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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
one of the most UNSETTLING antagonists i’ve ever encountered, second only to Humbert Humbert. also, Gringoire choosing the goat over Esmeralda??? Jail.
I had tickets to go see the French musical based on this book, so I decided to re-read it. I must have read an abridged version last time because I don't remember it being such a slog. Some of the language and the ideas were lovely, and especially reading in the original French, I felt absorbed by the world. But it was just inexcusably unfocused. Asides that last for 60 pages describing the architecture of Paris, which ultimately have no bearing on the story? Pass. 500 pages is way too long for the amount that actually occurs in this book. I was expecting to be enchanted, but by the end I was just glad it was over.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
To get the first third-or-so of the tome out of the way, it must be admitted that Hugo desperately needed an editor to sit on his chest and repeatedly punch him in the face until he agreed to drop the mind-numbingly tedious panoramic descriptions of medieval Paris and the painfully overlong architectural digressions.
Once that is out of the way it is plain-sailing with a cast of the most revolting pedophiles, macho-assholes, wastrel alcoholics, and sociopaths Disney ever committed to screen (...I've never seen it, but I'm assuming Disney stayed faithful to the book?). Fave moment has to be Gringoire's choice to save the goat rather than the woman who saved him - and incredibly Gringoire is probably the most palatable male in the whole book (Quasimodo aside). The whole thing is pure madness.
Once that is out of the way it is plain-sailing with a cast of the most revolting pedophiles, macho-assholes, wastrel alcoholics, and sociopaths Disney ever committed to screen (...I've never seen it, but I'm assuming Disney stayed faithful to the book?). Fave moment has to be Gringoire's choice to save the goat rather than the woman who saved him - and incredibly Gringoire is probably the most palatable male in the whole book (Quasimodo aside). The whole thing is pure madness.
A tragic story that i read in French!
There is a summary about it in my blog - https://www.tamarayousefmousa.com/
There is a summary about it in my blog - https://www.tamarayousefmousa.com/
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
not the right time, extraordinarily slow start
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes