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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
One of the best classics I've ever read. Intriguing, heart-wrenching, and well explained. I started it late at night and got more than halfway before I had to go to bed, and I finished it as soon as I could the next day, it sucked me in that much. I felt like I was in Paris and I saw the characters so vividly, it hurt. My favorite was Quasimodo: his character was incredible, haunting, and so sad.
One of the best classics I've ever read. Intriguing, heart-wrenching, and well explained. I started it late at night and got more than halfway before I had to go to bed, and I finished it as soon as I could the next day, it sucked me in that much. I felt like I was in Paris and I saw the characters so vividly, it hurt. My favorite was Quasimodo: his character was incredible, haunting, and so sad.
This review originally posted at Christa's Hooked on Books
Before reading Victor Hugo's classic whenever someone mentioned, The Hunchback of Notre Dame I usually thought of the Disney movie. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
It's actually quite shocking. These two ideas could not be more different from one another. (Although I would be lying if I said the Disney music didn't play through my head the whole time I was reading).
In reality, this book is much more gruesome than Disney would have us believe. There is much more violence than I would have expected. This is not to say that it is too much or that it is gory. But it is dark. There are few (if any really) bright and shiny scenes, where everything work out. In my opinion this makes it much more gritty and much more interesting. The characters are more human, they have more depth.
I found this version (i.e the real version) really helped you get to know the “villains” of the story. In particular Frollo. My previous opinion of him was a cold hearted, sadistic man, who cared for no one and nothing but himself. In actuality there is so much more to him than that. You really get to know him and his history. Though not pure by any means, he's not heartless either. He actually ended up being one of my favourite characters in the book.
The one tragic flaw of this book, however, is it's repeated history lessons. Be prepared for very long descriptions of French architecture, music, the printing press etc. Hugo spares no detail! These often went on for pages, and a couple of times I was very tempted to abandon the book because of them. But if you can survive them they will add a nice touch to the story, in that all your settings will be much more vivid and the class divisions touched upon will make much more sense.
All in all, this is a good book. It's longer than it needs to be, but the story is solid and the characters are well thought out. In true Gothic fashion it is dark and dreary but it's not that depressing. There's action, adventure and mystery. If nothing else it will ensure that visiting Paris and Notre Dame will be added to your bucket list.
Before reading Victor Hugo's classic whenever someone mentioned, The Hunchback of Notre Dame I usually thought of the Disney movie. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
It's actually quite shocking. These two ideas could not be more different from one another. (Although I would be lying if I said the Disney music didn't play through my head the whole time I was reading).
In reality, this book is much more gruesome than Disney would have us believe. There is much more violence than I would have expected. This is not to say that it is too much or that it is gory. But it is dark. There are few (if any really) bright and shiny scenes, where everything work out. In my opinion this makes it much more gritty and much more interesting. The characters are more human, they have more depth.
I found this version (i.e the real version) really helped you get to know the “villains” of the story. In particular Frollo. My previous opinion of him was a cold hearted, sadistic man, who cared for no one and nothing but himself. In actuality there is so much more to him than that. You really get to know him and his history. Though not pure by any means, he's not heartless either. He actually ended up being one of my favourite characters in the book.
The one tragic flaw of this book, however, is it's repeated history lessons. Be prepared for very long descriptions of French architecture, music, the printing press etc. Hugo spares no detail! These often went on for pages, and a couple of times I was very tempted to abandon the book because of them. But if you can survive them they will add a nice touch to the story, in that all your settings will be much more vivid and the class divisions touched upon will make much more sense.
All in all, this is a good book. It's longer than it needs to be, but the story is solid and the characters are well thought out. In true Gothic fashion it is dark and dreary but it's not that depressing. There's action, adventure and mystery. If nothing else it will ensure that visiting Paris and Notre Dame will be added to your bucket list.
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
La storia si svolge nel 1482 e ha come protagonisti Quasimodo, il gobbo campanaro della famosa cattedrale parigina, la zingara Esmeralda e l'arcidiacono Frollo. Tutto il racconto è ambientato a Parigi, sotto l'ombra della Cattedrale di Notre Dame.
Hugo pubblicò questo romanzo a 29 anni. Anche se travolgente, appassionante e straziante, si sente che la sua mano è ancora immatura e che la storia da lui inventata non è sfruttata a pieno.
Però è senz'altro un'opera meravigliosa, un viaggio nel mondo alla fine del Medioevo che restituisce una fotografia molto sincera della vita del tempo.
Personalmente ho apprezzato molto questa lettura, anche se non è il mio preferito delle opere di Hugo.
Non ho idea se fosse voluto o se è stata una casualità, ma credo che l'autore abbia messo al centro di tutta la narrazione la difficoltà/incapacità di comunicare che hanno le persone. Ci sono tantissimi episodi che mettono in mostra quanto sia faticoso far sentire e capire i propri pensieri.
Esempio emblematico è il processo a Quasimodo, un sordo interrogato da un giudice sordo
Hugo pubblicò questo romanzo a 29 anni. Anche se travolgente, appassionante e straziante, si sente che la sua mano è ancora immatura e che la storia da lui inventata non è sfruttata a pieno.
Però è senz'altro un'opera meravigliosa, un viaggio nel mondo alla fine del Medioevo che restituisce una fotografia molto sincera della vita del tempo.
Personalmente ho apprezzato molto questa lettura, anche se non è il mio preferito delle opere di Hugo.
Non ho idea se fosse voluto o se è stata una casualità, ma credo che l'autore abbia messo al centro di tutta la narrazione la difficoltà/incapacità di comunicare che hanno le persone. Ci sono tantissimi episodi che mettono in mostra quanto sia faticoso far sentire e capire i propri pensieri.
Esempio emblematico è il processo a Quasimodo, un sordo interrogato da un giudice sordo
"Cependant le charme opérait peu à peu ; ta danse me tournoyait dans le cerveau ; je sentais le mystérieux maléfice s'accomplir en moi. Tout ce qui aurait dû veiller s'endormait dans mon âme ; et comme ceux qui meurent dans la neige, je trouvais du plaisir à laisser venir ce sommeil. Tout à coup tu te mis à chanter. Que pouvais-je faire, misérable ? Ton chant était plus charmant encore que ta danse. Je voulus fuir. Impossible. J'étais cloué, j'étais enraciné dans le sol. Il me semblait que le marbre de la dalle m’était monté jusqu'aux genoux. Il fallait rester jusqu'au bout. Mes pieds étaient de glace, ma tête bouillonnait. Enfin, tu eus peut-être pitié de moi, tu cessas de chanter, tu disparus."
Libro che consiglierò ai miei nemici quando vorrò farli soffrire.
(Se vi chiedete perchè ho messo quattro stelle è perché questo libro è un capolavoro)
(Se vi chiedete perchè ho messo quattro stelle è perché questo libro è un capolavoro)
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've been rereading this book for quite some time now and I can both say I both liked it more and less than the first time when I gave it 4 stars in 2019. It didn't feel tedious to read this chunkster and it was quite easy getting invested in especially the last few hundred pages. But at the same time it's very outdated at parts and does very much feel like an old classic. I can't say that I loved it but it was definitely worth rereading