THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME by Hugo, Victor

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a classic tragedy by Victor Hugo.

Summary of the Book

Quasimodo is a strange man. According to the people around him, he doesn’t have a right to live. He is hated for his grotesque appearance, his hunchback and his disfigurement. He lives a life of seclusion in the vaulted Gothic towers of Notre-Dame, ringing the bell for a living. The only person who has ever shown him some respect and pity is the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda. Quasimodo becomes besotted with the woman, but he knows that it is a doomed love, for who could love a monster? To add to his problems, the malevolent archdeacon Claude Frollo has his eyes set on Esmeralda, and he will do anything to have her. When she spurns his advances, Frollo sets forth to destroy her, and only Quasimodo might be able to save her. This book is one of Victor Hugo’s greatest achievements for his beloved city of Paris and the medieval age that ended its romanticism.

About Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo was a French novelist, poet and dramatist. Among his other works are: Les Miserables, The Man Who Laughs and The Last Day of a Condemned Man.

The book was adapted into an animated film by Walt Disney Pictures.