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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I’ve only seen parts of the movie but this was way different and quite entertaining in its own merit. Excellent writing by Hugo and I enjoyed the plot (didn’t care for the characters at all though)
The original story is detailed and poignant, but this translation by A.L. Alger is clunky, unimaginative and tiresome.
I loved this book- especially since I really love the Disney movie. This is a lot different than the Disney movie though! I think it's a great story of what true love vs. what fake love looks like, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Think I gave this short shrift for a long time because of the shitty Disney movie and the musical based on Les Miserables. I loved Notre-Dame. Especially Gringoire and Phoebus. Phoebus because he can't remember Esmerelda or Quasimodo's names, and Gringoire because he's always one step from the noose.
Also, was kind of shocked at how closely parts of this book resembled my favourite novel from my teenage years, [b:Heroes Die|311864|Heroes Die (The Acts of Caine, #1)|Matthew Woodring Stover|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403193753s/311864.jpg|302782], although I knew the author had been inspired by it.
Also, was kind of shocked at how closely parts of this book resembled my favourite novel from my teenage years, [b:Heroes Die|311864|Heroes Die (The Acts of Caine, #1)|Matthew Woodring Stover|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403193753s/311864.jpg|302782], although I knew the author had been inspired by it.
Definitivamente mi libro favorito. Prácticamente me bebí esta historia tan perfecta: una obra maestra. Sus personajes y sus sentimientos hacen que realmente te conviertas en su piel cada vez que los lees.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Glad I read this but man is it depressing! I didn't expect to be quite this dark and cruel. Hugo sets up an atmosphere of medieval Paris very well despite the long winded explanations about architecture. Overall a good read.
I'm so glad to have finally read this book. Victor Hugo is supernaturally good at displaying every nook and cranny of humanity's moral spectrum. Rather than give us Disney cartoons, Hugo's story traffics in uncomfortably complex characters whose moments of kindness and of selfishness all play off each other in a crescendo of inevitable tragedy. The beauty in ugliness, the ugliness in beauty and the self-destruction inherent in excessive desire are all here for the reader to wade through and try to make sense of. Hugo's also as talented at fluid, beautiful description as he is at characterization. Usually, I get bored pretty fast of the 19th century habit of exhaustively drawing every facet of a locale. But I could read Hugo describing Paris all day. Far from a maudlin, melodramatic fairytale, this is a book that gets deep into the mud of what it means to be a messy and complicated human being.