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my_corner_of_the_library's Reviews (320)
I gave this book 2 stars because...well, because I was actually able to finish it.
The things that got to me about this book, believe it or not, really aren't the things that bothered others. The metaphors and similes and strikeouts really didn't bother me at all. Many complained about the dystopian setting of the book, but this really didn't bother me either as I was expecting a dystopian when I picked up a dystopian. Those complaining that it's not original to have a dystopian where the government is corrupt clearly don't know what a dystopian IS, i.e. :an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. Hard to do without government corruption. In a world where the government is all for the people and doing it's best to run a society that is truly there for the people and giving everyone the resources they need probably isn't much of a dystopian.
The things that ACTUALLY got to me about this book:
The Writing
Instalove
I know there will probably be people out there claiming that this isn't instalove because the characters knew each other as kids....kinda. The thing is, they never spoke until this book starts. They were so not close as kids that when they met again in the book neither was sure the other would remember who they are. If I have to wonder if the person I'm talking to remembers who I am, we probably weren't the best of friends. And yet, after about 3 conversations....if you can call them conversations....they are already madly in love and can't live without each other.
Dialog
I hardy know where to start with this....the dialog was choppy at absolute best. There was no flow whatsoever to the conversations. Many questions were answered without being asked because the characters always knew what everyone was thinking from a look. BUT we did get very specific dialog for the blandest conversations. And where was the communication...ANYWHERE!? No one had a really conversation about anything, no one talked about the real issues or any developments, and yet we all mad HUGE mental leaps to figure out exactly what was going on.
Emotions
Oh, wait...there are none! Show, don't tell, is a non-existent concept in this book. I'm guessing that that's what the metaphors were supposed to be, a look at what our main character was feeling, but it truly fell flat in that aspect. The entire book felt completely void of emotion except for the rare insights such as, "Fear. Panic." (and yes that the most emotion shown in an entire chapter, written exactly as such).
THE SEXUAL ASSAULT
I apologize for any spoilers in this section, but this HAS to be talked about. I do talk about it more later in this review but it needs to outright addressed on it's own. If an author adds a sexual assault to a book for a specific reason then I, personally, am ok with that. I'm not particularly triggered by these sorts of things, so I typically go along with it. HOWEVER, if it is going to be added it has to be handled appropriately. Having the victim slowly start to ENJOY WHAT IT IS HAPPENING IS NOT HANDLING IT APPROPRIATELY!!!!! This whole chapter wasn't ok, in any way. This wasn't romantic, it wasn't sexy, it wasn't anything but disgusting and creepy and having her slowly get into it, talking about how she was surprised by how sexy his voice is and the curves of his muscles and the tingle of his fingers on her skin is so incredibly inappropriate I can't even begin to think how the assaulter could be seen as a viable love interest.
The Characters
I have to be honest, the ONLY character I liked in this entire book was James. He was adorable and one of the only people with a sense of humor. 10/10 for this character, if the book was about him this would be a very different review.
Juliette
I actually truly adored Juliette in the beginning because she was dealing with trauma and isolation in her own way and doing everything in her power to hold on to her humanity. But, she was very onenote. This is expected in isolation, but she never moved on from being onenote. It wasn't until I read other reviews that I was aware she was supposed to be sarcastic, funny, independent and feminist. Sarcastic....when? A couple times at very inopportune times she has a snotty comeback that isn't warranted in the last 3 chapters of the book, but that's about it. Funny....PLEASE ANYONE tell me when in this book she's supposed to be funny. I honestly can't think of a single line of what little dialog she had that could be construed as funny. Independent...not to be redundant, but when?! The entire book she is completely reliant and focused on Adam. She rarely has a thought that is completely revolving around Adam. Where is Adam, Adam's eyes, Adam's hair, is Adam ok, when will he get here, when will he get out of the shower, when will I see Adam again. Even if Adam was a likeable character I might hate him purely out of her unwarranted obsession over him because....
