Notre-Dame of Paris - Victor Hugo

Author's product rating:   

Would you read it again?	Absolutely
Story	Good
Characters	Outstanding
Readability	Average
How does it compare to similar books?	Not applicable
How does it compare to other works by the same author?	Excellent

Advantages:	A beautifully real story that will rend the heart
Disadvantages:	Some of the description can be a little long - winded

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Better known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Notre Dame de Paris was written by Victor Hugo as a tribute to the Parisian cathedral and the beauty of its lost Renaissance city.
The main character is Quasimodo, the grotesque hunchback and cathedral bell ringer, adopted as a baby and brought up by the serious-minded, emotionless archdeacon Claude Frollo.
Both Quasimodo and Frollo find themselves driven into a passionate obsession for a young and beautiful gypsy girl - Esmerelda.
But Esmerelda - kind-hearted but a little shallow - only has eyes for the handsome, vainglorious Captain Phoebus.
The complex, interweaving love story is bound to end in tragedy.

The richness of Hugo's narrative left me spellbound. Each and every character - especially Pierre Gringoire - a flawed, poverty stricken writer also in love with Esmerelda and lost in the unfolding misadventures - are believable and loveable. No character is pure evil or pure good - each have their own flaws and are utterly human.
Hugo's love of Parisian history shines through, whilst his ability to blend a message about the loss of medieval architecture with a truly compelling story of unrequited love, is dazzling.

Its only drawbacks are the opening and The Bird's-Eye View of Paris - both of which are written to explore the architecture and geography of Paris - the first sets out The Great Hall of the Palais, and may be forgiven because of its shortish length before getting to the story.
The Bird's-Eye View of Paris is a long and plodding chapter, which does exactly what it says on the tin - Hugo sets out Paris as it was in 1482, compared to when he wrote the book in 1832.
I suppose if you are intimately knowledgable about the geography of Paris, this could be quite interesting, but it goes on and on...it lists every turn and alleyway - or it seems to.

But get past these little flaws and you will be reading a tantalizingly beautiful story, which will wreck your ability to watch little dancing Disney gargoyles.
It is a must read, and as much as I loved Les Miserables, it knocks it into a tin hat!