovers that the hold is full of water. Luggage and all heavy objects are thrown from the ship. When there is no hope left, the doctor suggests praying to ask the Lord for forgiveness for the crime committed against the child. People sailing on the ship sign the paper read out by the doctor and hide it in a flask. Urka goes under the water, burying everyone on it in the depths of the sea.

Part three. Child in the dark

A lonely child wanders through a snowstorm across the Portland Isthmus. Having stumbled upon women's footprints, he follows them, and finds a dead woman with a nine-month-old girl in a snowdrift. Together with the baby, the boy comes to the village of Weymet, and then to the town of Melcombe Regis, where he is greeted by dark, locked houses. The child finds shelter in Ursus's carriage. The philosopher shares his dinner with him and gives the girl milk. While the children are sleeping, Ursus buries the dead woman. In the light of day, he discovers that the boy's face is disfigured by an eternal smile, and the girl's eyes are blind.

Part one. The past does not die; in people reflects man

Lord Linnaeus Clencharley, a staunch republican, lived on the shores of Lake Geneva. His illegitimate son, from a noble lady who later became the mistress of Charles II, Lord David Derry-Moir, was the king's bedchamber and was a lord "out of courtesy." After his father's death, the king decided to make him a true lord in return for his promise to marry Duchess Josiana (his illegitimate daughter) when she came of age. Society turned a blind eye to the fact that in exile, Lord Clancharlie married the daughter of one of the Republicans, Anne Bradshaw, who died in childbirth, giving birth to a boy - a real lord by birthright.

Josiana, at twenty-three, never became Lord David's wife. Young people preferred independence to marriage. The girl was a cutesy virgin, smart, internally depraved. David had a large number of mistresses, set fashion, was a member of many English clubs, was a judge in boxing matches and often spent time among the common people, where he was known as Tom-Jim-Jack.

Queen Anne, who ruled the country at that time, did not like her half-sister because of her beauty, attractive groom and almost similar origin - from a mother of non-royal blood.

The envious lackey of James II, Barkilphedro, who remained out of work, through Josiana, receives a position as an uncorker of ocean bottles in the Department of Marine Finds. Over time, he enters the palace, where he becomes the queen's favorite "pet". For the favor shown to him, Barkilphedro begins to hate the duchess.

At one of the boxing matches, Josiana complains to David about boredom. The man offers to entertain her with the help of Gwynplaine.

Part two. Gwynplaine and Dea

In 1705, twenty-five-year-old Gwynplaine with an ever-laughing face works as a buffoon. He brings laughter to everyone who sees him. Along with laughter, unknown “sculptors” gave him red hair and the movable joints of a gymnast. Sixteen-year-old Deya helps him with his performances. Young people are endlessly lonely in relation to the world, but happy with each other. Their platonic relationship is pure, their love is so strong that they deify each other. Deya does not believe in Gwynplaine’s ugliness: she believes that since he is good, he is beautiful.

Gwynplaine's unusual appearance brought him wealth. Ursus replaced the old cart with a spacious “Green Box” and hired two gypsy maids. For his theater on wheels, Ursus began writing sideshows in which the entire troupe was involved, including the wolf.

Gwynplaine observes the poverty of the people from the stage. Ursus tells him about his “love” for the lords, and asks him not to try to change the unchangeable, but to live calmly and enjoy Dea’s love.

Part three. Occurrence of a crack

In the winter of 1704-1705, the Green Box performs at Tarinzofield fairground, located in the vicinity of London's Southwark. Gwynplaine is very popular with the public. Local buffoons are losing viewers and, together with the clergy, are beginning to persecute the artists. Ursus is summoned for questioning by a commission that monitors the content of publicly given speeches. After a long conversation, the philosopher is released.

Lord David, disguised as a sailor, becomes a regular at Gwynplaine's performances. One evening the Duchess appears at the performance. She makes an indelible impression on everyone present. Gwynplaine momentarily falls in love with Josiane.

In April, the young man begins to dream of carnal love with Deya. At night, the groom gives him a letter from the Duchess.

