The Hunchback of Notre Dame
-
-
4.5 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $6.99
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
"As much a love letter to the cathedral as it is the story of two doomed lovers." —Smithsonian Magazine
Written in 1831, The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo is a beloved French gothic novel which centers around the wondrous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Set during the reign of King Louis XI, we are introduced to the gypsy dancer Esmerelda. A beautiful girl, both inside and out, Esmerelda captures the hearts of everyone around her, including Captain Phoebus, Pierre Gringoire, and the hunchback Quasimodo, who is hidden away in the tower of Notre Dame as a bell ringer.
Unfortunately, Esmerelda has also caught the attention of Archdeacon Claude Frollo, Quasimodo’s abusive guardian. Frollo battles with his lust, eventually succumbing, leading him to pursue Esmerelda while leaving morality behind.
A beautifully written novel about love, lust, and thirteenth-century Paris, The Hunchback of Notre Dame will leave readers both marveling at the beauty of Notre Dame and reeling at the lengths that people will go for love.
Packaged in handsome, affordable trade editions, Clydesdale Classics is a new series of essential works. From the musings of literary geniuses such as Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter to the striking personal narrative of Harriet Jacobs in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, this new series is a comprehensive collection of masterpieces by some of the most famous writers in history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Children who have had a taste of Hugo's 18th-century epic through the animated film may find this version, with its absence of song, rather sobering. Wynne-Jones (Some of the Kinder Planets) makes no attempt to soften the harsh story of the hideously deformed, big-hearted Quasimodo, who escapes ridicule only in the sanctuary of the cathedral. Although the narrative is fluent and conversational, children may need guidance through some of the more challenging vocabulary and occasional wordy passages. The irony in Hugo's novel is preserved here, as when Wynne-Jones draws a delicious parallel between church and state: Quasimodo is deaf because "the bells of the church had made him that way"; the judge who sentences the deformed man to a flogging "is as deaf as Quasimodo. The court had made him that way." Still, the deeper implications of the story will likely be lost on children. Dramatically framing the text are Slavin's (Extra! Extra! The Who, What, Where, When and Why of Newspapers) subtly hued, skillfully composed paintings. His mastery of detail, especially in period dress and architecture, makes turbulent medieval Paris appear real--sometimes frighteningly so. This polished, thoughtful collaboration may serve as an authentic preview to Hugo's classic, but may be best appreciated with an adult standing by. Ages 5-8.
