3.85 AVERAGE


The Hunckback of Notre Dame, under the original title Notre Dame de Paris (because the plot really centers around the cathedral, not Quasimodo) is like a twisted Romeo & Juliet story sans star-crossed lovers. The *real* protagonist (in my opinion) is Esmerelda, the 16 year old gypsy dancer. She falls in love with the chauvinistic peacock Captain Pheobus who takes advantage of her love, meanwhile courting a rich young noblewoman. Quasimodo the deaf bell-ringer, and Claude Frollo, the fanatical archdeacon of Notre Dame, are the ones who fall for the gypsy. So naturally things get quite chaotic when the gypsy girl is sentenced to death for "murdering" the Captain.

The action is spectacular, especially the siege of Notre Dame, and hopefully I don't give anything away when I say that there's a lot of dying going on...

This book does have its long, slow parts too...such as the beginning. and unless you are an ardent scholar of medieval architecture, go ahead and skim chapters with the titles "Notre Dame" and "A Birds Eye View of Paris".

My favorite parts: Poet Pierre Gringoire's "marriage" to Esmerelda (whom Captain Phoebus calls "similar" because he can never remember her name), and also P.G.'s unhealthy obsession with Djahli the goat.
dark emotional sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Well wasn't expecting that! Just wish it didn't take me so long and maybe I would've given it five stars. But let's be honest four is generous.
challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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
No sé muy bien como me ha dejado esta lectura. Igual bajo la calificación después. Sinceramente prefiero algunos aspectos de la peli disney y otros de aquí. Esmeralda es sin dudas mejor la versión fuerte y decidida de Disney, Frollo me da más miedo la versión animada también, toda la parte de su hermano el gamberro y como no era tan religioso le quitó fuerza. Los demás creo que prefiero las versiones del libro: que Quasimodo realísticamente no sea un buenazo con todos sino sólo con los que se portan "bien" con él, Febo siendo un casanova al que Esmeralda solo es una conquista. No tengo claro que pienso de la backstory de Esmeralda, la parte final cuando se reune con su madre fue muy emotiva, pero le quita fuerza que no sea de raza gitana. El personaje del escritor es una pérdida de tiempo que me dio mucha rabia lo egoísta que era (a parte de la cabra Djali).
Sinceramente me sorprendió que si hay un protagonista sea Esmeralda, los demás giran todos a su alrededor, Nuestra Señora de París realmente.
sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Meh.

Meraviglioso. Fatico a scrivere di più: ho appena finito la lettura e mi scoppia il cuore. Era da molto tempo che non affrontavo un grande classico della letteratura francese, all'inizio ho fatto fatica a riprendere in mano un testo così pieno e importante, ma Hugo sa quello che fa, e questo testo è un gioiello.
adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes