The Hunchback of Notre Dame

While Les Miserables may generally be considered Victor Hugo's greatest and most popular work, my favorite by far is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There are several reasons why I consider Hunchbank superior to Les Mis. First is that it is a more compact and tightly written story, covering only 6 months compared to the 20+ years of Les Mis. It has all the drama and emotion of Les Mis (more about that below) but without all the verbose divergences for which Les Mis is notorious. While Les Mis is filled with several of Hugo's lengthy discourses on topics having little or nothing to do with the story itself -- and which certainly do not advance the plot at all -- Hunchback has only one such divergence: Hugo's discussion of the architecture of Paris. Secondly is the setting of Hunchback -- Medieval Paris. I realize this is purely subjective, but for me the color, pageantry and drama of 15th century Paris -- which Hugo illustrates so effectively -- is the most captivating of settings. The superstitions which still had a stronghold on society at that time, and the half-barbaric city which Paris still was, add to the drama and bitter irony of the story. But for me what truly makes Hunchback the better book is the sheer power of the story itself. This is an action-driven plot from very first paragraph (as opposed to Les Mis which is more thoughtful and contemplative), and Hugo spends only minimal time describing the personalities and backstories of his characters, letting their full aspects emerge as the story progresses. The story is full of all the dark superstition and emotion that makes for a truly Gothic tale, and the misplaced loyalties, betrayals, misunderstandings and bitter irony that fill the tale make it heartwrenching and powerful. It is curious that the English title of this book focuses on the hunchback, since he is not the main character; one could argue that there is no single main character at all. However, Quasimodo is the only truly good, selfless character and the only one who manages to not lose the reader's sympathy by the book's end. That the only character who felt true, genuine, unselfish love was a hideously deformed hunchback, a total outcast of society, is perhaps the bitterest irony of all. Hugo's theme of the spider and its web is a perfect capsulation of the tale he spun in The Hunchback. As in Les Mis, Hugo has crafted a story that probes the darker aspects of human nature. And as with Les Mis, Hunchback is not a happy story with a happy ending. However, unlike the more melancholy sadness of Les Mis, the sadness of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is bitter and acute. This is my second listen to Hunchback and definitely won't be my last. I highly recommend this captivating classic. Frederick Davidson does a fine narration. He is growing on me since this is the third audio book I've listened to with his narration and I find that with each one the drawing, affected voice with which he speaks is less annoying. He does a fantastic job with character voices, and Hunchback provides the perfect vehicle for this talent. His weakest performance is that of Esmeralda, but I've yet to hear a male narrator who can do a young female voice well. All in all his narration adds color and personality to this already animated story.

I really enjoyed this book! There are times when you can get bogged down in all the French names, but the story is phenomenal. Must read!

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a classic novel written by Victor Hugo, and published in 1831. The novel is set in medieval Paris and tells the story of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and his forbidden love for the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda. One of the strengths of the book is its vivid and descriptive writing, which brings the medieval setting to life. Hugo's writing is rich with detail and atmosphere, and he paints a vivid picture of the sights, sounds, and smells of medieval Paris. Another strength of the book is its complex and well-developed characters, particularly the main character Quasimodo. He is a tragic figure, born with a physical deformity and rejected by society, but his inner beauty, loyalty, and generosity shine through. The novel also deals with themes such as love, acceptance, and the dangers of obsession and prejudice. Overall, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a powerful and moving novel that will stay with readers long after they finish it. It is a must-read for anyone interested in classic literature and those who want to understand the beauty of human nature and the harsh reality of society. I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The book is a classic and it is well-written, its descriptive writing and complex characters make it a great read. However, the book is quite heavy and it could be a bit challenging for some readers, but it is worth the effort.

The plot begins by following a somewhat minor character (who keeps popping up at crucial points and becomes something more major to the plot and theme), a poet who writes a morality play, fails utterly to perform it and get paid for it, and falls in with a crowd to thieves and vagabonds. On his descent, he encounters the innocent and beautiful Esmeralda (with her pet goat, who is even more enchanting), the pitiful and powerful Quasimodo, the shining knight Phoebus, and the conflicted archdeacon Claude Frollo: all the major characters. His story entwines with theirs as we learn their histories, their desires, and their deepening involvement with each other that can only end in tragedy. I loved how slowly the book built up the plot, revolving through each character and the occasional tangent into say, the history of medieval Paris, or a description of Notre Dame, before really taking off. The pacing is incredible: the first 300 pages are sort of set-up, and then the plot moves as the characters really encounter and react to each other, which is another 300 pages. The characters are completely indivduated, whether it's one of the main ones we see every other chapter, or a minor one, like the poet, or King Louis XI, or Frollo's younger brother, a gambler who steals church money to pay for his free-wheeling ways. The setting of medieval Paris (Hugo delayed writing the novel several times to continue his research) is so well described you might want a map to follow along when he describes a certain area of town that no longer exists (and didn't exist in 1830 when Hugo was writing). In short, a great book, highly recommended for people who like long books and have a certain kind of patience for the way novels were once written.

As advertised

I looked around for the best translation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and this was the one I picked, because it seemed to give the clearest impression of the French original (based on my limited French). A contemporary translation is available free online, but I wanted something newer, because it seemed to alter the original quite a bit, especially the syntax. This is a classic, it's for children, and I assume you know you'd like to read it if you're even looking at reviews.

Nice film version of my favourite Victor Hugo novel.Story of the ugly one eyed Hunchback who is deaf and dumb named Quasimodo He has a heart of gold and the beautiful gypsy girl Ismeralda whom he saves from the clutches of the Head Priest of Notre dame. The innocent girl ,however ,falls in love with an Army Captain who is frivolous , only flirts with the girl and but has no real feelings. The vicious priest takes his revenge on being denied control over the girl and declares her a witch. The captain fails in his duty to save the poor girl from the gallows on account of being declared a witch. Ironical story of the ugly Quasimodo , full of love and compassion , the handsome Captain , pompous, frivolous and lacking compassion , the lecherous priest and an innocent gypsy girl who meets a sad end.

I am speechless. I do not wish to ruin anything for any reader, but the story is full of so many surprises, depth and emotion. From heights of blood curdling madness to inexplicable love, this is a genuine treasure of French literature. How can I ever think about Notre Dame in the same light again? This book gives it a soul. The Disney movie, of course, is loosely based off this book. And I mean 'loosely.' Let us say the film is merely inspired. There are clear examples where the movie has copied scenes, but it is very different. The film is very good, but this novel surpasses it by leaps and bounds. There is one chapter early on about gothic architecture in Paris. Victor Hugo clearly loved this chapter and put a lot of extensive research into it. Long story short - this chapter goes on a bit too much. Yes, we get the point. Paris was once overflowing with gothic architecture. This chapter could have been easily reduced in size and its power enhanced. It reminds me of Oscar Wilde's furniture chapter in Portrait of Dorian Grey. Please plough through this chapter, but do not put the book down because of it. The whole novel is simply genius. And yes, I stood up and applauded at the end.

Perfeito, entrega de acordo com a previsão, embalagem integra.