I have to agree...

[Unregistered]

Good to consider one's own limitations, politely refraining from bashing the authors' and his many delighted readers sensibilities and skills.

[Anon.]

An interesting point is raised here. Most books written in the days of mass publication are written to appeal to the widest possible audience. Thus, the publisher will be able to sell more books and turn a profit. It follows, then, that Mr. Hugo's writing could be considered the standard in printed literature for his day. The fact that his work endures is testament to its probable publishing success at the time of his authorship. It is most likely that educated readers and buyers of books at the time The Hunchback of Notre Dame was written would have had little trouble comprehending the meaning of his words. It is true that modern readers will not be familiar with many of the popular literary references of the day or of familiar characters native to France, but this should not discourage further reading of such great works. Advances in technology have made it unnecessary for man to depend on mass communication in written form and has resulted in a simplification of speech and writing for the sake of brevity. Remember that most of our reading today is targeted to an eighth-grade ability level (magazines, newspapers, and popular novels). This expectation among readers should not be projected upon works from earlier times. The audience was different, the market was different, and the experiences of the general populace made writing such as Victor Hugo's immensely popular as well as accessible. Hopefully experienced readers will not settle for our current primitive state of written communication in their literature. Of course, there are notable exceptions to my generalities on the state of current writing! <br>

[SYLSB]

I have to agree with them. It was long and boring and uncomprehensible. Mr. Hugo was obviously a genius, but I'M NOT. Therefore, I shouldn't read a book for geniuses. :)