Warner
Oh boy...where do I start. When I read this book I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA Warner was meant to be a...love interest? WHAT?! Can I just say EWWWW! Who in their right mind is reading this book and thinking That's not okay! Why are we routing for this?! If he was meant to be a villain and villain alone, then great. He was a good villain because he was truly disgusting and I felt no pity for him.
I'm sorry, but this entire exchange is disgusting and please, if you think this is romantic in any way, you really need to think about what constitutes a romantic, healthy relationship.
Adam
Many people have been describing him as a cardboard cut out. This is something I wouldn't agree with. At least he was more emotional and proactive than our main character, but that doesn't mean it was in a good way. I would argue that Adam is just as disgusting as Warner, though I'm not sure he was meant to be. Adam is completely obsessed with Juliette, He dedicates his entire life and safety to finding this girl he knows nothing about, and when he does find her he is just as possessive as Warner. That's not ok!! And does Adam know anything about consent or communication? He is constantly pushing himself on Juliette when she is repeatedly telling him not to touch her, when all he would have to do is tell her he can touch her. Even then, due to the lack of emotion on Juliette's side, it constantly feels like she isn't into or participating in any of the things happening between them. It feels like he is just forcing himself on her and she's just laying there. All of this long before they ever have a single conversation about their relationship (which they never actually have). Super creepy! And man does he have some severe anger issues...he is flipping between calm and deadly all the time and seriously knows nothing about controlling his emotions, except of course when it's convenient since he is a soldier.
In Conclusion
This book had so many issues that I only start to touch on them in this review. I can't believe no one is talking about some of this and I'm honestly disgusted that some of these incredibly unhealthy behaviors are being portrayed as intriguing and sexy to young adults.
The things that got to me about this book, believe it or not, really aren't the things that bothered others. The metaphors and similes and strikeouts really didn't bother me at all. Many complained about the dystopian setting of the book, but this really didn't bother me either as I was expecting a dystopian when I picked up a dystopian. Those complaining that it's not original to have a dystopian where the government is corrupt clearly don't know what a dystopian IS, i.e. :an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. Hard to do without government corruption. In a world where the government is all for the people and doing it's best to run a society that is truly there for the people and giving everyone the resources they need probably isn't much of a dystopian.
The things that ACTUALLY got to me about this book:
The Writing
Instalove
I know there will probably be people out there claiming that this isn't instalove because the characters knew each other as kids....kinda. The thing is, they never spoke until this book starts. They were so not close as kids that when they met again in the book neither was sure the other would remember who they are. If I have to wonder if the person I'm talking to remembers who I am, we probably weren't the best of friends. And yet, after about 3 conversations....if you can call them conversations....they are already madly in love and can't live without each other.
Dialog
I hardy know where to start with this....the dialog was choppy at absolute best. There was no flow whatsoever to the conversations. Many questions were answered without being asked because the characters always knew what everyone was thinking from a look. BUT we did get very specific dialog for the blandest conversations. And where was the communication...ANYWHERE!? No one had a really conversation about anything, no one talked about the real issues or any developments, and yet we all mad HUGE mental leaps to figure out exactly what was going on.
Emotions
Oh, wait...there are none! Show, don't tell, is a non-existent concept in this book. I'm guessing that that's what the metaphors were supposed to be, a look at what our main character was feeling, but it truly fell flat in that aspect. The entire book felt completely void of emotion except for the rare insights such as, "Fear. Panic." (and yes that the most emotion shown in an entire chapter, written exactly as such).
THE SEXUAL ASSAULT
I apologize for any spoilers in this section, but this HAS to be talked about. I do talk about it more later in this review but it needs to outright addressed on it's own. If an author adds a sexual assault to a book for a specific reason then I, personally, am ok with that. I'm not particularly triggered by these sorts of things, so I typically go along with it. HOWEVER, if it is going to be added it has to be handled appropriately. Having the victim slowly start to ENJOY WHAT IT IS HAPPENING IS NOT HANDLING IT APPROPRIATELY!!!!! This whole chapter wasn't ok, in any way. This wasn't romantic, it wasn't sexy, it wasn't anything but disgusting and creepy and having her slowly get into it, talking about how she was surprised by how sexy his voice is and the curves of his muscles and the tingle of his fingers on her skin is so incredibly inappropriate I can't even begin to think how the assaulter could be seen as a viable love interest.
