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The Hunchback of Notre Dame


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For though he was gentle and kind, it was Quasimodo's crime to have been born hideously deformed. But one day his heart would prove to be a thing of rare beauty. She was Esmerelda. The victim of a coward's jealous rage, she is unjustly convicted of a crime she didn't commit. Her sentence is death by hanging. Only one man can save her--Quasimodo.

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Recent Forum Posts on The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Surprised

I am surprised by some of the hostile comments to Hunchback on the novel's title page. Sure, Hugo is a flawed author, and isn't quite the realist that Zola purportly is, but the story is relevant, poignant, and probes several themes: the nature of righteousness over hypocrisy, the lack of justice in social hierarchy, how ignorance creates cruelty, and zealousness leads to evil, and the ability of the human spirit to triumph despite suffering. Notre Dame is also a love story, between beauty and beast, in some ways kindred souls, between Paris and its people, high and low, between knowledge and superstition, and between the spiritual, the profane, and how art mediates between the two. Joanne

Posted By Jozanny at Fri 13 Jun 2008, 12:41 AM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 0 Replies

Esmerlda's Character

I'm sure that if you have seen any film adaptions of Notre Dame De Paris the characters have the very same basis: Quasimodo:Tormented because of his appearence, exceptionally kind. Frollo:A lustful preist, still maintains some good but loses himself because of his sexual obsession. Esmerelda:The kind gypsy who befriends Quasimodo. But why is Esmerelda always viewed as kind? In my opinion, Esmerelda was completely two-faced. I mean, look at the scene where Quasimodo took two vases, an worn down pot full of beautiful flowers (Repersenting himself) and a beautiful pot full of dead flowers (Repersenting the Phoebus' lack of morals). She went up, grabbed the dead flowers and pinned them against her chest. It's understandable, her not loving Quasimodo, but she could at least so some decency towards him. Being afraid of his terrfying apperence was okay, but even after he saved her she still yelled and demanded to see Phoebus. Also her treatment of Frollo was exceptionally cruel, when Frollo poured out his heart to Esmerelda, she cursed him for being old and ugly. I laughed when Esmerelda died in the novel, the b-word deserved it. Quasimodo didn't deserve his tragic end however, I only wish he would have gotten a true friend before his death, not la Esmerelda, who only tolerated him because she would have been dead otherwise.

Posted By fuzzer1 at Wed 17 Oct 2007, 8:03 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 10 Replies

Esmeralda's destiny

What a book...I really enjoyed from 1st to last page, Hugo made a great job! But one thing is maybe a little unreal in this novel. When Esmeralda waited for her to be hanged for killing Phoebus, and she knew he was alive; actually he was captain of those soldiers, not some nomad, he was well known so why than didn't she or anybody else(Pierre mostly, he was really clever) said:''Wait a minute, but he is alive, so she didn't killed anybody and there are no reasons for her to be hanged!'' I am aware of democracy or non-democracy of those days, but there is surely something what could be done, no matter of Claude Frollo's power. Brave Quasimodo just wasn't enough... Moderators, please change thread's topic in Esmeralda's destiny, my mistake, sorry.

Posted By bazarov at Mon 9 Apr 2007, 4:03 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 15 Replies

:)

Hi, I'm new to Online Literature. I love this book (and the film too!) and it touches me every time I read it.

Posted By Gelfling at Fri 28 Apr 2006, 5:48 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 1 Reply

What this book is about..

Hello. I'm Lithuanian, and don't good read English, so sorry. In this summer I readed this book, I was shake, and charm. This book is brilliant middleage Paris chronicle We are XXI century people and I think, that is astonishing to can see XV century people life, they custom, they architecture, and so they love, they love is different, than now, it can feel in this book. This book isn't only about love, this book is about everything.

P.S. Sorry for my English mistake.

Posted By Stasys at Tue 24 May 2005, 6:07 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 1 Reply

No Subject

This book was, by far, the most boring book that I have ever read. I kept reminding myself to read this book with an open mind and to just take my time and enjoy it... WRONG!!
With this book, there is no such thing as taking your time... if you did that, then it'll take you forever and a century to finish the book.
It was boring, confusing and worst of all, you can barely understand the dialogue. The characters have no personality (except for Quasimoto... who just wants a damn friend in his godforsaking life).
I consider myself to be a pretty bright person, and I can comprehend almost anything, but you've got to be someone extremely special to like this and ESPECIALLY understand it.
Cheers and Kudos to those who see through it! I take my hat off to you!

Posted By Unregistered at Wed 26 Jun 2002, 1:00 AM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 13 Replies

May I call you Victor?

I once read a review of The Hunchback of Notre Dame that made the claim that the characters are two dimensional, and the plot cliche. I was not much surprised at this comment because I found the same thing to be true myself. But I would not say that this is necessarily a criticism of the book, rather I found it to be an observation that only rendered the work all the more fascinating. If indeed it is not our limited understanding, or our own failure to read more into the novel, that keeps the Characters underdeveloped, if indeed Claud Frollo is only a priest being tormented by lust, Esmarelda a naive although kind hearted orphan, Pheobus a womanizing soldier and Gringoire a complacent failure, then what, I would ask, makes this book a long admired and adored classic? (please pardon my incorrect spellings)
I first read the book when I was 15, over summer vacation. When I was 18, I went camping with my college roomates and one of them brought along the copy of Hunchback. Just seeing the cover of the book again rekindled my interest in Quisimodo, Frollo, La Esmerelda and the rest, and I began to feel myself haunted by images of midievel Paris, until finally I couls stand it no longer and reread the book myself, looking for deeper meanings I had missed the first time around.
Now I find myself in roughly the same place I was at 15. The Characters are still two dimensional, and at the same time terribly evocative, and I keep wondering why?
Please, if anyone has any comments feel free to e-mail them to me!
thanks.

Posted By Tresha at Tue 24 May 2005, 6:07 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 0 Replies

thesis

Hi! I'm an italian languages student and I have to make my doctoral thesis about the novel "Notre-Dame de Paris" by Victor Hugo; the cartoon movie "The hunchback of Notre Dame" by Walt Disney Pictures; the movie "The hunchback of Notre Dame" by William Dieterle and the musical "Notre Dame de Paris" by Riccardo Cocciante and Luc Plamondon! I'd like to receive some recensions and/or articles from anyone who want to help me! Thanks a lot, Mirella

Posted By Mirella at Tue 24 May 2005, 6:07 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 0 Replies

No Subject

i read this book over thirty years ago and, even though i have not read it since, i still remember it and how deeply it touched me. It may very not be a novel for everyone (as no one piece of literature ever is) but the story stayed in my heart all this time and perhaps someday i will have the time to read it again.
i had the opportunity to go to Paris a year ago and though the day was freezing cold and the walk to the top of Notre Dame was steep and arduous (boy but my legs hurt! Don't ever walk many hills and to the top of the Arch and then to the top of Notre Dame all in two days if you're out of shape, LOL!) but i found myself teary-eyed as i faced the giant bell in the tower of Notre Dame and looked out upon the beautiful city from the top of the church and saw myself surrounded by the gargoyles which might have surrounded Quasimodo as he peered out at the city had he been a real person outside our hearts.

Posted By Mike at Tue 24 May 2005, 6:07 PM in The Hunchback of Notre Dame || 0 Replies

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