The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Summary

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a novel written by Victor Hugo and first published in 1831. The story takes place in 15th-century medieval Paris and centers on the intertwined fates of several characters connected to the famous cathedral. The main characters include Esmeralda, a beautiful gypsy girl whose beauty becomes her doom; Quasimodo, the deformed and deaf bell-ringer rejected by society but with a pure heart; and Archdeacon Claude Frollo, whose obsessive love for Esmeralda leads to tragedy. The story unfolds against the backdrop of medieval Paris and explores themes of love, jealousy, devotion, and social injustice. Hugo also gives a detailed description of Paris at the time and the cathedral’s architecture, making the book not only a literary work but also an important historical and cultural document.