Part four. Underground dungeon

Josiana's written love confession plunges Gwynplaine into confusion. He can't sleep all night. In the morning he sees Deya and stops being tormented. The artists' breakfast is interrupted by the arrival of the staff bearer. Ursus, contrary to the law, follows the police escort leading Gwynplaine to Southwark prison.

In the dungeon, the young man participates in “interrogation with the imposition of heavy weights.” The criminal recognizes him. The sheriff informs Gwynplaine that he is Lord Ferman of Clancharlie, peer of England.

Part five. The sea and fate obey the same winds

The sheriff reads to Gwynplaine a confession written by the Comprachicos shortly before his death. Barkilphedro invites the young man to “wake up.” It was at his suggestion that the title of lord was returned to Gwynplaine. Queen Anne thereby took revenge on her beautiful sister.

After a prolonged faint, Gwynplaine comes to his senses in the court residence of Corleone Lodge. He spends the night in vain dreams of the future.

Part six. Ursus disguises

Ursus returns home, “rejoicing” at having gotten rid of the two cripples. In the evening, he tries to deceive Deya by imitating the voices of the crowd watching a non-existent performance, but the girl feels Gwynplaine’s absence in her heart.

The circus owner offers Ursus to buy the “Green Box” with all its contents from him. A policeman brings Gwynplaine's old things. Ursus runs to Southworth prison, sees a coffin being taken out of it, and cries for a long time.

The bailiff demands that Ursus and Homo leave England, otherwise the wolf will be killed. Barkilphedro says that Gwynplaine is dead. The hotel owner is arrested.

Part seven. Titan Woman

Trying to find a way out of the palace, Gwynplaine stumbles upon the sleeping duchess. The girl's nakedness does not allow him to move. The awakened Josiana showers Gwynplaine with caresses. Having learned from the queen's letter that the young man is destined to be her husband, she drives him away.

Lord David comes to Josiane's chambers. Gwynplaine is summoned by the queen.

Part eight. Capitol and surrounding areas

Gwynplaine is introduced into the English House of Lords. The short-sighted Lord Chancellor William Cowper was short-sighted and the old and blind successor lords did not notice the obvious ugliness of the newly-made peer.

The gradually filling House of Lords is filled with rumors about Gwynplaine and Josiana's note intended for the queen, in which the girl agrees to marry the buffoon and threatens to take Lord David as her lover.

Gwynplaine opposes an increase in the annual allowance of Prince George, the queen's husband, by one hundred thousand pounds. He tries to tell the House of Lords about the poverty and suffering of the people, but they laugh at him. The lords make fun of and mock the young man, not allowing him to speak. Gwynplaine predicts a revolution that will deprive the nobles of their position and give all people the same rights.

After the meeting ends, David scolds the young lords for their disrespectful attitude towards the new lord and challenges them to a duel. He slaps Gwynplaine in the face for insulting his mother and also offers to fight to the death.

Part nine. On the ruins

Gwynplaine runs across London to Southwark, where he is greeted by the empty Tarinzofield Square. On the banks of the Thames, a young man reflects on the misfortune that has befallen him. He understands that he has exchanged happiness for grief, love for debauchery, a real family for a murderous brother. Gradually he comes to the conclusion that he himself is to blame for the disappearance of Deya and Ursus, having assumed the title of lord. Gwynplaine decides to commit suicide. Before jumping into the water, he feels Gomo licking his hands.

In England everything is majestic, even the bad, even the oligarchy. The English patrician is a patrician in the full sense of the word. Nowhere was there a feudal system more brilliant, more cruel and more tenacious than in England. True, at one time it turned out to be useful. It is in England that feudal law must be studied, just as royal power must be studied in France.

This book should actually be entitled “Aristocracy.” The other, which will be its continuation, can be called “Monarchy”. Both of them, if the author is destined to complete this work, will be preceded by a third, which will close the entire cycle and will be entitled “The Ninety-third Year.”

