1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Roxana
  • Moll Flanders
  • Love In Excess
  • Robinson Crusoe
  • A Tale of a Tub
  • Oroonoko
  • The Princess of Cleves

Monday, August 27, 2012

79. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Set in 15th century Paris, with a lot of descriptions of architecture.  It took me a while to realise that it's about the city, as much as the people.

The hunchback is Quasimodo, abandoned at birth on the steps of Notre-Dame Cathedral and adopted by the Arch Deacon, Claude.  Claude lusts after the beautiful Esmeralda (stolen by gypsies as a child), who is in love with Phoebus, a soldier.  Claude gets Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda, Phoebus rescues her, Quasimodo is flogged, Claude kills Phoebus and Esmeralda is arrested and hanged.  Esmeralda's true mother discovers her identity too late.

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