dark emotional sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3,5/5*

I have really mixed feelings on this one. While I really enjoyed the story I felt that Victor Hugo went out of his way to educate the reader in certain subjects of his interest like: architecture, art or politics. While those were interesting to read at times they affected the flow of the story and more importantly, they WEREN'T necessary. It has like having a non-fiction book inside of a fictional one. I hate to be the one saying this but this novel could probably have half of the size it has. However, I still feel an attachment to the characters and I cannot say I don't love this book. Yet, I can't give it 4 stars. It might be one of those books that will improve with a re-read. I really want to read more Victor Hugo in the future though it might not happen in the near-future.
dark sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Buddy Read at: Emma's Tea Party

Oh my God! My brain is exhausted. I used too many neurons for this. I want to take a nap. I really wanted to love the book. In my defense I did like Frollo’s character. He has a very interesting and intense problem to read going on in his head. Sadly everyone else did not set up a thing on me. Alongside those endless descriptions, I found this story way too long and tedious. The writing is excellent, the passion behind it really inspiring but I’m just not interesting in full chapters with just architecture descriptions, they started good but were just too long for my taste. At least I’m not going to die saying I never read a Victor Hugo, so I WON!



Saben, yo creía que hablaba español…hasta que leí este libro. D:
Ni cuando leo en ingles uso tanto el pinche diccionario XDlol

Voy a empezar diciendo que entiendo, de verdad lo hago. Hay edificios tan importantes en nuestro mundo, que por nada del mundo deberían ser demolidos o cambiados siquiera. Desgraciadamente a mi la arquitectura no me va mucho. O sea, las descripciones empezaban bien, de hecho la de Notre-Dame es muy buena, pero eran bastante largas y terminaban siempre cansándome. Esa fue la razón principal por la que no disfrute tanto la lectura.

Al inicio se dice que la historia nació de una palabra que estaba escrita en la catedral: 'AN'AIKH, que significa fatalidad. Y ese dato curioso, por así decirlo, me gusto mucho, hizo que mis ganas por empezar el libro se incrementaran un montón, y en ese entonces ya eran bastante grandes.

Muy pronto, como al 15% ya estaba llorando. Cuando digo que este libro tiene una introducción larga, me refiero al primer 50% y no es un chiste. En esa primera mitad, esperen muchas descripciones de todos los lugares icónicos habidos en Paris del siglo XV. Lo bueno de ese tramo es que también tenemos las historias detrás de los personajes Frollo y Quasimodo y fueron EXCELENTES. La verdadera trama no inicia si no hasta casi el 60% y es algo que cualquiera que no haya leído este bebe debe tener en cuenta, porque hay mucha gente que odia las introducciones. Y como alguien que las ama les diré esto: Casi me doy por vencida.

Sentí como si la historia estuviera formada de muchas subtramas en lugar de tener una general y otras chicas que la acompañaran como es lo más normal de leer. A menos que consideren descripciones arquitectónicas como trama principal, este libro para mi no la tiene. Frollo esta encaprichado con Esmeralda, Esmeralda con Pheobus y Quasi es un ser que nunca llegue a comprender pero termino agradándome.

Siento que ya escribí mucho y no he dicho nada. De cariño me pueden decir Victoria Huga XDlol

Además de Frollo, ningún otro personaje tiene mucha profundidad, a ninguno lo llegue a entender realmente, otra vez, las descripciones de edificios y lugares son tantas que muchas veces los personajes quedan relegados a segundo lugar. Algo que si me gusto y bastante fue todo el rollo Esmeralda-Pheobus-Quasi.
SpoilerAmbos salvan a la gitana en diferentes ocasiones pero es a Pheobus a quien Esmeralda termina sobreadorando solo por su físico. Y a pesar de que estuvo mucho tiempo con Quasi nunca dejo de tenerle miedo o asco, o una mezcla de ambas y eso es muy triste porque Quasi, aunque algo bravo, es bueno mientras que el otro guey es un hdp.


Por otro lado, el final es muy bueno, todos los personajes convergen de alguna forma interesante y la trágica conclusión junto con la escritura del autor hace que termines con buen sabor de boca. A mi parecer el ultimo capitulo es simplemente bello. Y me gusta que un libro tenga unas últimas líneas increíbles. Le da mas peso al final en su totalidad a mi parecer. Y obviamente el libro esta excelentemente bien ambientado y escrito.

Les recomiendo el libro si ya están acostumbrados a descripciones largas y diálogos extensos. De otra forma no lo van a disfrutar ni un poco. Si tiene muy poca fluidez debido a los capítulos alternados entre “descripción arquitectónica” y “trama”, además a veces se hacían comparaciones larguisimas con los años 1400 y 1800 que es cuando transcurre la obra y cuando se publico realmente. Desconcentran muchísimo. Al final, si es una lectura difícil, porque cualquier cosa que sea tan lenta ES difícil, pero dependiendo en lo que estés interesado es si disfrutaras esa lentitud o no. La mayoría del tiempo, con esta historia, yo no lo hice :(

Al final me quedo una reseña muy larga y siento que no dije nada importante. Pero no me arrepiento de haberlo leído, simplemente ya se que tipo de clásicos no me van XD

The storyline to this was just amazing. I loved the disney movie, but I had no illusions going into this that the story would be anything like that. I much prefered Phoebus' character in the book because lets be real, Quasimodo and Esmerelda belong together. Also I loved the character of Claude Frollo, he was just a superb villain and I loved actually hearing about his backstory and all the hardships he faced. It just makes him that much more realistic, since in real life usually no one is just evil and Hugo definitely shows Frollo's better side. The ending was so good as well, but I won't spoil it. I only really had two problems with this book and that was just the random pieces of French scattered throughout the text with no reasoning why the translator translated everything bar these phrases. And then there's what Hugo is world renowned for, his rambles. I am sorry but this book could have been 200 pages shorter if it wasn't for his completely pointless rants. The breakdown of Parisian architecture for up until the 1800s even though the novel is set in the 1400s didn't exactly add much to the story. If the rambles weren't in it I could have definitely given this book five stars.
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A classic

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

Gone but with the promise to reconstruct never forgotten. I am so proud to have read this book in my life time. I never was able to see Notre Dame in person but, Victor Hugo's descriptive narrative elucidated the feeling of being there in person. No matter what caused the fire, either terrorism or blunt accident it will never be the same. Some of the timbers that burned were 1000 years old and it was destined for a retrofit and upgrade. I'm so glad the French Government has promised to rebuild the edifice. Below is a critique of the master piece from Magill's Master Plots.

Victor Hugo, leader of the French romantic movement, not only could tell a story, but also could endow his essentially romantic characters with a realism so powerful that they have become monumental literary figures. The Hunchback of Notre Dame has every quality of a good novel: an exciting story, a magnificent setting and deep, lasting characterizations. Perhaps the compelling truth of this novel lies in the idea that God has created in man an imperfect image of Himself, an image fettered by society and by man's own body and soul, but one which, in the last analysis, has the freedom to transcend these limitations and achieve spiritual greatness.
I'm changing my rating to 5 stars because greatness only happens in retrospect. As I look back at my reading of this tome I see a rhyme to my reason. I urge all of you to read this book. It does not disappoint. Through the ashes a great monument will rise again.

What a sad and heartbreaking tale! It is really hard to relate to the characters but you can still feel his pain deeply. This was a pretty depressing story, not something for a little pleasure reading.