The Hunchback of Notre-dame
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The Hunchback of Notre-dame

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris) is a French Romantic/Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. The original French title refers to Notre Dame Cathedral, on which the story is centered. English translator Frederic Shoberl named the novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1833 because at the time, Gothic novels were more popular than Romance novels in England.[1] The story is set in Paris, France in the Late Middle Ages, during the reign of Louis X
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Reviews

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Beecher Halladay@beecher
4.5 stars
Aug 23, 2024

The last 250 pages I was absolutely enthralled. Cried at the end. Why was this made into a Disney move.

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Anna @ann_omalia
4 stars
Jul 13, 2024

jelikož se jedná o povinnou četbu, kterou určitě musí přečíst i mnoho z vás, rozhodla jsem se k ní udělat recenzi trošku jinak než normálně. nebudu knihu hodnotit, pouze vyzdvihnu pozitiva a negativa :) pozitiva: - čtivost - přímá řeč - hlavní hrdinka je zároveň silná ženská postava - děj je z větší části epický - dobrá atmosféra negativa: - občas velmi zdlouhavé popisy - autor odbíhá od toho, co chce původně říct - nadávky, v autorově době to byla normální mluva - ableismus - Quasimodo je v knize hlavně pro pobavení ostatních postav, Hugo ho ale popisuje jako laskavého člověka shrnutí: mně se knížka líbila. rozhodně tam byly věci, které by si v dnešní době autor napsat nedovolil, ale musíme brát v potaz, že to je 200 let stará kniha. četlo se mi to rychle a děj mě bavil. častokrát jsem se i zasmála, postava básníka Gringoirea byla skvěle napsaná a kapitoly z jeho úhlu pohledu mě moc bavily. celý děj se odehrává v paříži, atmosféra byla tedy moc hezká a já doteď občas myšlenkami do hugovy paříže zabloudím. pokud tedy máte knihu mezi maturitní četbou, doporučuji si jí přečíst.

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Chloé@misslola44
4 stars
Apr 30, 2024

just wanted to hug Quasimodo

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Vicky Nuñez @vicky21
3 stars
Mar 25, 2024

Unlike what I thought it would be like, I didn't LOVED the Hunchback of Notre Dame. First, because of the straightforward writing. I respect Victor Hugo very much, but his writing was composed of facts & unending descriptions that made me want scream. Maybe it's because I'm more used to more metaphor-filled writing. Either way, I wasn't a fan of Victor Hugo's writing. Secondly, if not for the writing, which was marvelous, but like I said, tedious at times. The story itself would have been a huge disappointed me, although I understand that at the time it was original, nowadays it's just a tad bit too cliché. What I did loved was the tragedy & dramatic-full storyline. OVERALL, the book is great, not what you should expect if you have the Disney movie in mind.

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John Nettles@jnettl2
3 stars
Dec 27, 2023

Significantly more dull than Les Miserables.

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Laura Mauler@blueskygreenstrees
5 stars
Dec 25, 2023

Not sure how they made a Disney movie of this book, seeing as how the entire thing is about sex. Good book, though.

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Barbara Williford@barbarawilliford
3 stars
Aug 13, 2023

A historical French Gothic tragedy which focuses on Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo and the woman they are both in love with Esmeralda. It’s was a book that will pull at your heartstrings. I would have given a higher review but the chapters where Hugo drags on and on and on about the architecture and design of Paris is extremely irrelevant and boring.

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Barbara Williford@barbarawilliford
3 stars
Apr 27, 2023

A historical French Gothic tragedy which focuses on Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo and the woman they are both in love with Esmeralda. It’s was a book that will pull at your heartstrings.

I would have given a higher review but the chapters where Hugo drags on and on and on about the architecture and design of Paris is extremely irrelevant and boring.


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Manu Linage E.@manel
4 stars
Oct 31, 2022

** spoiler alert ** A very enjoyable book, even with its sometimes tedious inclusions of Paris and Notre Damme descriptions which slow the pace of the plot. One of the best parts of the book are the characters which are unique to the book, such as the truant Jehan or the odious Pierre Gringoire, who is in my opinion the true villain of the book.