The Characters
I have to be honest, the ONLY character I liked in this entire book was James. He was adorable and one of the only people with a sense of humor. 10/10 for this character, if the book was about him this would be a very different review.
Juliette
I actually truly adored Juliette in the beginning because she was dealing with trauma and isolation in her own way and doing everything in her power to hold on to her humanity. But, she was very onenote. This is expected in isolation, but she never moved on from being onenote. It wasn't until I read other reviews that I was aware she was supposed to be sarcastic, funny, independent and feminist. Sarcastic....when? A couple times at very inopportune times she has a snotty comeback that isn't warranted in the last 3 chapters of the book, but that's about it. Funny....PLEASE ANYONE tell me when in this book she's supposed to be funny. I honestly can't think of a single line of what little dialog she had that could be construed as funny. Independent...not to be redundant, but when?! The entire book she is completely reliant and focused on Adam. She rarely has a thought that is completely revolving around Adam. Where is Adam, Adam's eyes, Adam's hair, is Adam ok, when will he get here, when will he get out of the shower, when will I see Adam again. Even if Adam was a likeable character I might hate him purely out of her unwarranted obsession over him because....
Spoiler
they went to school together when they were younger and never once spoke?Warner
Oh boy...where do I start. When I read this book I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA Warner was meant to be a...love interest? WHAT?! Can I just say EWWWW! Who in their right mind is reading this book and thinking
Spoiler
"I wish she would fall in love with the obsessive, possessive, psychopath that sexually assaults her." And I mean this as no exageration. She is telling him he's a disgusting monster and she hates him, and he takes this as a queue to hold her against a wall against her will and start kissing and groping her.Spoiler
I neary cheered when he was shot."You're only afraid of what you're capable of." His voice is soft. Easy. Slow. Deceptively persuasive. I'd never realized before just how attractive his voice is. "Admit it," he says. "We're perfect for each other. You want the power. You love the feel of a weapon in your hands. You're...attracted to me."
I try to swing my fist but he catches my arms. Pins them to my sides. Presses me up against the wall. He's so much stronger than he looks. "Don't lie to yourself, Juliette. You're going to come back with me whether you like it or not. But you can choose to want it. You can choose to enjoy it-"
I'm sorry, but this entire exchange is disgusting and please, if you think this is romantic in any way, you really need to think about what constitutes a romantic, healthy relationship.
Adam
Many people have been describing him as a cardboard cut out. This is something I wouldn't agree with. At least he was more emotional and proactive than our main character, but that doesn't mean it was in a good way. I would argue that Adam is just as disgusting as Warner, though I'm not sure he was meant to be. Adam is completely obsessed with Juliette,
Spoiler
despite having never spoken to her.Spoiler
When another guy, who doesn't know Adam and Juliette are together, casually says something flirty to Juliette he holds a gun to his head, threatens to shoot, and then elbows him in the face.In Conclusion
This book had so many issues that I only start to touch on them in this review. I can't believe no one is talking about some of this and I'm honestly disgusted that some of these incredibly unhealthy behaviors are being portrayed as intriguing and sexy to young adults.
While reading this book I had a hard time deciding how I felt about it. I went back and forth a lot between being bored and being fascinated/intrigued. I really felt like this was a twisted phoenix-driven Mulan retelling that had a far more satisfying ending.
The Good
The Plot
I felt that the overall plot of this book was great. There were high points and low points that all culminated in an epic ending that really brought the whole thing together. It was clear that the author really thought through every detail she added to this book and it made the plot twists in the end that much more satisfying. I always hate when I feel like plot twists are thrown in with no warning, but in Crown of Feathers I really felt like the author went above and beyond to add little tidbits along the way that kept you guessing but ultimately made so much sense in the end. Anyone who didn't make it to the end really missed out on how things wove together.
