The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

What There Is in a Bottle of Ink

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an exquisite novel written by Victor Hugo during the Romantic era. The original title of the book was "Notre-Dame de Paris", as it was written as a statement to preserve the Notre-Dame cathedral. This book was finished on January 14th, 1831, just as Victor Hugo was running out of ink. Because of this, he was greatly tempted to title the novel, "What There Is in a Bottle of Ink".

At the time Hugo was writing, respect for the cathedral's Gothic architecture had been lost. Notre-Dame was collapsing precipitately, as the damage it had suffered during the French revolution was continuously ignored. Throughout the novel, Hugo strives to represent the cathedral of Notre-Dame as the cultural and political symbol of Paris, and accordingly, France. Upon the publishing of the novel, Parisians progressively came to see Notre-Dame as a national monument of France. Shortly after, a restoration program of the cathedral began.

Hugo claims the inspiration towards writing this novel came after discovering a carved word on a wall inside the cathedral of Notre-Dame: "anake," or fate (in Greek). Consequently, this is a story of destiny and fate. The characters within the novel do not believe in free will, but in fate, a subduing destiny that eradicates the very prospect of escaping such guidance. The pitiful Pierre Gringoire believes that it was providence that led him to la Esmeralda; in turn, archdeacon Claude Frollo deems that he is fated to love her. The characters' intense belief that fate overcomes free will is epitomized during a captivating scene in which Frollo watches as a fly is ensnared in a spider web. Indisputably, Hugo's illustrious characters become entwined vividly in fate as they compliment an unaltered destiny themselves; passionate albeit melodramatic, they each transpire as unchanging victims of fate.

These characters are intricate and profound. As the novel unfolds, it depicts the tragic romance between the crude Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers and an abused gipsy named la Esmeralda. Also enveloped within this story of love are the lustful archdeacon Frollo, the homeless and broke poet Pierre Gringoire, and the lonely hunchback, Quasimodo the bell ringer.

Quasimodo, for example, is contrasting and elaborate; although he embodies innocence and naiveté, he is loathed by the citizens of Paris because of his deformation. And despite the fact that Notre-Dame's church bells are his greatest passion, he is also deaf. Much like Quasimodo, the abandoned cathedral was not cared for, and was considered to be a heinous architecture. In this sense, Quasimodo is an amalgamation that mirrors the cathedral's own architectural deformities.

The antagonist, archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, is not a black-hearted person. As an orphan, he was like a father to his brother, Jehen, and even brought up the abandoned Quasimodo. Once an epitome of virtue, he becomes tormented by his corrupt love for a gipsy, and dehumanized as jealousy consumes him.

Therefore, I am compelled to say that within a bottle of ink there resides a delicate story of love and tragedy that sincerely demonstrates the genuine power a pen may possess in order to revive a cathedral that embodies such splendor and passion.

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Don't dismiss it so quickly

I fisrt wanted to read this book because I like comparing movies to books. I wanted to see how close the 1996 Disney movie was (there are similarities but there are also alot of differences). This book did take me a long time to read, but it was mostly the first part. As boring as i found the first part, it is nessiary; it sets up the story and the characters. Once I started the secound part, it really picked up. I found myself wanting to read it more and more. Don't give up because you find the beginning boring, it will get better.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

"Why am I not made of stone like you"

This is truely one of the best well writen books I have read. The first few chapters are pretty boring and hard to get through, but I promise the story will pick up and that you should just stick to it. Beside the amazing story the novle has a great deal of historical details of everyday life and of the architecture of Paris during the time. I felt very acomplished and releved when I finished this book. Because it is long, but worth reading!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A must read!

The master work of one of the greatest authors of all time. Truly inspiring!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

"Alas! and you coldly see me weep? Child, do you know that those tears are burning lava? Is it then really true, -- in the man we hate, nothing moves us?" - Dom Cluade Frollo, Hunchback of Notre Dame

Out of the many classics (and also the many current novels) of which I've read, Notre Dame is definitely the best. Beautifully crafted with memorable characters, Hugo has truly written a masterpiece, with a wondrous writing style that is beyond all else. Centered in Paris, during a period just after the middle ages, the story follows four different characters: the beautiful, enchanting Esmeralda; the stern, yet kind hearted Claude Frollo; the liberal, yet clueless philosopher Gringoire; and, of course, Quasimodo, the hunchback who wrings the bells of Notre Dame. Through the eyes of these characters, we see the impact of temptation, of love, and of misleading appearances, that the greatest heart may reside in the most crooked of bodies.

Despite the title, though, little is actually told in Quasimodo's voice, but rather most of the story is told through the eyes of Gringoire and the priest Frollo. Another of the main aspects, is the actual structure of Notre Dame, and the immense loss in the art of architecture, which since the middle ages has continued to diminish as times progress. Just as a warning, do not read this book with the expectation that it will be like the popular Disney movie, it is completely different (in fact, it is better to think of them as two completely separate stories); both are very good, but both are vastly different!

Stunningly executed, and definitely memorable, the Hunchback of Notre Dame makes the perfect read, classic or no!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great read!

