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antonella24's review against another edition
5.0
Il romanzo Notre-Dame de Paris di Victor Hugo narra le vicende di Quasimodo, il gobbo campanaro della cattedrale di Notre Dame, e di Esmeralda, la bella zingara di cui si innamora. Il romanzo è ricco di temi e simboli, tra cui il contrasto tra la bellezza e la mostruosità, tra l’apparenza e la sostanza, tra il bene e il male. Hugo ha dipinto una società in cui le classi superiori hanno sempre la meglio su quelle inferiori senza nessun riferimento alla provvidenza ma solo alla fatalità. La fatalità è un tema importante nel libro, perché mostra come i personaggi siano vittime di circostanze avverse e di scelte sbagliate. Hugo sembra voler sottolineare la crudeltà e l’ingiustizia del destino, che non risparmia nessuno, nemmeno i più innocenti e virtuosi. I personaggi sono caratterizzati con profondità psicologica e umanità. Quasimodo è un essere deforme e rifiutato dalla società, ma dotato di un cuore sensibile e generoso. Esmeralda è una donna libera e passionale, ma anche ingenua e sfortunata. Frollo è un uomo tormentato dalla sua ossessione per Esmeralda, ipocrita e crudele. Febo mi ha fatto provare disgusto quanto Frollo, perché segue solo il suo desiderio per Esmeralda senza curarsi dei suoi sentimenti. È un egoista che non vuole sacrificare la sua posizione sociale e il suo matrimonio con Fleur-de-Lys. Il romanzo mi ha colpito per il modo in cui Hugo ha dipinto il contrasto tra la bellezza e la mostruosità, tra l’apparenza e la sostanza. Chi è il mostro? A mio parere nel libro ci sono tanti mostri: Frollo, Febo possono essere considerati dei mostri per il loro modo di agire. Quasimodo ha solo l’aspetto del mostro ma non lo è interiormente. E qui veniamo a un altro tema: Esmeralda e Quasimodo sono entrambi emarginati dalla società: una perché è una zingara e l’altro per il suo aspetto. Entrambi sembrano quello che non sono. La morale che si può trarre da questo romanzo è che non bisogna giudicare le persone dall’aspetto esteriore, ma cercare di capire i loro sentimenti e le loro motivazioni. Il vero mostro non è quello che ha una forma diversa, ma quello che ha un’anima corrotta. Il vero amore non è quello che si basa sull’attrazione fisica, ma quello che si fonda sul rispetto e sulla compassione.
estherfilbrun's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve been intrigued by Victor Hugo’s books—especially Les Miserables—for a long time, but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. But when I found The Hunchback of Notre Dame in audio format, I decided to try it. After all, if Les Mis was good—and every version I’ve seen or read of the story so far has seemed to be that way—then this should be good, too, right?
I wish I had known before going into this story that it’s a tragedy. That’s something I’ve discovered that I don’t handle so well if it’s foisted on me, and honestly, if I’d known that, I probably wouldn’t have finished the book.
The first part of this story is SLOW. I don’t mind slow reads, and if they’re in audio, I can usually manage them—but with this book, even as a sped-up audiobook, I felt like I was dragging my way through the first half of the story. It does take off after around the 50 or 60% mark, but that first half…there are chapters I wish I’d skipped. Hugo wandered off into several tangents that really made no sense to me, and although I know that’s a part of old books, I still struggled with them.
As a whole, the story is interesting—the last half, anyway. I struggled with the way characters hated and feared the poor hunchback man and called him names, but at the same time, I do not doubt that that’s the way they viewed people back at the time this story is set. It was interesting to see how he made his way in the world, even though he came up against a lot of opposition. I fell in love with Esmerelda and her goat, and hated the archdeacon. There’s a decent amount of action in the story, and this story is also a good commentary on human nature in general—and especially what happens when people let their feelings and thoughts get out of hand. In some ways, this book felt almost like a commentary on the story of Prince Amnon and Princess Tamar in the Bible!
As far as content, this isn’t the cleanest of reads. There’s a lot of language in the story, and multiple times, there are references to people sleeping around.
Overall, while I found the story interesting, I’m not planning to ever read it again. I’m glad to know what it’s about, but if I’d known what I do now about the book, I wouldn’t have pushed myself through to the end. It’s not a bad story; it’s just not the kind of thing I generally like to read.
I wish I had known before going into this story that it’s a tragedy. That’s something I’ve discovered that I don’t handle so well if it’s foisted on me, and honestly, if I’d known that, I probably wouldn’t have finished the book.
The first part of this story is SLOW. I don’t mind slow reads, and if they’re in audio, I can usually manage them—but with this book, even as a sped-up audiobook, I felt like I was dragging my way through the first half of the story. It does take off after around the 50 or 60% mark, but that first half…there are chapters I wish I’d skipped. Hugo wandered off into several tangents that really made no sense to me, and although I know that’s a part of old books, I still struggled with them.
As a whole, the story is interesting—the last half, anyway. I struggled with the way characters hated and feared the poor hunchback man and called him names, but at the same time, I do not doubt that that’s the way they viewed people back at the time this story is set. It was interesting to see how he made his way in the world, even though he came up against a lot of opposition. I fell in love with Esmerelda and her goat, and hated the archdeacon. There’s a decent amount of action in the story, and this story is also a good commentary on human nature in general—and especially what happens when people let their feelings and thoughts get out of hand. In some ways, this book felt almost like a commentary on the story of Prince Amnon and Princess Tamar in the Bible!
As far as content, this isn’t the cleanest of reads. There’s a lot of language in the story, and multiple times, there are references to people sleeping around.
Overall, while I found the story interesting, I’m not planning to ever read it again. I’m glad to know what it’s about, but if I’d known what I do now about the book, I wouldn’t have pushed myself through to the end. It’s not a bad story; it’s just not the kind of thing I generally like to read.
ishaartje's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kresz's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hjswinford's review against another edition
5.0
What the heck, Disney? Your adaptation did not prepare me for this book.
Les Mis should have, perhaps, but DAMN that was heartbreaking.
Les Mis should have, perhaps, but DAMN that was heartbreaking.
kmthomas06's review against another edition
4.0
A lot different than the watered down versions seen in most movie or theater adaptations, Hugo's characters are dark, depressing and for the most part, completely unlikable. His arguments to save the church are more compelling that the love triangles created for the melodrama portion of the plot. That said, his language is beautiful, his characterization of the city of Paris breathtaking to watch him develop and I'll admit, who doesn't enjoy a good melodrama every now and then?
yeohye's review against another edition
4.0
Can't believe Hugo killed off Esmeralda… During women's history month no less!
big_dreamer's review against another edition
3.0
Molto diverso da quello che mi aspettavo (benedetta/maledetta Disney), ma nel complesso mi è piaciuto. Lunghi capitoli digressivi su valore dell'architettura, sull'evoluzione di Parigi dal 1482 al 1831 a parte. Quelli proprio mi sono rimasti pesanti
alternate_realiti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mollyelmore's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0