Reviews

Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo

marieskywlker's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

day_fisher's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

3.5

I never understood why Disney thought this would be a selling kids movie. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is such a potent story with intense counterculture themes calling out the evils of men who claim to be a savior but yet know nothing of kindness. I see why this book is studied as a commentary on society. 

Hugo's characters are so well thought out. Jesus got it right when he said blessed are the meek - Quasimodo is a tread down man, mocked for his disability but the most humble and kind character. However he does not get enough screen time to warrant being the title character. Next, Esmerelda must have been a very beautiful girl (note I say girl as she was only 16) to have three men chase after her and I wished we could hear more of her perspective. Hugo's story is truly depressing and his description of Frollo really gave me the chills - he's such a creep! And Phoebus gives me Narcissus vibes (despite being named after another Greek), just a hyper sexualized pretty boy creep. Both are walking red flags cloaking themselves in societally praised roles. 

Overall, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has excellent characters and a great commentary BUT was so ridiculously hard to get into that I almost gave up many times. 3.5 ⭐

eiencafe's review

sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

utahmomreads's review against another edition

4.0

I hadn't read this yet and it had been on my list for a long time. So, I finally read it this spring and loved it. A classic, the characters are well formed and developed. And just as in Les Miserables, the "bad guys" are not completely bad and the "good guys" are not without flaws. Well written.

whispersofareader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

denis_matei17's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

fifthavenuelion's review against another edition

it took ten years to finally manage to read les mis, not surprised i'm giving up on another hugo

the_littlest_lion's review against another edition

Yeah fuck this actually. Started reading it for class and now that I haven't finished it in time and I managed to finish my assignment I'm over it, give me peace

cozyacresreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

ahmed_suliman's review against another edition

2.0

Poor Esméralda died while she was in love with phoebus , She died for him , It's very painful that she died and she thought that he loved her and in every time she was saying his name she was saying darling before it .. it's a very painful miserable novel.

My criticism of the author that he didn't illustrate any obvious reasons for phoebus to be as cruel as he was to Esméralda .. he wanted to create misery from the vain.