Reviews - The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

1.9k reviews for:

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Victor Hugo

3.85 AVERAGE

msbananananner's review against another edition

3.25

dark sad slow-paced

aigra's review against another edition

3.0

Yes, it's a classic ... but this book could have really done with a bit more editing, since it has the tendency to ramble. Not bad though.

narielg's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark informative sad

katya_anya04's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

rainshift's review against another edition

1.0

This whole thing could have been 200 or less pages and it would not have made a difference to the content. I now understand why somebody would want to read an abridged version of a book. My enjoyment of it would have increased drastically, however. There were so many points in this book where I just debated giving up or where I just skim read until actual plot was happening.

Look, yes, some of the stuff was mildly interesting but if I have to trudge through 200+ pages of pure dog shite in order to get to the interesting stuff then even if it's written by Stephen King nothing is exciting enough for me to give it more than 1 star. The best things in the book is the relationship with Claude and Quasimodo and the scene with the deaf judge. That's really it. And for the deaf judge scene I still had to trudge through five pages of pointless description just to get to that entertaining scene.

Please. If this is how Hugo writes then I really am regretting my purchase of Les Mis.

alyssalizarraga's review against another edition

3.0

There is no denying that Victor Hugo is a giant in the history of French literature, crafting stories that kneel before the grandeur of Paris and sing its praises. The author’s deep appreciation for the architecture, culture, and social web of his country shines on every page and illuminates the tragedies that unfold and tumble across the blood-stained cobblestones. In this case, we follow the story of Esmeralda, an Egyptian dancer who has found a home in Paris, and those who have fallen for her. Lust and desperation collide to send the entire city tumbling into madness, and some fall harder than others.

While I appreciated the beautiful ode to Middle Age-era France, I couldn’t help but wish I had heeded the age-old advice meant to circumvent disillusionment: “never meet your heroes.” This is especially true if your hero is a story about a woman (yes, despite the title, this book is ultimately about Esmeralda) written by a man in the early 1800s. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of my Top 5 favorite musicals and I have always meant to read the source material. However, the treatment of Esmeralda (though potentially of little concern at the time of publication) as an initiative-less vehicle for male lust and obsession made it difficult to get through. Quasimodo himself rarely made an appearance, and I would hardly describe him as “one of history’s greatest lovers,” as the back of my copy suggested he was. Sorry Hugo, I just have little sympathy for men whose sole motivations lie in their pants.