Veronyka
I really loved Veronyka in this book. I've seen people talk about how so many problems in this book could have been solved if the characters would stop lying, but honestly, I didn't feel that way at all. Veronyka's deceptions all felt necessary to me. Just as in Mulan, Veronyka has to pretend to be a boy to join the riders and spends the story trying to prove herself. Given that she didn't have another option in the moment, this made a lot of sense to me, and when the moment came where she could continue to hide her identity and keep lying she opted not to a chose to be her honest self.
This is the first female main character I've read in a long time that honestly felt strong for the sake of feeling strong. There was no tearing down of other women to try and prove her strength, and nothing along those lines. She was strong and stood up for those who deserved it and did everything she could to prove herself worthy of the position she was after. She didn't make stupid decisions for the sake of the plot. Really a great character in my opinion.
The Romances
I really enjoyed the romances in this book. The natural development of feelings between Veronyka and Tristan was really adorable and I really appreciated that Tristan didn't abandon Veronyka after discovering she was a girl, because as he says in the book, it truly didn't matter because ultimately she was still the same person. Veronyka was his friend and confidant, he understood her need to hide her identity, but that didn't destroy the connection they had. Their romance and relationship wasn't the centerpoint of this book and I think that's what made it feel that much more natural.
The other relationship in this book would be Sev and Kade. I wasn't nearly as invested in this relationship, mainly because I really didn't care for the characters, but they were still quite cute, so I approve.
Inclusivity
I really appreciated the inclusivity of this book. With people of all different ethnicities and sexual orientations, it truly felt like a natural inclusion. I personally didn't notice any over embellishment for people of different races or a need to make one shine over another, which was great.
Also, the LGBT+ inclusion was great. At one point Veronyka makes a point of acknowledging the difference between herself (a girl disguising herself as a boy) and trans children she knew growing up. She talks about feeling like a fraud because they were showing their true selves when they dressed as the opposite sex and she was hiding her true self. Her dressing as a boy wasn't shown as a bit of feminism, she really acknowledges that she would be stronger as herself.
The Bad
Tristan
I've really gone back and forth on whether or not I like Tristan as a character, and ultimately I've landed on this: great love interest, boring character. Tristan is a great love interest because he is encouraging, understanding and patient. He's not like some love interests that are actually just possessive creeps pretending to be love interests. He develops an authentic affection for Veronyka through friendship and sees her as an equal by the end of the book, which is great.
HOWEVER, Tristan as a character and POV is truly dull. His entire personality is afraid of fire and fighting with his dad. There is hardly a moment from his POV that isn't revolving around one of these things until the end of the book when he discovers Veronyka's true identity and then he finally has a third train of thought, which is all about her. I really wish he had more depth to him and was a well rounded character, because that would have made his POV really interesting. Instead, we got the same thoughts over, and over....and over........and over.
The Pacing
Now to the big elephant in the room, the pacing...this really needed some work. So many points of this book were EXTREMELY drawn out and I really had to drag myself through them. The climax of the book that easily could have happened in a couple chapters was drawn out over 5 chapters and 70+ pages if you ONLY count the battle and not the action leading up to it. And then...it just ended. The battle that had been SO drawn out was just suddenly over. I really felt like the whole book was too slow and drawn out and could have been a far more enjoyable read if I didn't have to skim so many paragraphs about the hills and grass and stone buildings.
The Third POV
Sev's POV....O.M.G.....this could have been COMPLETELY cut out of the book and nothing would have been lost. I literally groaned every time I saw we were back to him because absolutely nothing happened and Sev, just like Tristan, was an incredibly bland character. There was no depth to Sev. His entire personality was his parents death and the fact that he was an animage disguised as a soldier. That's it. He never thought about or cared about anything else, except occasionally thinking about how cute Kade was.
Sev could have 100% shown up as a huge plot twist at the end of the book from Veronyka's POV and had the exact same impact.
Repetitiveness
One of the things that made this feel so slow was how repetitive this things were. I understand we had three very different characters we were reading about who all had to think about things at some point, but we really didn't need each character to repeat the exact same history of the country over and over again. We got it. We understand. We really only needed it once.
