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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
If you want to read a lot of description about Paris and the Notre Dame, this book is for you. I may or may not have skipped rather a lot of description but it was still a good book.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
phew, the ending was even more tragic than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams.
This book was good but also too long. I have the edition that includes the additional book where Mr Hugo talks for 50pages about the architecture of Paris. And man is that taxing to read. Over all there were other things that just don’t feel like they belong to the story, but maybe these are things that made more sense 200 years ago. I loves the interactions between Quasimodo and La Esmeralda, these sections were beautifully written.
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
I've seen musical and film adaptations of the story, each choosing different details to include. But I never knew all the intense drama of the original. Despite my reservations, I was pulled in by the extensive details of the characters I only knew a simple version of (Esmeralda's marriage, Phoebus' womanizing antics, and Frollo not being a straight up villain - though to be fair, that doesn't last long) as well as the ones I didn't even know existed (the shenanigans of Claude Frollo's brother, Jehan, the mysterious grieving woman in the Rat Hole, and Gringoire's friendship with Djali).
Between long-winded descriptions and historical antidotes, Hugo's novel has some surprising action including a pretty bloody massacre. Between abductions, stollen children, unexpected reunions, attempted murder, and Quasimodo going into Hulk mode, it's hard not to get pulled in by the drama and action.
Yet there are certainly elements that haven't aged well and don't fit with modern views. There is the obvious misconceptions about Roma people. They are depicted as exotic at the best of times and straight-up thieves and baby-stealers at the worst. Deafness is treated as a sign of inferior intellect. Also, can we just admit that nearly every male character is a creep? Poor Esmeralda can't catch a break. Pretty much anyone who isn't a non-disabled white man does not have a great time in this book.
Interesting look at conceptions of appearance, differing versions of morality, and of course an appeal to save Gothic architecture.
Overall, I did like it. There were parts that were understandably outdated and pretty offensive in today's world. Serves as an interesting depiction of the views of the time period. Much stranger and somehow even darker than I was expecting.
I've seen musical and film adaptations of the story, each choosing different details to include. But I never knew all the intense drama of the original. Despite my reservations, I was pulled in by the extensive details of the characters I only knew a simple version of (Esmeralda's marriage, Phoebus' womanizing antics, and Frollo not being a straight up villain - though to be fair, that doesn't last long) as well as the ones I didn't even know existed (the shenanigans of Claude Frollo's brother, Jehan, the mysterious grieving woman in the Rat Hole, and Gringoire's friendship with Djali).
Between long-winded descriptions and historical antidotes, Hugo's novel has some surprising action including a pretty bloody massacre. Between abductions, stollen children, unexpected reunions, attempted murder, and Quasimodo going into Hulk mode, it's hard not to get pulled in by the drama and action.
Yet there are certainly elements that haven't aged well and don't fit with modern views. There is the obvious misconceptions about Roma people. They are depicted as exotic at the best of times and straight-up thieves and baby-stealers at the worst. Deafness is treated as a sign of inferior intellect. Also, can we just admit that nearly every male character is a creep? Poor Esmeralda can't catch a break. Pretty much anyone who isn't a non-disabled white man does not have a great time in this book.
Interesting look at conceptions of appearance, differing versions of morality, and of course an appeal to save Gothic architecture.
Overall, I did like it. There were parts that were understandably outdated and pretty offensive in today's world. Serves as an interesting depiction of the views of the time period. Much stranger and somehow even darker than I was expecting.
A noteworthy classic, and very valuable to anyone studying French culture, philosophy, or architecture.
Not something I am likely to read again. Not enough "real story" for me; too heavy on the factual lectures and interludes of great length.
Not something I am likely to read again. Not enough "real story" for me; too heavy on the factual lectures and interludes of great length.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While the core story is really good, hence it being a classic, the long-windedness takes away from it. I wish that I had listened to the abridged version.