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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not here to argue historical merit or this book's place in the literary canon. I'm here to argue whether or not this work holds up today. And to that question, I say: holy racism and misogyny, Batman.
Even were you to attempt to disregard the casual bigotry that was baked into those times (it was wrong then; it's still wrong now), Hugo is an absolute windbag who can't stick to a story. Initially, some of his asides were genuinely funny or intriguing, but the longer we went on and the less Hugo comitted to telling any sort of cohesive story, the more my eyes glazed over. My overwhelming emotional response during my time entrenched in this work was boredom.
Rather than taking the time to wade your way through this veritable doorstop, I would recommend watching the 1996 animated adaptation instead. I assert that the animated motion picture does a better job of distilling the wonder Hugo was attempting to impart regarding the cathedral herself, as well as streamlining the story into a far more cohesive and triumphant shape. (There is still some casual bigotry, though it's a lot less.)
If you have to read this for school, good luck and godspeed, my friend. If you're reading classics for fun, I would suggest looking for one that has more pros (read: tight story and consistent voice) to balance out the cons (read: period-accurate bigotry).
(Also, as a quick note, I would like to mention that I read this primarily on audio, and the narrator, Frederick Davidson, did a great job considering the material.)
Even were you to attempt to disregard the casual bigotry that was baked into those times (it was wrong then; it's still wrong now), Hugo is an absolute windbag who can't stick to a story. Initially, some of his asides were genuinely funny or intriguing, but the longer we went on and the less Hugo comitted to telling any sort of cohesive story, the more my eyes glazed over. My overwhelming emotional response during my time entrenched in this work was boredom.
Rather than taking the time to wade your way through this veritable doorstop, I would recommend watching the 1996 animated adaptation instead. I assert that the animated motion picture does a better job of distilling the wonder Hugo was attempting to impart regarding the cathedral herself, as well as streamlining the story into a far more cohesive and triumphant shape. (There is still some casual bigotry, though it's a lot less.)
If you have to read this for school, good luck and godspeed, my friend. If you're reading classics for fun, I would suggest looking for one that has more pros (read: tight story and consistent voice) to balance out the cons (read: period-accurate bigotry).
(Also, as a quick note, I would like to mention that I read this primarily on audio, and the narrator, Frederick Davidson, did a great job considering the material.)
This was one of the most brilliant testaments to Romanticism and the human condition in general I have ever read. This has skyrocketed to being one of my most favorite novels of all time.
Victor Hugo paints a painstakingly accurate picture of medieval Paris and the population thereof. He jumps between a plot rife with the inevitably of fatality and philosophical musings that are a commentary on human expression through the ages. This novel gripped me but the shoulders and pulled me in - I was riveted from start to finish. The characters he created are so real and heartbreaking, and dramatic irony builds in hits and pieces throughout the novel until everything comes crashing down on the reader like a ton of bricks.
It's a denser read, but I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a deeply immersive read that seriously makes you think long after the last page has been turned.
Victor Hugo paints a painstakingly accurate picture of medieval Paris and the population thereof. He jumps between a plot rife with the inevitably of fatality and philosophical musings that are a commentary on human expression through the ages. This novel gripped me but the shoulders and pulled me in - I was riveted from start to finish. The characters he created are so real and heartbreaking, and dramatic irony builds in hits and pieces throughout the novel until everything comes crashing down on the reader like a ton of bricks.
It's a denser read, but I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a deeply immersive read that seriously makes you think long after the last page has been turned.
Gracias Victor Hugo por enseñarme que la vida es una mierda. Te quiero mucho. Siento que fueron 600 páginas para nada y sin embargo lo fueron todo.
Para los lectores en español: NO COMPREN la edición de "colección selecta" que tiene dibujos sin cara en la tapa. Tiene muchísimas faltas ortográficas al punto que uno tiene que andar adivinando lo que significaban ciertas cosas.
Para los lectores en español: NO COMPREN la edición de "colección selecta" que tiene dibujos sin cara en la tapa. Tiene muchísimas faltas ortográficas al punto que uno tiene que andar adivinando lo que significaban ciertas cosas.
Love the story. Do not love Hugo's weird obsession with describing architecture in *excruciating* detail.
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Notre-Dame de Paris, retrata a sociedade parisiense do século XV. É um romance histórico que tem como cenário principal a Catedral de Notre Dame, local de oração, de recolhimento e de refúgio. A acção decorre no ano de 1482. Victor Hugo descreve-nos de forma magistral os costumes da época e a arquitectura gótica, que ele tanto apreciou e valorizou. Ao longo do romance, várias páginas são dedicadas à Catedral com descrições detalhadas quer do seu exterior quer do interior.
É neste local, onde tudo acontece e onde todos se concentram, que vamos assistir aos acontecimentos da cidade e conviver com Esmeralda, a jovem cigana, muito bela, amada por muitos e discriminada por outros; Quasímodo, homem disforme, desprezado por todos, sineiro da catedral; Claude Frollo, arquidiácono, que adopta Quasímodo quando abandonado à porta da catedral e Phoebus, capitão da guarda real.
Estamos perante uma obra riquíssima em termos literários, históricos e estéticos. Victor Hugo ataca fortemente o clero abusivo e autoritário, critica o estado e a burguesia que vivem alheios à miséria do povo e à destruição de edifícios marcantes. Victor Hugo constrói a sua narrativa com base em dualidades. Ele põe em evidência a oposição entre a opulência e a miséria, o belo e o grotesco, o cómico e o horror.
É neste local, onde tudo acontece e onde todos se concentram, que vamos assistir aos acontecimentos da cidade e conviver com Esmeralda, a jovem cigana, muito bela, amada por muitos e discriminada por outros; Quasímodo, homem disforme, desprezado por todos, sineiro da catedral; Claude Frollo, arquidiácono, que adopta Quasímodo quando abandonado à porta da catedral e Phoebus, capitão da guarda real.
Estamos perante uma obra riquíssima em termos literários, históricos e estéticos. Victor Hugo ataca fortemente o clero abusivo e autoritário, critica o estado e a burguesia que vivem alheios à miséria do povo e à destruição de edifícios marcantes. Victor Hugo constrói a sua narrativa com base em dualidades. Ele põe em evidência a oposição entre a opulência e a miséria, o belo e o grotesco, o cómico e o horror.
dark
funny
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Abandonment
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes