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wuthrinheights 's review for:
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
by Victor Hugo
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Naming this book "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" was brilliant, as it is exactly what the book was about. Half of this book was about the vibrant characters: their love and loss, their feelings, their souls; and then the other half is Hugo describing in great details about Paris and Notre-Dame. Painstaking details. I'm talking from the bottom of the steps of the stairs to a bird's eye view of the place. Incredible. It was like listening to a tour guide who has spent his entire life documenting every single detail of the place. I've never read a book more passionate about a building as much as this one.
It took a bit of build up with this book. I was reading the first four chapters in confusion. I didn't know what I was reading, but I made myself go on anyway. It picked up after that but whenever he starts going on about the church, I'm torn between being in disbelief or in awe. My dude can really write about every crack in the pavement.
I loved the scenes between the main characters. French literature always has a flair for the dramatics and I'm often sitting up straight whenever they interact with one another. Some of the scenes were quite violent, that it had me clamping my mouth with my hand in shock.
Quasimodo reminded me of Frankenstein's fiend. Mary Shelley's "All men hate the wretched" quote came to mind when reading this book. Particularly in this scene:
"He was mischievous, indeed, because he was savage, and he was savage because he was deformed. As he grew up, he had found around him nothing but hatred. What wonder that he should have caught it! He had contracted it--he had but picked up the weapon that had wounded him."
There were so many beautiful lines in this book, so I'm really interested in his other works. My phone was filled with pictures of pages from the book, and that's how you know how much I enjoyed reading it. Once I started getting comfortable, I was quickly zooming through it. Book 8, particularly, had so many great lines that I was constantly taking notes. At times, I'd even shriek a little because of how great his writings were. It blew me away.
I devoured half the book in one evening and my heart felt heavy when I reached the last page. The final paragraph painted a scene so beautiful, I didn't want it to end. This book made me cry several times so yes, I am definitely recommending this to everyone who's reading this! I didn't expect to enjoy it this much and I am so glad I picked it up. Au revoir, Quasimodo!
It took a bit of build up with this book. I was reading the first four chapters in confusion. I didn't know what I was reading, but I made myself go on anyway. It picked up after that but whenever he starts going on about the church, I'm torn between being in disbelief or in awe. My dude can really write about every crack in the pavement.
I loved the scenes between the main characters. French literature always has a flair for the dramatics and I'm often sitting up straight whenever they interact with one another. Some of the scenes were quite violent, that it had me clamping my mouth with my hand in shock.
Quasimodo reminded me of Frankenstein's fiend. Mary Shelley's "All men hate the wretched" quote came to mind when reading this book. Particularly in this scene:
"He was mischievous, indeed, because he was savage, and he was savage because he was deformed. As he grew up, he had found around him nothing but hatred. What wonder that he should have caught it! He had contracted it--he had but picked up the weapon that had wounded him."
There were so many beautiful lines in this book, so I'm really interested in his other works. My phone was filled with pictures of pages from the book, and that's how you know how much I enjoyed reading it. Once I started getting comfortable, I was quickly zooming through it. Book 8, particularly, had so many great lines that I was constantly taking notes. At times, I'd even shriek a little because of how great his writings were. It blew me away.
I devoured half the book in one evening and my heart felt heavy when I reached the last page. The final paragraph painted a scene so beautiful, I didn't want it to end. This book made me cry several times so yes, I am definitely recommending this to everyone who's reading this! I didn't expect to enjoy it this much and I am so glad I picked it up. Au revoir, Quasimodo!