The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

This literary classic, written by Victor Hugo, was originally published in 1831 and was famous long before Disney's cartoon movie version came out in 1996.

'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' is a story of love, beauty and loss. Set in Paris 1482, Hugo begins weaving a web of characters that, seemingly, have no connections. Slowly, but surely, the beautiful gypsy, Esmerelda, the poor philosopher, Pierre Gringoire, the cold and troubled Archdeacon Claude Frollo, and the hated hunchback of Notre-Dame are brought together for a tragic adventure.

Even though the story is loaded with societal commentary, it is not necessary for the reader to have a strong sense of French history to understand the basic plot of the story. For several chapters at a time, Hugo describes the architecture of the great cathedral and many other buildings in Paris, which can make reading the book quite painful. Hugo also reveals how dirty and poorly kept the cathedral was in the 19th century, as a hint to the Paris of his time, to clean it up.

If you make it past the long winded descriptions, the second half of the novel becomes a story of quick-paced action. The gypsy, Esmerelda, finds herself in trouble when she is framed and put on trial for stabbing a soldier, and Quasimodo, Frollo, and Gringoire try, in their own ways, to help the beautiful woman who has touched their lives.

Along the way, Esmerelda searches for her long-lost mother, Gringoire searches to find a proper subject for his philosophy and the archdeacon struggles with his new-found emotions. Hugo is also famous for writing the novel, 'Les Miserables' and the play, 'Marie Tudor.'