Hauteville House, 1869

Ursus and Homo were bound by bonds of close friendship. Ursus was a man, Homo was a wolf. Their personalities suited each other very well. The name "Homo" was given to the wolf by man. He probably came up with his own; Having found the nickname “Ursus” suitable for himself, he considered the name “Homo” quite suitable for the beast. The partnership between man and wolf was a success at fairs, at parish festivals, at street intersections where passers-by crowded, the crowd was always happy to listen to the joker and buy all sorts of charlatan drugs. She liked the tame wolf, who deftly, without coercion, carried out the orders of his master. It is a great pleasure to see a tamed obstinate dog, and there is nothing more pleasant than watching all the varieties of training. That is why there are so many spectators along the route of the royal motorcades.

Ursus and Homo wandered from crossroads to crossroads, from Aberystwyth square to Eedburgh square, from one area to another, from county to county, from city to city. Having exhausted all the possibilities at one fair, they moved on to another. Ursus lived in a shed on wheels, which Homo, well-trained enough for this purpose, drove during the day and guarded at night. When the road became difficult due to potholes, mud, or when going uphill, the man harnessed himself to the strap and pulled the cart like brothers, side by side with the wolf. So they grew old together.

They settled down for the night wherever they had to - in the middle of an unplowed field, in a forest clearing, at the intersection of several roads, at the village outskirts, at the city gates, on the market square, in places of public festivities, at the edge of the park, on the church porch. When the cart stopped at some fairground, when the gossips came running with their mouths open and a circle of onlookers gathered around the booth, Ursus began to rant, and Homo listened to him with obvious approval. Then the wolf politely walked around those present with a wooden cup in his teeth. This is how they earned their living. The wolf was educated, and so was the man. The wolf was taught by man or taught himself all sorts of wolf tricks that increased the collection.

“The main thing is don’t degenerate into a human being,” the owner used to tell him in a friendly manner.

A wolf has never bitten, but this has sometimes happened to a person. In any case, Ursus had an urge to bite. Ursus was a misanthrope and, to emphasize his hatred of man, he became a buffoon. In addition, it was necessary to feed ourselves somehow, because the stomach always makes its claim. However, this misanthrope and buffoon, perhaps thinking in this way to find a more important place in life and a more difficult job, was also a doctor. Moreover, Ursus was also a ventriloquist. He could speak without moving his lips. He could mislead those around him, copying the voice and intonation of any of them with amazing accuracy. He alone imitated the roar of the whole crowd, which gave him every right to the title of “engastrimit.” That's what he called himself. Ursus reproduced all sorts of bird voices: the voice of a song thrush, teal, lark, white-breasted blackbird - wanderers like himself; thanks to this talent, he could, at will, at any moment, give you the impression of either a square buzzing with people, or a meadow resounding with the lowing of a herd; sometimes he was menacing, like a rumbling crowd, sometimes childishly serene, like the morning dawn. Such talent, although rare, still occurs. In the past century, a certain Tuzel, who imitated the mixed hum of human and animal voices and reproduced the cries of all animals, served as a human menagerie. Ursus was insightful, extremely original and inquisitive. He had a penchant for all sorts of stories that we call fables, and pretended to believe them himself - the usual trick of a crafty charlatan. He told fortunes by hand, by a book opened at random, predicted fate, explained signs, assured that meeting a black mare was a sign of bad luck, but what is even more dangerous to hear when you are completely ready to go is the question: “Where are you going?” He called himself a “salesman of superstitions,” usually saying, “I don’t hide it; that is the difference between the Archbishop of Canterbury and me.” The archbishop, rightly indignant, one day summoned him to his place. However, Ursus skillfully disarmed his eminence by reading before him a sermon of his own composition on the day of the Nativity of Christ, which the archbishop liked so much that he learned it by heart, delivered it from the pulpit and ordered it to be published as his work. For this he granted Ursus forgiveness.

