The book is set in the post-construction, pre-Protestant 1400s, the height of the Cathedral’s condition and of the Catholic Church in France. Hugo visited the Cathedral every day while writing this, in a 6 month final rush because he'd missed the publication deadline. Hugo's book title was simply the name of the Cathedral, "Notre Dame de Paris", without reference to a Hunchback, which was only added to the English translation. It centers on the Cathedral, not on Quasimodo per se.
If you are an aficionado of Parisian architectural history or the various means by which privileged classes held rights to various sources of income, this is a treasure trove. Along with detailed character development, Hugo develops subthemes (anti-cleric, anti-judiciary, anti-aristocratic, anti-xenophobic) throughout the text. This is NOT the highly-abridged plotline encapsulated in the movies. Very well read indeed by a talented and well-qualified "solo" reader.īe prepared to appreciate, and endure, the many themes in this very long book (1200 English pages, 1900 French pages).
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