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Summary: An exciting book to read that I would recommend to everybody
Review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame was good. It was exciting when he saved the girl. I liked the part where the man did the magic tricks and the part where the girl was dancing in the parade. I would recommend this book to eight and nine-year-old kids
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Summary: Except for a few digressions, a good read
Review: This book reads like an opera - big themes, unrequited love, a disfigured protagonist, and unrealistic situations. In the end, I have to say it is a really good book. Be warned, however, that there are a couple of chapters that could literally be thrown away without anyone ever noticing. Hugo has a nasty habit of digressing for about 30 or 40 pages at a time. You've got to just grit your teeth and plow through those sections, the rest of the book is worth it.
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Summary: And you thought you knew what love was...
Review: I never thought a book could make me feel such intense emotions. The story is beautifully written, and the scenes between Quasimodo and La Esmeralda are among the most touching and most heart-felt experiences in all of literature.
Quasimodo's lonliness will move you; he is too ugly and deformed to be part of this world and he accepts it. There is a gripping scene in which Quasimodo is stripped and beaten before a jeering crowd. The pain and humiliation he felt brought me to tears, yet his courage and bravery inspired me. It is certainly the most moving story I have ever read.
However, reading through Hugo's lengthy descriptions of historical events and places can get quite tedious; the constant interruptions in an otherwise riveting story may drive you mad. But they can easily be forgiven. In Hugo's novels, one chapter of story is worth a dozen chapters of history.
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Summary: for when you have time on your hands
Review: The Hunckback of Notre Dame, under the original title Notre Dame de Paris (because the plot really centers around the cathedral, not Quasimodo) is like a twisted Romeo & Juliet story sans star-crossed lovers. The *real* protagonist (in my opinion) is Esmerelda, the 16 year old gypsy dancer. She falls in love with the chauvanistic peacock Captain Pheobus who takes advantage of her love, meanwhile courting a rich young noblewoman. Quasimodo the deaf bell-ringer, and Claude Frollo, the fanatical archdeacon of Notre Dame, are the ones who fall for the gypsy. So natually things get quite chaotic when the gypsy girl is sentanced to death for "murdering" the Captain. The action is spectacular, especially the siege of Notre Dame, and hopefully I don't give anything away when I say that there's a lot of dying going on... This book does have its long, slow parts too...such as the beginning. and unless you are an ardent scholar of mideival architecture, go ahead and skim chapters with the titles "Notre Dame" and "A Birds Eye View of Paris". My favorite parts: Poet Pierre Gringoire's "marriage" to Esmerelda (whom Captain Phoebus calls "similar" because he can never remember her name), and also P.G.'s unhealthy obsession with Djahli the goat.
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Summary: Religion gone a muck
Review: victor Hugo's passionate story of the unfortunate Quasimodo is also a great expose' on how religion controled the masses in those days. While Esmeralda is liked for her dancing and tricks; she is also feared and scorned for being in league with the devil. This is because Frollo the priest who is madly in love with the young gipsy girl has cast her as much. Yet his hypocrisy shines through when later he declares his love for her. As well, notice when Esmeralda is living in the cathedral the priest mad with lust nearly rapes her. Thus he is using his position and power for less then holy deeds. In addition the church held great influence over the justice system. This book is more then a mere love story but a brilliant attack I think on the abuse of power and the evil it brings. I truly enjoyed this production from Naxos with its musical interludes between the text. The reader really brought the characters to life and read the book with the right amount of animation. I highly recommend it for those who love to listen to classical literature then read it. another Naxos production to add to my collection.
this audiobook contains 2 CD'; it features period music along with the reading of the text. The Naxos version is also available on audio cassette.
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Summary: "An Exemplary Edition of Hugo's Classic"
Review: Walter J. Cobb's complete and unabridged edition of Victor Hugo's classic, the "Hunchback of Notre-Dame," is without a doubt the best to be found. His translation retains the original romanticism and tragedy so characteristic of the great novelist's works. One would search in vain to find a better edition than Cobb's full-throated rendition of this great masterpiece of French Literature.
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Summary: Great Visuals.
Review: This book is the literay edition of Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. It stays true to the Disney version of the story and has a lot of wonderful illustrations that you won't find in other book versions of the film. After all other than the music, the animation is the best part of the movie. As for story, if you're looking for the literary masterpiece written by Victor Hugo, you won't find it here. Disney totally butchered Hugo's tale (in Hugo's story: Phoebus isn't a hero, just a horny hunk who's filled with lust; Claude Frollo isn't evil, he is overcome by his lust and desire for Esmeralda; Esmeralda isn't the brightest person in the world; and the story doesn't end all that happily) and the book remains true to that movie.
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Summary: Very, Very, Hard to Like
Review: The romantic tragedy of this book most certainly challenges if not surpasses Shakespeare's very own "Romeo and Juliet." "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is likely to put you in depression for anything from a few days to weeks or on to months following your concluding this dark, gothic novel. It's also worth saying that, although Hugo lords over the brilliant and graphic descriptions lacking in today's novels, he also includes many chapters that are dull, boring, and clearly useless to the plot of the story. The fact that this is to be expected (the book is about Paris/the Notre Dame Cathedral guys, not Quasimodo) doesn't help any, and many don't finish the book due to such unnecessary additions. Nonetheless, this is a literary masterpiece, but I pause before recommending such a morose tale to anyone. Borrow it first, purchase at your own risk.
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Summary: This book deserves 1000 stars it is AMAZING
Review: This book is amazing. I picked up not expecting to finish it and I couldn't stop reading. I was completely caught up in it. There are so many beautiful descriptions and characters. I recommend this book to everyone. Its gracefulness has not been surpassed. Quasimodo and Frollo could be the most tragic heroes ever created. I love this book so much. One word can describe it, Beautiful.
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Summary: Disney'sThe Hunchback of Notre Dame
Review: I liked this book beacause it tells how people should treat people nicely and that you should not be like Frollo and should be good.
Also it has a good moral. My friend read it and I asked "did you like this book?". He said "I liked it a lot". I liked the illustrations. I first read it when I was 5. I wish my sister would like this book.
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