Thanks to his skill as a healer, and perhaps despite it, Ursus healed the sick. He treated with aromatic substances. Well versed in medicinal herbs, he skillfully used the enormous healing powers contained in a variety of neglected plants - in the pride, in the white and evergreen buckthorn, in the black viburnum, warthog, in ramen; he treated sundew for consumption, used, as needed, milkweed leaves, which, when picked at the root, act as a laxative, and when picked at the top, as an emetic; healed throat diseases with the help of growths of a plant called “rabbit’s ear”; he knew what kind of reed could cure an ox and what kind of mint could put a sick horse back on its feet; knew all the valuable, beneficial properties of mandrake, which, as everyone knows, is a bisexual plant. He had medicine for every occasion. He healed burns with the skin of a salamander, from which Nero, according to him, made a napkin. Ursus used a retort and a flask; he himself carried out the distillation and sold the universal potions himself. There were rumors that at one time he was in a madhouse: he was given the honor of being taken for an insane person, but was soon released, convinced that he was just a poet. It is possible that this did not happen: each of us has been a victim of such stories.

In reality, Ursus was a literate man, a lover of beauty and a writer of Latin verses. He was a scientist in two fields, for at the same time. He has knowledge of the poetic craft. He could have composed Jesuit tragedies no less successfully than Father Bugur. Thanks to his close acquaintance with the famous rhythms and meters of the ancients, Ursus used in his everyday life the unique figurative expressions and a whole range of classical metaphors. About his mother, in front of whom walked two daughters, he said: “This is a dactyl”; about a father followed by his two sons: “This is an anapest”; about the grandson walking between his grandfather and grandmother: “This is an amphimacry.” With such an abundance of knowledge, one can only live from hand to mouth. recommends: “Eat little, but often.” Ursus ate little and rarely, thus fulfilling only the first half of the prescription and neglecting the second. But this was the fault of the public, who did not gather every day and did not buy too often. Ursus said: “If you cough up an instructive saying, it will become easier. A wolf finds solace in howling, a ram in warm wool, a forest in a robin, a woman in love, and a philosopher in an instructive saying.” Ursus sprinkled in comedies as needed, which he himself played with sin: this helped sell drugs. Among other works, he composed a heroic pastoral in honor of the knight Hugh Middleton, who in 1608 brought a river to London. This river flowed calmly sixty miles from London, in the county of Hartford; Knight Middleton appeared and took possession of her; he brought with him six hundred people armed with spades and hoes, began to dig the ground, lowering the soil in one place, raising it in another, sometimes raising the river twenty feet, sometimes deepening its bed thirty feet, built above-ground water pipelines from wood, built eight hundred bridges, stone, brick and log, and then one fine morning the river entered the borders of London, which at that time was experiencing a shortage of water. Ursus transformed these prosaic details into a charming bucolic scene between the River Thames and the Serpentine River. A powerful stream invites the river to itself, inviting it to share its bed with it. “I’m too old,” he says, “to please women, but rich enough to pay for them.” This was a witty and gallant hint that Sir Hugh Middleton had done all the work at his own expense.

Hugo's personality is striking in its versatility. We can confidently say that he is one of the most widely read French prose writers in the world. His entire work is determined by his incredible love for man, compassion for the disadvantaged and a call for mercy. Victor Hugo can be called a democrat, an enemy of tyranny and violence against the individual, a noble defender of victims of political and social injustice. It is these themes that arise throughout the work of the great French writer. It is impossible to forget the one who, even before his death, wrote:

“In my books, dramas, prose and poems, I stood up for the small and unfortunate, begged the mighty and inexorable. I restored the jester, the lackey, the convict and the prostitute to their human rights.”

And speaking about such a great writer, it is impossible not to remember his one of the most famous novels "The Man Who Laughs" Again, I would like to say that this novel was not chosen by chance, since this year marks exactly 145 years since the first publication of this novel, and of course, the second reason is the fact that this is one of the most beloved me books.

Hugo's work evokes nothing other than admiration and delight. This is truly a Genius, with a capital G. In his works you can find everything that is so valuable in books: in his works the writer puts forward incredibly deep ideas that can be revealed in a new way with each subsequent reading, incredible depth of characters, realistic descriptions, stunning and rich language that helps in detailed description the historical background of the works, and of course, the magnificent dramatic endings of Hugo’s works. All this shocks, touches to the core and inspires to read his works again and again. So, let's talk in more detail about the novel “The Man Who Laughs.”

