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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris, lit. 'Our Lady of Paris', originally titled Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482) is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. The title refers to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which features prominently throughout the novel. It focuses on the unfortunate story of Quasimodo, the Romani street dancer Esmeralda, and Quasimodo's guardian the Archdeacon Claude Frollo in 15th-century Paris. All its elements—the Renaissance setting, impossible love affairs and marginalised characters—make the work a model of the literary themes of Romanticism.
The novel is considered a classic of French literature and has been adapted repeatedly for film, stage and television. Some prominent examples include a 1923 silent film with Lon Chaney, a 1939 sound film with Charles Laughton, a 1956 film with Anthony Quinn, and a 1996 animated film with Tom Hulce.
Written during a time of cultural upheaval, the novel champions historical preservation. Hugo solidified Notre-Dame de Paris as a national icon, arguing for the preservation of Gothic architecture as an element of France's cultural heritage.
The novel's French title, Notre-Dame de Paris, refers to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Frederic Shoberl's 1833 English translation was published as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This became the generally used title in English, referring to Quasimodo, Notre-Dame's bell-ringer. Victor Hugo was allegedly upset that this translation placed focus on only one character, seeing his novel as a broader plea for the preservation of France's gothic architecture.
Victor Hugo initially agreed to write Notre-Dame de Paris in 1828. Due to Hugo's other literary projects, the novel fell by the wayside until 1830. A primary theme of the novel is that of the value of Gothic architecture, which was neglected and often destroyed to be replaced by new buildings or defaced by replacement of parts of buildings in a newer style. For instance, the medieval stained glass panels of Notre-Dame de Paris had been replaced by white glass to let more light into the church. A few years earlier, Hugo had already published a paper entitled Guerre aux Démolisseurs (War [declared] on the Demolishers) specifically aimed at saving Paris's medieval architecture. The agreement with his original publisher, Gosselin, was that the book would be finished that same year, but Hugo was constantly delayed due to the demands of other projects. In the summer of 1830, Gosselin demanded that Hugo complete the book by February 1831. Beginning in September 1830, Hugo worked nonstop on the project thereafter.
Legend has it that Hugo locked himself in his room, getting rid of his clothes to write the novel on time, the idea being he could not go outside without clothes.
Set in Paris in 1482, during the reign of Louis XI, the novel centers on several characters whose lives intersect around Notre-Dame Cathedral. Esmeralda, a young Romani dancer, attracts the attention of multiple men: Captain Phoebus de Châteaupers, the poet Pierre Gringoire, the cathedral's bell-ringer Quasimodo, and his guardian, Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo becomes consumed by a conflicted obsession with her and orders Quasimodo to abduct her, but the attempt fails when Phoebus intervenes and captures Quasimodo.
Gringoire, meanwhile, wanders into the Court of Miracles, a community of beggars and outcasts, and is nearly executed for trespassing before Esmeralda saves him by agreeing to marry him in name only. The following day, Quasimodo is publicly punished for the attempted kidnapping. When he is left exposed and begging for water, Esmeralda shows him kindness by giving him a drink, earning his devotion.
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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris, lit. 'Our Lady of Paris', originally titled Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482) is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. The title refers to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which features prominently throughout the novel. It focuses on the unfortunate story of Quasimodo, the Romani street dancer Esmeralda, and Quasimodo's guardian the Archdeacon Claude Frollo in 15th-century Paris. All its elements—the Renaissance setting, impossible love affairs and marginalised characters—make the work a model of the literary themes of Romanticism.
The novel is considered a classic of French literature and has been adapted repeatedly for film, stage and television. Some prominent examples include a 1923 silent film with Lon Chaney, a 1939 sound film with Charles Laughton, a 1956 film with Anthony Quinn, and a 1996 animated film with Tom Hulce.
Written during a time of cultural upheaval, the novel champions historical preservation. Hugo solidified Notre-Dame de Paris as a national icon, arguing for the preservation of Gothic architecture as an element of France's cultural heritage.
The novel's French title, Notre-Dame de Paris, refers to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Frederic Shoberl's 1833 English translation was published as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This became the generally used title in English, referring to Quasimodo, Notre-Dame's bell-ringer. Victor Hugo was allegedly upset that this translation placed focus on only one character, seeing his novel as a broader plea for the preservation of France's gothic architecture.
Victor Hugo initially agreed to write Notre-Dame de Paris in 1828. Due to Hugo's other literary projects, the novel fell by the wayside until 1830. A primary theme of the novel is that of the value of Gothic architecture, which was neglected and often destroyed to be replaced by new buildings or defaced by replacement of parts of buildings in a newer style. For instance, the medieval stained glass panels of Notre-Dame de Paris had been replaced by white glass to let more light into the church. A few years earlier, Hugo had already published a paper entitled Guerre aux Démolisseurs (War [declared] on the Demolishers) specifically aimed at saving Paris's medieval architecture. The agreement with his original publisher, Gosselin, was that the book would be finished that same year, but Hugo was constantly delayed due to the demands of other projects. In the summer of 1830, Gosselin demanded that Hugo complete the book by February 1831. Beginning in September 1830, Hugo worked nonstop on the project thereafter.
Legend has it that Hugo locked himself in his room, getting rid of his clothes to write the novel on time, the idea being he could not go outside without clothes.
Set in Paris in 1482, during the reign of Louis XI, the novel centers on several characters whose lives intersect around Notre-Dame Cathedral. Esmeralda, a young Romani dancer, attracts the attention of multiple men: Captain Phoebus de Châteaupers, the poet Pierre Gringoire, the cathedral's bell-ringer Quasimodo, and his guardian, Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo becomes consumed by a conflicted obsession with her and orders Quasimodo to abduct her, but the attempt fails when Phoebus intervenes and captures Quasimodo.
Gringoire, meanwhile, wanders into the Court of Miracles, a community of beggars and outcasts, and is nearly executed for trespassing before Esmeralda saves him by agreeing to marry him in name only. The following day, Quasimodo is publicly punished for the attempted kidnapping. When he is left exposed and begging for water, Esmeralda shows him kindness by giving him a drink, earning his devotion.