You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disney set me up fr...
This is a pretty big book, but it doesn't read like one? Hugo sure loves describing every little detail :), somehow I got through it quickly, but I wish the book gave me more.
I really appreciate that a part of Paris will forever be preserved in this book, even though I hated reading the detailed description of it.
However I wasn't that impressed with the story itself, to me, the characters ended up feeling hollow, I simply wish more emphasis was put on their motives, personalities, behaviour. Everyone seemed like a superficial caricature. Somehow the story feels grand when I think about it, but I didn't feel that while reading it. I think a lot more could have been done with the story, but I still appreciate this classic work.
This is a pretty big book, but it doesn't read like one? Hugo sure loves describing every little detail :), somehow I got through it quickly, but I wish the book gave me more.
I really appreciate that a part of Paris will forever be preserved in this book, even though I hated reading the detailed description of it.
However I wasn't that impressed with the story itself, to me, the characters ended up feeling hollow, I simply wish more emphasis was put on their motives, personalities, behaviour. Everyone seemed like a superficial caricature. Somehow the story feels grand when I think about it, but I didn't feel that while reading it. I think a lot more could have been done with the story, but I still appreciate this classic work.
As a way to prepare to see the musical _The Hunchback of Notre-Dame_, I decided to finally read Hugo's book. (My daughter played trumpet in the orchestra.) I have seen the hauntingly vivid 1930 film version starring Laughton and O'Hara. I have also seen the Disney version (which I realized was quite sanitized). But I was ill prepared for the experience of reading Hugo's very detailed novel about medieval Paris.
Yes, there is an adventure story in this novel, but it's really confined to the last 100 pages. What comes before is a product of three years of research Hugo conducted before drafting his novel. The novel has detailed descriptions of how Paris developed into three sections, how architecture in Europe traces its roots back to Greece, how the Cathedral of Notre-Dame has evolved over the years by frequent additions and remodeling, and how the social structures of 15th century France were constituted by castes/hierarchies: royals/nobles, clerics, scholars, merchants, and the underclass.
I thought I would read this novel over a week, but it took me three weeks because of the immense detail. Also, the translator preferred using French-Latin cognates in English even if these are more rarely used words. For example, the term "sacerdotal" was employed when "priestly" would convey the same idea and be more recognizable to readers. This happened over 100 times. I didn't always consult a dictionary. If I didn't have other responsibilities, I might have taken the opportunity to expand my vocabulary. There were also a lot of technical terms that wouldn't have an easy translation--terms about architecture, court life, ecclesiastical rituals, etc.
THAT BEING SAID, it was very interesting to read Hugo's ideas about medeival Paris as filtered through his 19th century perspective. Hugo waxes poetic and emotional in several passages, going on trajectories that flesh out symbols to a point of near absurdity and often contradicting himself. For example, Quasimodo is the cathedral, Quasimodo is the devil, Quasimodo is a child, Quasimodo is a savior.
It's well worth the time, given that Hugo spend three years doing research and given the reception of the novel. It would be interesting to read scholarly articles that describe which characters are based on historical characters (Louis XI makes some appearances and Nicholas Flamel is discussed frequently, but I have no idea who else may be based on a real person). And I'd like to read literary criticism based on feminism, classism, and ableism. But I have other projects that require my attention. I would at least like to rewatch the 1939 film since it's been about 40 years since I've last viewed that!
Yes, there is an adventure story in this novel, but it's really confined to the last 100 pages. What comes before is a product of three years of research Hugo conducted before drafting his novel. The novel has detailed descriptions of how Paris developed into three sections, how architecture in Europe traces its roots back to Greece, how the Cathedral of Notre-Dame has evolved over the years by frequent additions and remodeling, and how the social structures of 15th century France were constituted by castes/hierarchies: royals/nobles, clerics, scholars, merchants, and the underclass.
I thought I would read this novel over a week, but it took me three weeks because of the immense detail. Also, the translator preferred using French-Latin cognates in English even if these are more rarely used words. For example, the term "sacerdotal" was employed when "priestly" would convey the same idea and be more recognizable to readers. This happened over 100 times. I didn't always consult a dictionary. If I didn't have other responsibilities, I might have taken the opportunity to expand my vocabulary. There were also a lot of technical terms that wouldn't have an easy translation--terms about architecture, court life, ecclesiastical rituals, etc.
THAT BEING SAID, it was very interesting to read Hugo's ideas about medeival Paris as filtered through his 19th century perspective. Hugo waxes poetic and emotional in several passages, going on trajectories that flesh out symbols to a point of near absurdity and often contradicting himself. For example, Quasimodo is the cathedral, Quasimodo is the devil, Quasimodo is a child, Quasimodo is a savior.
It's well worth the time, given that Hugo spend three years doing research and given the reception of the novel. It would be interesting to read scholarly articles that describe which characters are based on historical characters (Louis XI makes some appearances and Nicholas Flamel is discussed frequently, but I have no idea who else may be based on a real person). And I'd like to read literary criticism based on feminism, classism, and ableism. But I have other projects that require my attention. I would at least like to rewatch the 1939 film since it's been about 40 years since I've last viewed that!
If your only basis for understanding the story of the Hunchback is the Disney version, be prepared to confront a rude awakening. Disney's been taking the teeth out of fairy tales and stories for longer than my generation has been alive. They make stories safe, they make monsters bearable; you know there will be a happily ever after. It's Disney. Hugo's story is dark and twisted, and one has to endure long passages waxing poetic about the architecture and the construction of the city unrelated to the story. It's like contending with thick bits of gristle to get to the meaty story beneath, but once done, it is well worth it. There is a lot of Latin phrasing, and in the DailyLit.com version, not all of it is translated, so keep your internet handy. There were times when it felt draggy, but the romance and tragedy were not trivialized and the conclusion was sad, but fitting and fulfilling. I'm not entirely sure where in the story it happened, but I became enthralled with the story and I was happy that I hadn't been reading my emails in a timely fashion, so I had several to burn through at once. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I need to take up room on my shelf with the dead tree version. A digital copy will work just fine. (And it's free...)
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Everyone knows about Notre-Dame de Paris — we've all seen some Disney adaptation or childhood cartoons with Quasimodo and Esmeralda. That was pretty much the mindset I had when I started reading the novel... And wow, how wrong I was. Looking back, I realize just how far off I was in my ignorance. All I can say now is that the novel truly deserves its reputation as a timeless classic.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
To say that reading this book was tedious would be an understatement. I found only one chapter interesting, a couple of chapters were okay, but the rest was unnecessarily verbose drudgery. I found it really difficult to stay focused, and in fact, had to put it down for a few months and come back to it. The descriptions of Paris were too dark and detailed for my taste, and there wasn't a single likable, sympathetic, or even interesting character. Maybe if I had read it 200 years ago, when it was written, my response would have been different. But, as it is, I'm just glad it's over.