I'll be perfectly happy to NEVER have to read about the sisters history again because now I'm pretty sure I've read it at least a dozen times in a dozen different ways.
Unnecessary Information
This book was filled with so much unnecessary information that at some points it was almost painful. I truly appreciate that the author tried so hard to give us a really thought out world. It's clear that she really went in depth with the world's history, politics, cultures, beliefs, etc. BUT almost none of it was really relevant to the story, making the extensive inclusion slow, tedious, and incredibly unnecessary. The little extras thrown in at the ends of most of the chapters was awful to try and read and I felt like I was going over textbooks again, but even worse because they were truly irrelevant to anything. Halfway through the book I completely stopped reading them and didn't feel like I missed a single thing by skipping them.
Conclusion
This was an incredibly well thought out book that had so much potential and really could have been a star in the fantasy literary world. But the inclusion of so much unnecessary information, an irrelevant and boring POV, and the repetitiveness of the whole thing really made it hard to get through. I've been debating continuing on to the second book.
The Good
The Plot
I felt that the overall plot of this book was great. There were high points and low points that all culminated in an epic ending that really brought the whole thing together. It was clear that the author really thought through every detail she added to this book and it made the plot twists in the end that much more satisfying. I always hate when I feel like plot twists are thrown in with no warning, but in Crown of Feathers I really felt like the author went above and beyond to add little tidbits along the way that kept you guessing but ultimately made so much sense in the end. Anyone who didn't make it to the end really missed out on how things wove together.
Veronyka
I really loved Veronyka in this book. I've seen people talk about how so many problems in this book could have been solved if the characters would stop lying, but honestly, I didn't feel that way at all. Veronyka's deceptions all felt necessary to me. Just as in Mulan, Veronyka has to pretend to be a boy to join the riders and spends the story trying to prove herself. Given that she didn't have another option in the moment, this made a lot of sense to me, and when the moment came where she could continue to hide her identity and keep lying she opted not to a chose to be her honest self.
This is the first female main character I've read in a long time that honestly felt strong for the sake of feeling strong. There was no tearing down of other women to try and prove her strength, and nothing along those lines. She was strong and stood up for those who deserved it and did everything she could to prove herself worthy of the position she was after. She didn't make stupid decisions for the sake of the plot. Really a great character in my opinion.
The Romances
I really enjoyed the romances in this book. The natural development of feelings between Veronyka and Tristan was really adorable and I really appreciated that Tristan didn't abandon Veronyka after discovering she was a girl, because as he says in the book, it truly didn't matter because ultimately she was still the same person. Veronyka was his friend and confidant, he understood her need to hide her identity, but that didn't destroy the connection they had. Their romance and relationship wasn't the centerpoint of this book and I think that's what made it feel that much more natural.
The other relationship in this book would be Sev and Kade. I wasn't nearly as invested in this relationship, mainly because I really didn't care for the characters, but they were still quite cute, so I approve.
Inclusivity
I really appreciated the inclusivity of this book. With people of all different ethnicities and sexual orientations, it truly felt like a natural inclusion. I personally didn't notice any over embellishment for people of different races or a need to make one shine over another, which was great.
Also, the LGBT+ inclusion was great. At one point Veronyka makes a point of acknowledging the difference between herself (a girl disguising herself as a boy) and trans children she knew growing up. She talks about feeling like a fraud because they were showing their true selves when they dressed as the opposite sex and she was hiding her true self. Her dressing as a boy wasn't shown as a bit of feminism, she really acknowledges that she would be stronger as herself.
The Bad
Tristan
I've really gone back and forth on whether or not I like Tristan as a character, and ultimately I've landed on this: great love interest, boring character. Tristan is a great love interest because he is encouraging, understanding and patient. He's not like some love interests that are actually just possessive creeps pretending to be love interests. He develops an authentic affection for Veronyka through friendship and sees her as an equal by the end of the book, which is great.
