Even though it took me a while to get into The Hunchback of Notre Dame I was very impressed with the book (book review) and thought the last 200 pages were certainly work trudging through some of it.
1) The original title of the book is “Notre Dame de Paris” which translates into “Our Lady of Paris” – a much more fitting title in my opinion.
2) Victor Hugo made it clear that the main character in the novel is the cathedral and not any of the characters.
3) Victor Hugo was strongly against the English title.
4) Don Claude Frollo named the abandoned child he found in the church “Quasimodo” because he found him on Quasimodo Sunday.
5) “Quasi modo” in Latin translates to “almost standard” but actually means “similar to”. Believe it or not this name is in line with common medieval naming conventions.
The Hunchback by Brian Bustard – Purchase a Print
6) Quasimodo has fifteen bells but his favorite is named “Big Marie”
7) In the novel, Esmeralda is 14-16 years old.
8 ) Esmeralda is charged with witchcraft, among other offenses.
9) One of the subplots is Esmeralda’s search for her mother.
10) There are two historical characters in the novel: King Louis XI and the poet Pierre Gringoire.
Paris as seen from the top of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Zohar – Man of la Book
7 Comments
Wow, I had no idea that the cathedral was meant to be the main “character.” Interesting facts!
Just hoppin through from FF! I’m a new follower. My FF is at Coffee Table Reviews
I like you factoids. I always like knowing things like there. A piece a trivia relating back to The Hunchback of Notre Dame: in the film Death in Venice, the boat that took Gustav Ashenbach to his hotel was called the Esmeralda after the girl in the book. Can’t remember if Thomas Mann did in the book (but I think he did, it has be about 20 years since I read it)
Re: Thanks for the comment. Uncle Misha’s Partisans – you probably need to comb second hand stores for this book. Are you saying that the Jews in the partisan group your uncle was in hated each other?
The Partisans fought the Germans but many were just as anti-Semitic as the Nazis were.
Ok, I knew this about some of the partisans,but I in Yuri Suhl work and especially in Uncle Misha’s Partisans, they are all Jewish partisans, though other partisan groups are mentioned.
Love Paris ? come to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. For real
Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris for cheap