Hunchback of Notre-Dame, The - Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo - The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Another classic book first published in 1831, disney made a well known film on the story aswell which was pretty good as far as disney films go (not a big fan). The first 100 pages or so have been described by some as a bit slow and boring, but you have to realise these older books always take time setting the scene and atmosphere; if you take time to really look at the language you see how effective the author is in doing this. The story is basically about Quasimodo, he is a hunchback who lives in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. He is the bell ringer for the Cathedral, but because of his deformity he ...  Read the complete review

If you have had the misfortune to see the Disney cartoon, banish it from your mind. This book has suffered greatly from being mauled by the cartoon version. A bit about the plot then. For a start, there are many characters whose lives intertwine. There is a young writer who attends the festivities and sees Quasimodo corwned for his ugliness, and who later also sees Esmerelda. It si through this poor writers eyes that we first meet the key characters. Quasimodo was abandonned as a child, left on the steps at Notre Dame cathedral and taken into the care of Frollo the archbishop. Here he lives, seldome coming out, a thoughtful but ugly man who has no ...  Read the complete review