HOWEVER, Tristan as a character and POV is truly dull. His entire personality is afraid of fire and fighting with his dad. There is hardly a moment from his POV that isn't revolving around one of these things until the end of the book when he discovers Veronyka's true identity and then he finally has a third train of thought, which is all about her. I really wish he had more depth to him and was a well rounded character, because that would have made his POV really interesting. Instead, we got the same thoughts over, and over....and over........and over.
The Pacing
Now to the big elephant in the room, the pacing...this really needed some work. So many points of this book were EXTREMELY drawn out and I really had to drag myself through them. The climax of the book that easily could have happened in a couple chapters was drawn out over 5 chapters and 70+ pages if you ONLY count the battle and not the action leading up to it. And then...it just ended. The battle that had been SO drawn out was just suddenly over. I really felt like the whole book was too slow and drawn out and could have been a far more enjoyable read if I didn't have to skim so many paragraphs about the hills and grass and stone buildings.
The Third POV
Sev's POV....O.M.G.....this could have been COMPLETELY cut out of the book and nothing would have been lost. I literally groaned every time I saw we were back to him because absolutely nothing happened and Sev, just like Tristan, was an incredibly bland character. There was no depth to Sev. His entire personality was his parents death and the fact that he was an animage disguised as a soldier. That's it. He never thought about or cared about anything else, except occasionally thinking about how cute Kade was.
Sev could have 100% shown up as a huge plot twist at the end of the book from Veronyka's POV and had the exact same impact.
Repetitiveness
One of the things that made this feel so slow was how repetitive this things were. I understand we had three very different characters we were reading about who all had to think about things at some point, but we really didn't need each character to repeat the exact same history of the country over and over again. We got it. We understand. We really only needed it once.
I'll be perfectly happy to NEVER have to read about the sisters history again because now I'm pretty sure I've read it at least a dozen times in a dozen different ways.
Unnecessary Information
This book was filled with so much unnecessary information that at some points it was almost painful. I truly appreciate that the author tried so hard to give us a really thought out world. It's clear that she really went in depth with the world's history, politics, cultures, beliefs, etc. BUT almost none of it was really relevant to the story, making the extensive inclusion slow, tedious, and incredibly unnecessary. The little extras thrown in at the ends of most of the chapters was awful to try and read and I felt like I was going over textbooks again, but even worse because they were truly irrelevant to anything. Halfway through the book I completely stopped reading them and didn't feel like I missed a single thing by skipping them.
Conclusion
This was an incredibly well thought out book that had so much potential and really could have been a star in the fantasy literary world. But the inclusion of so much unnecessary information, an irrelevant and boring POV, and the repetitiveness of the whole thing really made it hard to get through. I've been debating continuing on to the second book.
As someone who grew up loving the Disney adaptation of this book, I am so glad I have found the original. This is definitely a new favorite of mine. There are so many things to discuss with this book that, rather than talk about pros and cons, I'm going to talk about specific aspects of the book.
The Characters
This book hosts a whole array of characters whose fates intertwine. Each character is so unique that I could write a whole review just on the characters themselves, but I will stick to the main characters.
Esmerelda
I completely fell in love with Esmerelda through this story. I always adored her Disney version, who was a fiercely kind and independent woman that wasn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself, but was also loving and kind. In the book, I found myself falling in love with her even more. In the book Esmerelda is treated and described as a naive child by those that don't know her, but for those that get to know her she is described as a beautiful wasp, i.e. someone who will sting when cornered. She absolutely has flaws, especially her assumption that people seem to owe her something (particularly when she refuses to see Quasimodo again because he doesn't bring Phoebus to her), but even with her flaws she never stops fighting for herself.
Claude Frollo
I've read that Disney purposely wanted Frollo to break their streak of "cool" villains, and even in their attempt to make Frollo as evil and unlikeable as possible, I still think they massively underplayed him. Claude Frollo (not to be mistaken for his younger brother Jehan Frollo) was utterly creepy and obsessive in a way that made my skin crawl just reading the things he would say or do. Others have expressed pity for Frollo, and honestly...I just don't get it. He is a man that becomes increasingly obsessed with a young girl and her purity, even going to the extent of wanting her arrested before he ever meets her so that she doesn't corrupt him anymore. Then he basically condemns her to death, several times, because she won't go to bed with him. He even makes attempts to rape her to satisfy his need for her.