Story is well written, the characters are portrayed really well, just an all around good book to read and I would even recommend watching the 1939 movie with Charles Laughton and Maureen O' Hara

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Wow

By far the best classic I've ever read. This story is dark, with odd snippets of humor. The characters are all deeply obsessed with each other which brings out both the best and worst in humanity. An excellent classic and an excellent read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Anything Hugo writes is great

Hugo's characters are more intensely obsessed that those found in any other literature. Their passion draws the reader into the book in a way that no exciting, suspensive plot can do. His plots are amazing too--logical without being predictable, complex without confusing the reader. I love this author. This is my favorite book of his.

I also recommend anything by Alexandre Dumas, especially The Man with the Iron Mask.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Masterfully made!

Victor Hugo did a masterful job when he wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame! It is though his pen gave it the gift of life when he wrote it, causing the characters, scenery, emotions, and circumstances to spring to life. If you are one who enjoys a thrilling book with an ability to transport you to another place and time, then read this book. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a tragic story, yet it contains just the right amount of humor and shows the reader that any kind of person be it a priest, a soldier, or an ordinary civilian can be just as deformed and deranged as a hideous hunchback.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing Book

Amazing book. It was rather boring in the beginning, but later on it really adds to the novel. The story was so vivid and heartbreaking once I started I couldn't put it down. It isn't a happy book, so be warned. But it is a masterpiece and will always be one of my favorites.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Hunchbook of Notre Dame

A couple of months ago, while sitting in my local library, I spied on the table next to me a discarded copy of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'. That title had always fascinated me as a child, for I had watched, in my younger years, all of the many remake movies of it, but I had never actually read the book. Spring break had just started so I decided to take the book home and begin my reading journey through the old, torn pages. And in the blink of an eye, I was transported to the bustling world of medieval Paris, richly described in breath-taking detail. I could see the detail, the outline, as you will, of this Paris of our ancestors, that concealed within it, a story of love, life, and adventure. I meet the hunchback, Quasimodo, who like the reader himself, observed this beautiful city world from the outside, secluded in the great bell tower of Notre Dame. Dom Claude, the jealous priest, whose heart rotted with a mixture of passionate love and loathing disgust, and Esmerelda, the beautiful gypsy girl, who lived in a harsh world of poverty and crime located in the dark alleys of the Paris streets, hidden from the world. These characters, so different in nature and background, whose lives interweaved with a mixture of spell-binding love, sickening hate, and the unique ideas and adventures of life in the streets of Medieval Paris.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I thought this work was very good in some aspects- the character

I thought this work was very good in some aspects- the characters for example and the setting, as well as plot. But I found the descriptions of the city itself hard to understand (on a first reading level). The langauge I liked as well as how loveable Quaisomodo is and how dispicable Claudo can be at times. Pheobus I personally thought was an okay guy with his flaws and all. I felt that Esmerelda was the character was the most relateable from a female perspective- her naivete, beauty, history- I all found interesting and great to read as well as her story. In terms of length I would say the pages are well worth the read. Claudo is a great villian and his hipocrsy is alarming and the impact of his emotions on the whole city is enormous. I'd recommend this for anyone who likes medival settings, a lustful archdeacon, a naive young lady and an outcast who come together for their own goals in life and their journeys both physically and spiritually.

I'd have to say after reading this and comparing it to the Disney Movie- the movie wasn't that far away from the actual truth but understandable why they edited out things.

Classic

Long, to be sure, but good. I was so saddened by the ending, but I guess I should have expected it. I read it when I was 12 so I didn't get much out of it. I was surprised and shocked sometimes

It was quiet a book

I really dont like tradgeties but i wil make an exception for this one. There are alot of lessons woven into this storie that really make a person think. It was a sad story but one that help me see people, architecture, art, and history in a whole new light. If you dont mind taking in a dramatic tale then this is a story that should be read to better understand culture and history.

Hunchback of notre dame

A very good book
I loved the discribing of what was going on and what happed/will happen

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing book Amazing

F

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Explanations to the most common complaints...

"It is so wordy/rambling!" Yes. In Hugo's time, authors were paid by the word. Besides, Hugo is infamous for being long-winded and for managing to use his ramblings to create atmospheres that are second to none. This novel is Hugo at his wordy best, the somber and melancholy mood is greater than any other I can think of. "There are too many French words!" Aside from street names and titles, which are indeed merely proper nouns, this complaint holds no merit and I can assure you that a reader who knows not even one syllable of French will not find the language to be a barrier to enjoying this beautiful novel. "So many Catholic refrences and I'm not Catholic!" This one always cracks me up. Notre Dame. Notre Dame! Consider it a lesson in Catholicism if necessary, but my being a non-Catholic never kept me from finding the religious refrences to be anything but informative about the structure of a faith that I otherwise know very littly about. Relax and don't be scared off by these silly complaints. The novel is beloved for a very good reason and if you give it a good try, your literary experiences will be immesurably enriched for having read this. Enjoy!

good intro to hugo

I wanted my kiddos to read some Victor Hugo before we go to Paris and as we are studying this time period in history. This seems like a fine intro for my third grader; a bit easy for my sixth grader, but still an okay take over all. I do wish there were more original lines and phrases though.

