This probably was the shortest telegram ever written. It was sent "?" and the reply was "!" Which famous writer sent it and who replied to it?

I was certain that I asked this before, but it doesn't show up on a search. It's a good question, Mozart.

From memory this was a French writer in correspondence with his publisher. He wanted to know how his new novel was selling, so he put ? . It was breaking all records so the publisher replied !. This must surely have been Victor Hugo and the book Les Miserables : I forget the name of the publisher

This seems to confirm Fred's answer.
Last word
(Using the obviously superior English Google,DG ! )

quote:

Originally posted by VivienneHa:
This seems to confirm Fred's answer.
Last word
(Using the obviously superior English Google,DG ! )

Delightful, Viv ! The Mark Twain story on brevity is dead right too. In the distant days when I first wrote Counsel's Opinions I soon discovered two things 1) My first effort took perhaps twenty pages, perhaps an hour, and was tediously bad and turgid for the professional client to read and 2) my final draft had undergone several rewrites, each briefer, pithier and far better than the last so it read perhaps two pages ( but had easily taken perhaps three hours or more to get to that standard )

Victor Hugo reached perfection in his communication ! (Though I did get close once by an Opinion of just one word. Asked to advise on whether the client should accept a proposed settlement, the description and terms of which ran to many pages, I just wrote 'Yes' and signed. I still got paid, of course, without comment: what more could they want for their money? )

Good answer Fred and Viv. Could not find for sure the name for the publisher though.

Foot note: First published in 1862, news of the book crossed the Atlantic with astonishing speed and became a common companion to the soldiers of the Confederate Army in the American Civil war. In fact, it was found in so many Southern boys' duffle bags that the Army became unofficially known in certain circles as "Lee's Miserables." =>(General Lee)

I have loved the Cary Grant anecdote since I first read it a very long time age. - OLD DG, WHO IS FINE

When I was in my teens and early 20s, once a year, my father and I would run my uncle's tavern/liquor store when my uncle went on vacation. I used that time to set up gags for my uncle. My best, I think, was the the telegram I sent to his hotel, to be delivered upon his arrival.

SAM - DON'T WORRY. WE PUT THE FIRE OUT.

Another year, I sent a much simpler one.

IGNORE FIRST TELEGRAM.

Regrettably, now that telegrams are obsolete, I shall never fulfill a wish to send someone the one-word message: STOP. (And would it have been free of charge?)

Publisher? It was expected to be the French publisher Hetzel but that publisher was unable to pay the 300,000 Francs that Hugo demanded and the deal was won by the Belgian firm of Lacroix and Verbeekhoeven. The writer certainly knew his worth. The publishers had simultaneous launches worldwide, with enormous publicity, in the manner of JK Rowling's team. Unfortunately they could never fix all the 'other format'rights e.g musical or internet rights