Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo


I read this book for a coming up Project Disney post I am doing.  But I feel that this book deserves a post of it's own plus the Project Disney one (which will be posted May 3rd so be on the look out!).  Here is the goodreads description:


In the vaulted Gothic towers of Notre-Dame lives Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bellringer. Mocked and shunned for his appearance, he is pitied only by Esmerelda, a beautiful gypsy dancer to whom he becomes completely devoted. Esmerelda, however, has also attracted the attention of the sinister archdeacon Claude Frollo, and when she rejects his lecherous approaches, Frollo hatches a plot to destroy her that only Quasimodo can prevent. Victor Hugo's sensational, evocative novel brings life to the medieval Paris he loved, and mourns its passing in one of the greatest historical romances of the nineteenth century.

This book is amazing. AMAZING. I would like to say though that if you are going to attempt to read this then get ready to struggle through the beginning. I was so confused. It starts out in some sort of "mystery" which is a play. I still have no idea why that was even going on. The there is a chapter about what Notre Dame looks like which is a good chapter. But the chapter right after is about what Paris looks like from the top of Notre Dame. And this chapter goes on and on and on. I was ok ... but then everything started sounding the same and it was just crazy. I know some people like abridged novels but not me. I feel like if I am reading an abridged one then I am not really reading the book. So I went out of my way to find the unabridged. One thing that surprised me the most about this book is that Quasimodo is not the main character. Most of the book concentrates on Frollo who is the priest of Notre Dame. He is in love with Esmeralda... and is really crazy over her. We are talking psycho crazy. So crazy that he kills Esmeralda's love Phoebus. Esmeralda is accused of the murder and since she is a gypsy she really has no chance of anyone siding with her. This books ends tragically too. TRAGIC! Not the happily ever after ending that we expect in books.

This book makes me want to visit Notre Dame. Alas.. I will never get there. But I have seen the National Cathedral in Washington DC and so I have seen a rose window in person and they are beautiful.  I finished this book in like 4 days.  I mean I couldn't put it down.. and hour of reading would go by and I didn't even realize it.  I love this book!





The crystal ball says:




Clouds are covering! A read that lets me down every now and then but peaks out of the clouds!

10 comments:

  1. Oh man, that good? I'm going to have to read it :-)

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    1. Yes...but you must get past the first part of the book to enjoy it!

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  2. I'm always a little afraid of Victor Hugo and his exposition, but I'm glad you enjoyed this so much, because it definitely makes me want to read it! I've never seen the Disney movie either, so that's two things I need to do. :)

    By the way I'm the same about abridged books! I also think that if I like the book, what are the things I'm missing? And then I'll have to read the unabridged book and that's not efficient. :D

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    1. I really felt like this with the Stand by Stephen King. It drives me crazy when people read the abridged version. They are missing so much!

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  3. I am bad with the classics, I really should read more. I do want to read more. But at the same time I do feel well they will always be there

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    1. That is true. The classics will always be there. But the problem with that is.. then I just keep putting off reading them. I should join the classics club!

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  4. This is one of the few classics I think I would like, but everything else just keeps getting in the way. I keep telling myself, one day....

    And by the way, I won't even pick up an abridged book, I don't get the point. If the author wanted to write a shorter book, they would have. It would be like cutting off a mural after the half way point, and claiming it still meets the artist's vision.

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    1. I agree... abridged books just don't make sense. I mean if there are parts that are a little boring skim it. I don't even like to do that though. I prefer to read every single word.

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  5. Glad you liked it. This is one of my favorite books from when I was a teenager. Amazing story. :)

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    1. I really liked it.. I need to go and buy it now. I got this copy from the library!

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