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The Man Who Laughs
The Man Who Laughs

Chapter XCVII · Chapter 97

Chapter 97 of The Man Who Laughs is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Victor Hugo • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Man Who Laughs
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.
As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.
There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.
The streets were dark and deserted.
When the lamps are out men stay in.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Man Who Laughs

Chapter XCVII · Chapter 97

Chapter 97 of The Man Who Laughs is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.
/ɪt ɪz θruː ˈekses ʌv ˈɡreɪtnəs ðæt mæn ˈriːtʃəz ˈekses ʌv ˈmɪzəri/
Line 2
As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.
Line 3
There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.
Line 4
The streets were dark and deserted.
/ðə striːts wɜːr dɑːrk ənd dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
Line 5
When the lamps are out men stay in.
/wen ðə læmps ɑːr aʊt men steɪ ɪn/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

excess noun US /ˈekses/

a quantity much larger than is needed

From this reading “IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
extinguish verb US /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/

put an end to; kill

From this reading “There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatness noun US /ˈɡreɪtnəs/

the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence

From this reading “IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lamps noun US /læmps/

plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading “There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lanes noun US /leɪnz/

plural of “lane” — a narrow way or road

From this reading “As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Paul's noun US /pɔːlz/

possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reaches noun US /ˈriːtʃəz/

plural of “reach” — the limits within which something can be effective

From this reading “IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tolled verb US /toʊld/

past form of “toll” — ring slowly

From this reading “As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 58

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The streets were dark and deserted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading When the lamps are out men stay in.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The streets were dark and deserted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading The streets were dark and deserted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EXCESSnounUS /ˈekses/

a quantity much larger than is needed

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
extinguishverbUS /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/

put an end to; kill

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GREATNESSnounUS /ˈɡreɪtnəs/

the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lampsnounUS /læmps/

plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lanesnounUS /leɪnz/

plural of “lane” — a narrow way or road

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MANnounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading When the lamps are out men stay in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
midnightnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MISERYnounUS /ˈmɪzəri/

a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Paul'snounUS /pɔːlz/

possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REACHESnounUS /ˈriːtʃəz/

plural of “reach” — the limits within which something can be effective

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Southwark

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Pending verification
St

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Pending verification
stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading When the lamps are out men stay in.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The streets were dark and deserted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THROUGHprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading IT IS THROUGH EXCESS OF GREATNESS THAT MAN REACHES EXCESS OF MISERY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tolledverbUS /toʊld/

past form of “toll” — ring slowly

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There were no lamps lighted, it being at that time the custom in London, as in Paris, to extinguish the public lamps at eleven o’clock--that is, to put them out just as they became necessary.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the lamps are out men stay in.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading As midnight tolled from St. Paul’s, a man who had just crossed London Bridge struck into the lanes of Southwark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 97 of The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 97 of The Man Who Laughs contain?

Chapter 97 holds 116 sentences of The Man Who Laughs, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 97 of The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 97 of The Man Who Laughs?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 97 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 97 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Man Who Laughs

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Vocabulary met early in The Man Who Laughs

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Man Who Laughs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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