Discuss The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Discuss → Movies → The Hunchback of Notre Dame → General
The Book
posted by Mrs.peacockSTAFFMOD on November 27, 2018 at 2:24 PM
Just finished the book, amazing story! Storywriting was less to my liking due to the archaic and very, very descriptive writing style but that's to be expected when it's a book written 200 years ago when most of his readers probably would never have seen Paris.
I liked Phoebus more in the book. Like, in the sense that his character is much more believable. A handsome, yet vain playboy only interested in himself. Clopin is amazing in both book and movie.
Esmeralda is a strong heroin in the movie, but in the book she's a weak and superficial person.
Quasi is very tragic in the book, and him being deaf is the worst of all. Imagine what could've been if he could hear... Frollo was also more solid and believable in the book, but would'nt work out so well in a children's movie.
I can understand they didn't include Pierre Gringoire as most parts where he played any role were completely scrapped.
Much more sad with the exclusion of Jehan. He was simply amazing and I often laughed when reading his bits. His death was heartbreaking.
Wish they could have tied up the bit with the recluse of the Rat-Hole into the story, would've been quite dramatic on screen as well.
Anyway, amazing story.
Anything similar to advise? Got Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Great Expectations" awaiting me, but looking for inspiration afterwards. Particularly looking forward to AToTC as it's also set in Paris mostly, I just love to read about that city centuries ago.
Reply by tmdb43737777
on November 27, 2018 at 2:26 PM
I adore the novel, which I first read in my mid-teens some 35 years ago, and as a consequence can't stand what Disney did to it... especially to Claude, who breaks my heart in the book. Trying to make a children's film of it was an appalling misjudgement. It's not a children's story, despite the youth of all the protagonists (16-35).
Very, very descriptive writing style but that's to be expected when it's a book written 200 years ago when most of his readers probably would never have seen Paris.It's as much for those who had seen Paris – because the old city was being torn down and redeveloped. Hugo was an early advocate of preserving old buildings, and the book did a lot to stimulate the restoration and protection of places like Notre Dame.