Phoebus
Oh....Phoebus....I was not prepared to hate Phoebus as much as I did. This is one aspect of the book that Disney completely flipped on its head. Phoebus is a bored captain that entertains himself by cheating on his fiance by seducing other women. He becomes fascinated with Esmerelda and goes out of his way to invite her to a room so that he might convince her to sleep with him, and when Esmerelda says that she can't sleep with a man before marriage Phoebus continues to push her. Then he basically abandons her because he is afraid she will reveal his adultery to his fiance...I'm not even going to touch on the fact that he allowed a stranger to hide in the closet of his room to watch him try to seduce Esmerelda....
Pierre Gringoire
I really feel quite...indifferent towards this character. He is woefully full of himself and thinks the world of his own mediocre non-accomplishments. Even when he is sleeping in the gutters (literally) he continues to look down on the poor, as if he is above them and not one of them. When Esmerelda saves him from being hung he is grateful for about a week, and then he falls more in love with her goat than her and decides he couldn't care less about Esmerelda's fate, so long as he can keep the goat.
Quasimodo
I saved Quasimodo for last because oh.....how I LOVE Quasimodo. Despite the world treating him absolutely horribly he finds it in his heart to selflessly love Esmerelda, doing everything in his power to care for and save her. Quasimodo is willing to risk his life and fight to the death to keep her safe, because of her small acts of kindness towards him. Absolutely no one in this book deserves him, and he is far too pure for this world. I have no ill thoughts of Quasimodo. I savored every scene he was in and nearly cried on his behalf several times while reading this book.
The Writing
I have both good and bad things to say about this...but lets get the obvious out of the way...
Unnecessary Information
WOAH was this story overflowing with unnecessary information. Now, I will say that I don't think it's quite as bad as some have made it out to be. Some have said that this book could easily be condensed to 200 or so pages to that I firmly disagree. Did we really need the history lessons and architectural indulgences? No, not at all. But there is SOO much nuance in so many chapters of this book that seem irrelevant at the time that I actually don't think you could cut this book down so much and maintain the genius story telling of this book. If it were up to me I would get rid of the chapters that focus solely on history and architecture, and the random frustrating chapter that interrupted the height of the climax to discuss the economics and politics of France. That's mostly it.
The Plot/Storytelling
Let's talk about what truly set this book over the top for me: the storytelling. Yes it was hard to get into at first, but when Hugo was focused on the actual story telling this book was MASTERFUL. So many little things that you wouldn't expect to be important become integral and the action of this story was completely entrancing. The way the nun in the rat hole went from screaming at a random girl on the street to a woman who died defending her lost daughter was completely heartbreaking. The depth to Quasimodo and the irony of his court date were amazing. I loved the way it felt like we had a narrator telling us this story from a bird's eye view and the subtle dark, dry humor that was woven into the narration.
Conclusion
I loved being able to see all the moments that the movie pulled from the book, and unlike others I actually don't think the movie butchered or ruined this story. Nearly every scene of the movie was pulled from the book in one form or another and it really helped me fully immerse myself into the story. I will ABSOLUTELY be re-reading this many times in years to come, hopefully picking up more and more details that I missed this first time through.
The Characters
This book hosts a whole array of characters whose fates intertwine. Each character is so unique that I could write a whole review just on the characters themselves, but I will stick to the main characters.
Esmerelda
I completely fell in love with Esmerelda through this story. I always adored her Disney version, who was a fiercely kind and independent woman that wasn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself, but was also loving and kind. In the book, I found myself falling in love with her even more. In the book Esmerelda is treated and described as a naive child by those that don't know her, but for those that get to know her she is described as a beautiful wasp, i.e. someone who will sting when cornered. She absolutely has flaws, especially her assumption that people seem to owe her something (particularly when she refuses to see Quasimodo again because he doesn't bring Phoebus to her), but even with her flaws she never stops fighting for herself.