The romantic features of Hugo’s work are manifested in his undying interest in history and other countries, and in this novel he takes the reader from his native France to Foggy Albion, and from the 19th century to the 17th. You may ask why the action takes place in England and not in France? So, England was not chosen by chance; Hugo, in the preface to the novel, said that nowhere there was such a feudal system as in England. The author wanted to show as clearly as possible all the vices of the English aristocracy of that time. The author talks about everyone historical facts of that time, an example here is the story of the Comprachicos who were involved in child trafficking. They bought and mutilated children and did it just for fun.

Turning to the historical past, Hugo paints the English aristocracy of the 17th-18th centuries in an unsightly light, wanting to show that the contemporary British oligarchy, having inherited all the worst from its past, remains a force hostile to the people, civilization, and progress. Thanks to his unsurpassed ability to realistically describe every detail, we can quite clearly imagine life in England during that historical period.

The plot of the book is great. In the novel “The Man Who Laughs,” the writer traces the fate of his hero Gwynplaine, who was kidnapped and mutilated by bandits as a child and went from being a fairground actor to becoming a lord in parliament. Hugo describes in detail how main character finds a family, his development as a person, his first and only love for a blind girl - Deya. Using the example of the main characters, the author shows two worlds in the book: “the world of light” - the life of poor people and the “world of darkness” - the life of rich people. I would like to dwell in more detail on the characteristics of the main characters of the novel.

So, Gwynplaine- a poor child disfigured by the Comprachicos in childhood, who was “lucky” to encounter the injustice and troubles of this world. In this novel, a physically disfigured child symbolizes the tragedy of oppressed humanity, cruelly crippled by an unjust social order. It is in this character that all the democratic views of Hugo himself are embodied. The very tragedy of this character, in my opinion, is that because of his appearance he was not taken seriously (to be precise, because of his smile, which was a consequence of the actions of the Comprachicos). Neither in the world of the poor, nor in the world of the rich (especially) was he perceived as a person. For those around him, he was just an actor with a terrible appearance.

Ursus(the man who sheltered Gwynplaine with little Deya) - is the bearer of protest, the desire for social justice inherent in the people. Sharing the sufferings and misfortunes of the people, he reflects their thoughts and aspirations, moral greatness and perseverance.

And of course, we should remember such a bright character as Deya. She is beautiful, and she is beautiful not only externally (despite her blindness), but her most important virtue is spiritual beauty and purity. Deya's spiritual richness and moral greatness are fascinating. Their touching and pure love with Gwynplaine cannot leave anyone indifferent. And the tragic end of their happiness simply brings tears to my eyes (this was the first book that caused such a storm of emotions that I could not hold back my tears).

This novel is truly philosophical. Victor Hugo touches on such eternal questions as:

• The external ugliness of a person and his internal (spiritual) beauty - is their harmonious existence possible?
• The contrast between good and evil (an age-old question that worries us to this day)
• How many troubles and tragedies, losses and misfortunes the human soul can withstand and much more.

Speaking about Hugo's language, one can agree that it is somewhat complicated. But a more accurate word for Hugo's style is floridity. But, despite this, having read at least one of his monologues, we understand that thanks to this feature, the author reveals the full depth of the characters’ feelings.

And to sum up, I would like to mention a few of my favorite quotes from this greatest work:

• If a person, tormented by a cruel mental storm, frantically resisting the onslaught of unexpected disasters, not knowing whether he is alive or dead, is still able to treat his beloved being with careful care - this is a sure sign of a truly beautiful heart.
• The most difficult task is to constantly suppress in your soul the desire for evil, which is so difficult to fight. Almost all of our desires, if you look closely at them, contain something that cannot be admitted.
• The main thing in love is habit. All life is concentrated in it. The daily appearance of the sun is a habit of the universe. The universe is a woman in love and the sun is her lover

The work is simply magical. Everything about this novel is beautiful: the long lyrical digressions, the author’s florid language, and the incredibly deep characters. But you need to read this creation carefully, because even the smallest details in the descriptions were created by the author so that we could enjoy this masterpiece!

