alexcuseyou's review against another edition

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Although the story is compelling and classic, and I really wanted to like it, i couldnt finish, for multiple reasons. Victor Hugo was a huge antisemite it seems, he keeps using the word "jewish" as an  insult here. A lot of other "product of its time" issues with the writing. Also there are whole chapters of tangents that are completely unrelated with page-long sentences (if you like reading hot-takes on parisian architecture, urban planning, and political history, then eat your heart out). 

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gudrqa's review against another edition

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dark sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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brutusbloch's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Es hat eine Weile gedauert, dass ich mich daran gewöhnt habe, dass Victor Hugo den Leser immer Mal wieder direkt anspricht. Aber dann fand ich seinen Schreibstil fantastisch.

Es beginnt auch sehr langsam, was damit zusammenhängt, dass ca. 1/3 des Buches für den Plot komplett irrelevant ist und sich hauptsächlich im Beginn des Buches abhandelt. Das hängt natürlich mit der Liebe von Hugo zu Paris und vor allem Notre Dame zusammen.
Meiner Meinung nach ist es ein unglaublich gutes Buch, kein schönes Buch, sehr verstörend, aber wirklich, wirklich gut. Wenn auch etwas vorhersehbar.
Ohne den leider sehr hervorstechenden Gadjé-Rassismus und Ableismus, die dem Plot zugrunde liegen, wären es vlt. sogar 5 Sterne gewesen.

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a SLOG. I thought it would be an interesting read while I was getting ready for our trip, but it took forever to get through. Normally Disney adaptations are watered down, but in this case, I think Disney actually did a good job of distilling and updating the text for a modern audience. Hugo is a great writer, but he’s a terrible editor. In addition to feeling bored often during this reading, I found myself very frustrated by Esmeralda’s portrayal, which was made even weaker with this audiobook narrator. As I kid, I loved the Disney Esmeralda’s spirit and independence, but that was often missing in the original text. I also hated how Quasimodo was framed, and Disney did a much better job in my memory of showing that disability or disfigurement does not make one less of a person. I suppose I should try and judge the text on its own merits outside of my childhood memories of the movie, but I can’t quite untangle my expectations from what I found in the novel.

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upthestairs's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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