Mesmerizing Classic!!!!!!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame in the Classic Starts series, was originally a world-famous classic written by Victor Hugo, centuries ago. The setting is in medieval Paris, and follows the lives of several different individuals, all linked to one another in some way. First, there is Pierre, the playwright which the story basically starts with. There is Esmeralda, the lovely gypsy dancer; Captain Phoebus, the general who pretends to be in love with Esmeralda; Claude Frollo, the disturbed, religious priest at Notre Dame who can't seem to find his own way or understand life; several mischeivous boys, including Frollo's brother; and finally, Qausimodo, the hero of the story, the deformed but kind " Hunchback of Notre Dame". Qausimodo is also Frollo's adopted son. Qausimodo hides himself in the bell tower, obeying Frollo's commands, good or evil. The trouble starts when Frollo commands Quasimodo to help him kidnap Esmeralda. Pierre tries to save Esmeralda, but is knocked down by Quasimodo. Eventually, Captain Phoebus comes to Esmeralda's rescue and arrests Qausimodo. However, Frollo is not arrested. When Qausimodo is being put into the stocks as a punishment, Esmeralda saves him. Soon enough, Esmeralda is arrested too, and once again, Frollo is the cause. While Phoebus was pretending to love Esmeralda, Frollo nearly kills him and pins the blame on poor Esmeralda. What's more, Esmeralda believes Phoebus really loves her, which of course, isn't true. Quasimodo saves Esmeralda and declares sanctuary for her, when she is about to be put into the stocks. But the story isn't over yet. In a twisting maze of drama and betrayal, Esmeralda ends up dead, and no one knows where Quasimodo or Frollo are. This tale is perhaps one of the most creative and captivating tales I have come upon, and for that, I praise Hugo with five stars, for I belive this book clearly deserves the five stars. I hope you enjoy this enchanting classic as much as I did!!!!!!!!!!!

A Phenomenal Story

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo is a fictional story set in Paris, France & published in 1831. The novel became a classic & the Hunchback became a tragic hero as well as a cultural icon.

January 6, 1482 is a holiday in Paris, France. The "Festival of Fools" is in full swing & the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo, is crowned as the Pope of Fools.

Among the crowd is the beautiful Esmeralda, a gypsy girl with a kind heart & a mischievous goat. Esmeralda captured the hearts of many men including Quasimodo, Claude Frollo the Archdeacon of Notre Dame & Quasimodo's adopted father, as well as Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers.

Frollo, who is torn between his heart's desire & the church's code, orders Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda. However, Quasimodo is captured by the guards, led by Captain Phoebus, who whip him & leave him tied down in the heat. Esmeralda offers him water, saves his life & captures his heart in the process.

Frollo, up to his old tricks again, tried to kill Phoebus whom Esmeralda clearly prefers; however he fails & frames Esmeralda for the assassination. As she is led to the gallows, Quasimodo swings down from the tower & carries her off to the cathedral. Under the law Esmeralda is now in a sanctuary. The criminals of Paris charge the Cathedral to save her, the King who happens to be in Paris as well vetoes the law of sanctuary & commands his troops to capture & kill Esmeralda.

Mistakenly Quasimodo believes that the criminals are trying to hurt his beloved & drives them off. Frollo however hands Esmeralda to the troops. While watching her hang, Quasimodo pushes Frollo off the tower to his untimely end.

In a dark & disturbing ending, Quasimodo lies next to Esmeraldas's body in a mass grave, his arms around her, & eventually dies of starvation.

This is a desperate & quite depressing novel. It is filled with the loneliness of 15th Century Paris, its dark corridors, streets & stench.

The book tells the stories of three tragic & lonely figures. Claude Frollo, archdeacon of Notre Dame, La Esmeralda, an enchanting gypsy, & Quasimodo, the disfigured bell ringer as well as Frollo's adopted son. Surprisingly, Quasimodo has a small role in the book which was originally titled "Notre-Dame de Paris" or "Our Lady of Paris" - a much more appropriate, yet less imaginative title.

The dark, brooding & punishing interactions between the complex characters are a mastery of storytelling. The relationships of the characters with themselves are also part of this complex plot. Frollo's struggle with Catholicism vs. desire & Esmeralda's unwillingness to accept a revolting creature for his good heart are only a two examples of what makes this story brilliant. The story is peppered with a few twists, some humor (as much as will allow in the brooding story arc) with sarcasm & mockery galore.

The book's most frustrating point, & the one which discourages many seasoned readers, is the pages upon pages of descriptive images, whether the streets of Paris down to the cracks (it seems) in the sidewalks or the Notre Dame Cathedral, brick-by-brick almost. The pacing of the book moves unevenly, most of the novel takes place over a period of six month, however the final chapters shoot forward a year & a half or two years.

Mr. Hugo got paid by the word, as were many other authors back then, however, once y