The tramp Ursus appears to be a versatile person, capable of numerous tricks: he can ventriloquize and convey any sounds, brew healing infusions, he is an excellent poet and philosopher. Together with their pet wolf Gomo, who is not a pet, but a friend, assistant and show participant, they travel throughout England in a wooden carriage, decorated in a very unusual style. On the walls there was a long treatise on the rules of etiquette of English aristocrats and no shorter list of the possessions of all those in power. Inside this chest, for which Homo and Ursus themselves acted as horses, there was a chemical laboratory, a chest with belongings and a stove.

In the laboratory, he brewed potions, which he then sold, luring people with his performances. Despite his many talents, he was poor and often went without food. His inner state was always dull rage, and his outer shell was irritation. However, he chose his own fate when he met Gomo in the forest and chose wandering over life with the lord.

He hated aristocrats and considered their government evil - but he still painted the cart with treatises about them, considering this a small satisfaction.

Despite the persecution of the Comprachicos, Ursus still managed to avoid problems. He himself did not belong to this group, but he was also a tramp. The Comprachicos were gangs of itinerant Catholics who turned children into freaks for the amusement of the public and the royal court. To do this, they used various surgical methods, deforming the developing bodies and creating dwarf jesters.

Part one: cold, the hanged man and the baby

The winter from 1689 to 1690 turned out to be truly harsh. At the end of January, a Biscay urka stopped in Portland harbor, where eight men and a small boy began to load chests and provisions. When the job was done, the men swam away, leaving the child to freeze on the shore. He resignedly accepted his share, setting off on the journey so as not to freeze to death.

On one of the hills he saw the body of a hanged man covered in tar, under which lay shoes. Even though the boy himself was barefoot, he was afraid to take the dead man’s shoes. A sudden rush of wind and the shadow of a crow frightened the boy, and he began to run.

Meanwhile, at the lesson, the men rejoice at their departure. They see that the storm is coming and decide to turn west, but this does not save them from death. By some miracle, the ship remains intact after hitting a reef, but it turns out to be overfilled with water and sank. Before the crew is killed, one of the men writes a letter and seals it in a bottle.

A boy wanders through a snowstorm and stumbles upon a woman's footprints. He walks along them and stumbles upon the body of a dead woman in a snowdrift, next to whom lies a living nine-month-old girl. The kid takes her and goes to the village, but all the houses are locked.

Eventually, he found shelter in Ursus's cart. Of course, he didn’t particularly want to let the boy and baby girl into his house, but he couldn’t leave the kids to freeze. He shared his dinner with the boy and fed the baby milk.

When the children fell asleep, the philosopher buried the dead woman.

In the morning, Ursus discovered that a mask of laughter was frozen on the boy’s face, and the girl was blind.

Lord Linnaeus Clencharley was a "living fragment of the past" and was an ardent republican who did not defect to the restored monarchy. He himself went into exile on Lake Geneva, leaving his mistress and illegitimate son in England.

The mistress quickly became friends with King Charles II, and son David Derry-Moir found a place for himself at court.

The forgotten lord found himself a legitimate wife in Switzerland, where he had a son. However, by the time James II ascended the throne, he had already died and his son had mysteriously disappeared. The heir was David Derry-Moir, who fell in love with the beautiful Duchess Josiana, the king's illegitimate daughter.

Anna, the legitimate daughter of James II, became the queen, and Josianna and David still did not get married, although they really liked each other. Josiana was considered a depraved virgin, since it was not modesty that limited her from numerous love affairs, but pride. She couldn't find someone worthy of her.

Queen Anne, an ugly and stupid person, was jealous of her stepsister.

David was not cruel, but he loved various cruel entertainments: boxing, cockfighting and others. He often entered such tournaments disguised as a commoner, and then, out of kindness, paid for all the damage. His nickname was Tom-Jim-Jack.

Barkilphedro was also a triple agent who was monitoring the queen, Josiana and David at the same time, but each of them considered him their reliable ally. Under the patronage of Josiana, he entered the palace and became an uncorker of ocean bottles: he had the right to open all bottles thrown onto land from the sea. He was sweet on the outside and evil on the inside, sincerely hating all his masters, and especially Josiana.

