The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Interesting Facts

• The book played a key role in preserving Notre-Dame Cathedral. After its publication, public awareness of the cathedral’s deteriorating condition led to its restoration.
• The main heroine’s real name is Agnès. Esmeralda is her stage name.
• Victor Hugo used the novel to criticize the society of his time, especially condemning social inequality and injustice.
• Claude Frollo, the archdeacon, was initially a kind and noble man, but his obsession with Esmeralda led to his moral downfall.
• Quasimodo was found as an infant on the steps of the cathedral and raised by Claude Frollo.
• The original French title of the novel is 'Notre-Dame de Paris,' which literally means 'Our Lady of Paris,' not 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.'