Step into the heart of 15th-century Paris with Victor Hugo’s timeless masterpiece, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This powerful tale of unrequited love, dark passions, and human resilience is set against the grandeur of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which serves as both a literal and symbolic centerpiece of the novel.
Hugo weaves a rich tapestry of unforgettable characters, including Quasimodo, the deformed but kind-hearted bell ringer; Esmeralda, the enchanting gypsy girl who captures hearts; and a host of figures such as King Louis XI and Clopin Trouillefou, the king of beggars. At its core, the novel explores themes of love, fate, and societal conflict, blending elements of romance, history, and gothic drama.
A meditation on architecture, politics, and the human condition, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a sweeping narrative of beauty and despair.
Used in the following course:
- AP Literature & Composition:
- Online