Part three: tramps and lovers

Guiplen and Deya remained to live with Ursus, who officially adopted them. Guiplen began to work as a buffoon, attracting buyers and spectators who could not contain their laughter. Their popularity was prohibitive, which is why three tramps were able to acquire a new large wagon and even a donkey - now Homo did not need to pull the cart on himself.

Inner beauty

Deya grew into a beautiful girl and sincerely loved Guiplen, not believing that her lover was ugly. She believed that if he is pure in soul and kind, then he cannot be ugly.

Deya and Guiplen literally idolized each other, their love was platonic - they did not even touch each other. Ursus loved them as his own children and rejoiced in their relationship.

They had enough money to not deny themselves anything. Ursus was even able to hire two gypsy women to help with housework and during performances.

Part Four: The Beginning of the End

In 1705, Ursus and his children arrived in the vicinity of Southwark, where he was arrested for public speaking. After a lengthy interrogation, the philosopher is released.

Meanwhile, David, under his guise as a commoner, becomes a regular spectator of Gwynplaine's performances, and one evening he brings Josiana to see the freak. She understands that this young man should become her lover. Gwynplaine himself is amazed by the beauty of the woman, but he still sincerely loves Deya, whom he now began to dream of as a girl.

The Duchess sends him a letter inviting him to her place.

Gwynplaine suffers all night, but in the morning she still decides to refuse the duchess’s invitation. He burns the letter, and the artists begin breakfast.

However, at this moment the wand-bearer arrives and takes Gwynplaine to prison. Ursus secretly follows them, although in doing so he breaks the law.

In prison, the young man is not tortured - on the contrary, he witnesses the terrible torture of another person who confesses to his crime. It turns out that he was the one who disfigured Gwynplaine as a child. During interrogation, the unfortunate man also confesses that in fact Gwynplaine is Lord Fermin of Clancharlie, peer of England. The young man faints.

In this Barkilphedro sees an excellent reason for revenge on the duchess, since she is now obliged to marry Gwynplaine. When the young man comes to his senses, he is brought to his new chambers, where he indulges in dreams of the future.

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In our next article we will learn more about the outstanding French writer and poet, whose work has left an indelible mark on the history of literature.

Part Six: Ursus Masks, Nudity and the House of Lords

Ursus returns home, where he puts on a performance in front of Deya so that she does not notice Gwynplaine is missing. Meanwhile, a bailiff comes to them and demands that the artists leave London. He also brings Gwynplaine's things - Ursus runs to the prison and sees the coffin being taken out of there. He decides that his named son has died and begins to cry.

Meanwhile, Gwynplaine himself is looking for a way out of the palace, but stumbles upon Josiana’s chambers, where the girl showers him with caresses. However, upon learning that the young man is to become her husband, he drives him away. She believes that the groom cannot take the place of his lover.

The Queen summons Gwynplaine to her and sends him to the House of Lords. Since the other lords are old and blind, they do not notice the freak of the newly-made aristocrat, and therefore listen to him first. Gwynplaine talks about the poverty of the people and their troubles, that revolution will soon overwhelm the country if nothing is changed - but the lords only laugh at him.

The young man seeks consolation from David, his half-brother, but he slaps him in the face and challenges him to a duel for insulting his mother.

Gwynplaine escapes from the palace and stops on the banks of the Thames, where he reflects on his former life and how he allowed vanity to overwhelm him. The young man realizes that he himself exchanged his real family and love for a parody, and decides to commit suicide. However, Homo appears and saves him from such a step.

Conclusion: Death of Lovers

The wolf brings Gwynplaine to the ship, where the young man hears his adoptive father talking to Deya. She says that she will soon die and go after her lover. In her delirium, she begins to sing - and then Gwynplaine appears. However, the girl’s heart cannot withstand such happiness and she dies in the arms of the young man. He understands that there is no point in living without his beloved and throws himself into the water.

Ursus, who lost consciousness after the death of his daughter, comes to his senses. Gomo sits next to them and howls.