Claude Frollo
I've read that Disney purposely wanted Frollo to break their streak of "cool" villains, and even in their attempt to make Frollo as evil and unlikeable as possible, I still think they massively underplayed him. Claude Frollo (not to be mistaken for his younger brother Jehan Frollo) was utterly creepy and obsessive in a way that made my skin crawl just reading the things he would say or do. Others have expressed pity for Frollo, and honestly...I just don't get it. He is a man that becomes increasingly obsessed with a young girl and her purity, even going to the extent of wanting her arrested before he ever meets her so that she doesn't corrupt him anymore. Then he basically condemns her to death, several times, because she won't go to bed with him. He even makes attempts to rape her to satisfy his need for her.
Phoebus
Oh....Phoebus....I was not prepared to hate Phoebus as much as I did. This is one aspect of the book that Disney completely flipped on its head. Phoebus is a bored captain that entertains himself by cheating on his fiance by seducing other women. He becomes fascinated with Esmerelda and goes out of his way to invite her to a room so that he might convince her to sleep with him, and when Esmerelda says that she can't sleep with a man before marriage Phoebus continues to push her. Then he basically abandons her because he is afraid she will reveal his adultery to his fiance...I'm not even going to touch on the fact that he allowed a stranger to hide in the closet of his room to watch him try to seduce Esmerelda....
Pierre Gringoire
I really feel quite...indifferent towards this character. He is woefully full of himself and thinks the world of his own mediocre non-accomplishments. Even when he is sleeping in the gutters (literally) he continues to look down on the poor, as if he is above them and not one of them. When Esmerelda saves him from being hung he is grateful for about a week, and then he falls more in love with her goat than her and decides he couldn't care less about Esmerelda's fate, so long as he can keep the goat.
Quasimodo
I saved Quasimodo for last because oh.....how I LOVE Quasimodo. Despite the world treating him absolutely horribly he finds it in his heart to selflessly love Esmerelda, doing everything in his power to care for and save her. Quasimodo is willing to risk his life and fight to the death to keep her safe, because of her small acts of kindness towards him. Absolutely no one in this book deserves him, and he is far too pure for this world. I have no ill thoughts of Quasimodo. I savored every scene he was in and nearly cried on his behalf several times while reading this book.
The Writing
I have both good and bad things to say about this...but lets get the obvious out of the way...
Unnecessary Information
WOAH was this story overflowing with unnecessary information. Now, I will say that I don't think it's quite as bad as some have made it out to be. Some have said that this book could easily be condensed to 200 or so pages to that I firmly disagree. Did we really need the history lessons and architectural indulgences? No, not at all. But there is SOO much nuance in so many chapters of this book that seem irrelevant at the time that I actually don't think you could cut this book down so much and maintain the genius story telling of this book. If it were up to me I would get rid of the chapters that focus solely on history and architecture, and the random frustrating chapter that interrupted the height of the climax to discuss the economics and politics of France. That's mostly it.
The Plot/Storytelling
Let's talk about what truly set this book over the top for me: the storytelling. Yes it was hard to get into at first, but when Hugo was focused on the actual story telling this book was MASTERFUL. So many little things that you wouldn't expect to be important become integral and the action of this story was completely entrancing. The way the nun in the rat hole went from screaming at a random girl on the street to a woman who died defending her lost daughter was completely heartbreaking. The depth to Quasimodo and the irony of his court date were amazing. I loved the way it felt like we had a narrator telling us this story from a bird's eye view and the subtle dark, dry humor that was woven into the narration.
Conclusion
I loved being able to see all the moments that the movie pulled from the book, and unlike others I actually don't think the movie butchered or ruined this story. Nearly every scene of the movie was pulled from the book in one form or another and it really helped me fully immerse myself into the story. I will ABSOLUTELY be re-reading this many times in years to come, hopefully picking up more and more details that I missed this first time through.