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Amy @amyreadsalotta
2 stars
May 8, 2022

I really struglled with this book, so much so i had to listen to the book via audiobook. The book first 150 to 200 pages are all about setting the atsmopher, scene by describing in a complete chapters what the notre dame looks like what the village is like as well as whats going on in the village streets. This is 1/3 to 1/2 of the book before we get into the real story. I have grown up on the Disney story of hunch back of notredame so love the characters Esmeredal and Quasimodo. These characters are more real in this book this is the only reason why the book has recieved 2 stars I was hoping to really love it and get really into the book as I wanted to start a growing love for classic which this one didn't ignite that love

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Caellum@vdeyja
3.5 stars
Dec 3, 2021

Our good friend Mr Hugo is a difficult man for modern readers to appreciate and honestly, as dope as he was as a historical figure, I do find his prose exhausting. Hugo can and will go on a four page tangent about Paris architecture because honestly that's closer to his point than any of the narrative. He cares more about selling you on Paris than Quasimodo. But it's a wicked story, thick and delicious. And frankly? It's probably his easiest book to read.

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Ilse@ilse
1 star
Nov 2, 2021

I really wanted to like this book. Ever since I watched the Disney movie I wanted to read Hugo's original unabridged version. Honestly, although his descriptions of Paris and the people living in the city are beautiful and highly interesting, and the story is way darker and more tragic (in a good way) than the Disney version, the writing is just so... dense. Now, I'm not opposed to dense works, I can work through a certain degree of wordy descriptions and have no problem whatsoever with books that number well over a thousand pages, but this was too much. "Our reader must excuse us" quickly became the moment for me to flip through the pages until the interesting dialogue and character interactions started again. The recurring descriptions pulled me out of the submersion of the story, making me not care about it nearly as much as I so wanted to. I'm still planning to try out Les Mis, if only because I already own a physical copy, but it's going to be a little while before I do

+3
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Ilse@ilse
1 star
Nov 1, 2021

I really wanted to like this book. Ever since I watched the Disney movie I wanted to read Hugo's original unabridged version. Honestly, although his descriptions of Paris and the people living in the city are beautiful and highly interesting, and the story is way darker and more tragic (in a good way) than the Disney version, the writing is just so... dense. Now, I'm not opposed to dense works, I can work through a certain degree of wordy descriptions and have no problem whatsoever with books that number well over a thousand pages, but this was too much. "Our reader must excuse us" quickly became the moment for me to flip through the pages until the interesting dialogue and character interactions started again. The recurring descriptions pulled me out of the submersion of the story, making me not care about it nearly as much as I so wanted to. I'm still planning to try out Les Mis, if only because I already own a physical copy, but it's going to be a little while before I do

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Giulia @fcbgiulia
3 stars
Aug 21, 2021

3.5/5! Non c'è cosa migliore di leggere Notre Dame de Paris mentre si ascolta Notre Dame de Paris ❤️. Il mio voler leggere questo romanzo è derivato interamente dal fatto che amo alla follia il musical, io e Hugo non abbiamo mai avuto un bel rapporto xD. Nonostante questo devo dire che non mi è dispiaciuto. Ci sono dei punti troppo prolissi, altri in cui è chiaro che se non vi piace la storia dell'arte o l'urbanistica vi annoierete a morte. Ebbene, dopo aver letto il libro, aver visto non so quante volte il musical, una domanda mi sorge spontanea: come fa a piacervi Febo?! Capisco che nel musical sia portato in scena da un attore con una bella faccia, ma è una cargona! Mi dispiace dire che preferisco il musical al romanzo, sono due cose completamente diverse in quanto molte cose nel musical non vengono nemmeno prese in considerazione, ma le parti principali ci sono tutte quindi è una rappresentazione veritiera (e se sentite Matteo Setti e Giò di Tonno cantare non potrete non innamorarvene ❤️). L'unica pecca a livello di personaggi che ho notato, è stata in Esmeralda. Siceramente da una ragazza di sedici anni, zingara, che ha viaggiato il mondo, mi sarei aspettata un pelino più di intrapredenza. E di sale in zucca, ma vabbè quello non sempre è presente. Troppo bambina ed ingenua, non credo che nel 1482 le ragazze di sedici anni fossero così.

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Nocty@noctalix
5 stars
Jan 16, 2025
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Jawad Abdulrazzaq@acid
4 stars
Jan 15, 2025
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Ami@tolli
3.5 stars
May 21, 2024
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eikaia@eikaia
5 stars
Jan 2, 2024
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Eleanor Hoffmann @ehreader
3 stars
Apr 12, 2023
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Iuno <3@iunothefairy
2 stars
Jan 8, 2023
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Gerda Šalengaitė@gerdada
4 stars
Jan 1, 2022
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Moira@littleliterary
4.5 stars
Aug 31, 2021
+3
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Maureen@bluereen
3 stars
Jul 27, 2024
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Olivia@olivia11235813
4 stars
Jul 4, 2024

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