CSF Publishing's Classic Literature Collection includes title's carefully updated and corrected from the original text, and features new enhancements such as the author's complete biography and bibliography, story description, list of characters and their role in the story, and occasionally illustrations from antique editions.The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame de Paris) is a novel by Victor Hugo published in 1831. The French title refers to the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, around which the story is centered.The story ...
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CSF Publishing's Classic Literature Collection includes title's carefully updated and corrected from the original text, and features new enhancements such as the author's complete biography and bibliography, story description, list of characters and their role in the story, and occasionally illustrations from antique editions.The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame de Paris) is a novel by Victor Hugo published in 1831. The French title refers to the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, around which the story is centered.The story dates back to January 6, 1482, in Paris, France, the day of the 'Festival of Fools' in Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre-Dame, is introduced by his crowning as Pope of Fools.Esmeralda, a beautiful Gypsy with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men, including that of a Captain Phoebus, but especially those of Quasimodo and his adoptive father, Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre-Dame. Frollo is torn between his lust and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but the hunchback is suddenly captured by Phoebus and his guards who save Esmeralda. Quasimodo is sentenced to be whipped and tied down in the heat. Esmeralda, seeing his thirst, offers him water. It saves him, and she captures his heart.Esmeralda is later charged with the attempted murder of Phoebus, whom Frollo attempted to kill in jealousy, and is sentenced to death by hanging. As she is being led to the gallows, Quasimodo swings down by the bell rope of Notre-Dame and carries her off to the cathedral under the law of sanctuary. Clopin, a street performer, rallies the truands (criminals of Paris) to charge the cathedral and rescue Esmeralda. The King, seeing the chaos, vetoes the law of sanctuary and commands his troops to take Esmeralda out and kill her. When Quasimodo sees the truands, he assumes they are there to hurt Esmeralda, so he drives them off. Frollo betrays Esmeralda by handing her to the troops and watches while she is hanged. Quasimodo pushes him from the heights of Notre-Dame to his death. Quasimodo then goes to a mass grave, lies next to her corpse, crawls off to Esmeralda's tomb with his arms around her body and eventually dies of starvation. Two years later, when their grave is excavated, Quasimodo is found embracing Esmeralda, whose neck is broken. As someone tries to separate the two, Quasimodo's bones turn to dust.
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Very romantic. Beautiful story. Quick read. This is not the Disney version.
skipthisentry
Feb 24, 2011
Interesting Novel
The Latin sentences and words were not understandable, but overall it was a very good read. Robert Harold Bray
Selina
Oct 10, 2007
A great Novel
If one can read this long epic story it is well worth the effort. The characters are so rich and complex. Essmerelda especially. Her life is a soap opera. She is looking for her family and later reunite with her long lost mother. She gets married to a stranger to save his life, makes freinds with a hunchback, and stands trail for Pheobus' murder. It turns out Phoebus isn't really dead, but he does not want to admit that he was with a gypsy girl. Its all dramatic stuff.
Frollo is a great character too. He surivives the town scorn. He raises the orphaned hunchback as his own and becomes onsessed with the kind Essmerelda. Though a villian he is a sympathetic one.
