Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Der Glöckner von Notre-Dame

I’ve always wondered how this book got turned into a Disney movie and passed all the different layers of people to become produced… and then I read it. There is no way ANY sane person can get through and read this book. It made me feel illiterate. I don’t know what happened. Supposedly a chapter was not in the original publication and was viewed at the time to not add anything to the story… honestly that could be ANY of the chapters. I’ll stick to the Disney movie and musical from now on.

Content Warnings

impla77's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Phoebus is a fuckboy wbk. Also Hugo loves to go off on a random tangent.
at least djali got a happy ending

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cambrand's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Hugo's "Notre-Dame de Paris" is the first French Romantic novel and a great representation of it. The original title represents the story better than "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", given the the cathedral is the real center point and symbol of his novel rather than Quasimodo. A great illustration of middle-ages France - its people, politics, religion, and architecture. If you're reading this book based on the Disney's movie, you might be disappointed. Knocking off a star because of the mixed narration in the book that shifts from novel to almost essay-like in some chapters.

I'm sorry to say Frollo is actually the most interesting character and Esmeralda is actually painfully boring and mildly infuriating. Phoebus isn't a knight in shining armor and Quasimodo is somehow both heroic and pathetic.

Content Warnings

reebeee's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As with any Hugo novel, if you come to the book expecting it to be like its adaptations, you will be disappointed—the novel is much more interested in depicting a historical place and time than focusing on a particular character or storyline. The biggest surprise for me (who otherwise by and large knew what to expect from Hugo) was how morally ambiguous every character was. It's fascinating to compare with its adaptations and consider what goals and effects various changes had.

Also, there's not a specific content warning label for this but I think it's worth noting that this book contains a repeated accusation of blood libel.

Content Warnings