Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: DK Classics: Hunchback Of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, Victor Notre-Dame De Paris Hugo, Tony Smith, Jimmy Symonds ISBN: 0-7894-1491-0 Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Publishing Pub. Date: 01 May, 1997 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.47 (72 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Not like the Disney movie
Comment: Written by Victor Hugo in the 1800's, this masterpiece is set in medieval Paris. The story jumps around, yet when you finish the book, it all makes sense. One minute it is in the middle of celebrations, and then it jumps to fifteen years before. It tells multiple stories at once: the story of the hunchback, Quasimodo, his keeper, Dom Frollo, The gypsy, La Esmeralda and other random people whose stories all tie into the whole story. Even though I don't speak French very well, and I've never been to Paris, I can imagine it vividly. The dialogue between the characters is very engaging. There are multiple twists and the plot is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Hugo wrote it beautifully, and the language is understandable. It is just so wonderful that when you get to the exciting parts, you can't put it down! He wrote it and it tugs at all of the human emotions. This book makes you laugh with triumph, cry, filled with anger towards evil, and sympathetic to the characters who don't know any better or have no options. One minute you love a character and the next you despise them with a passion. If you remember the Disney interpretation, and try to incorporate it into your reading, it won't work. The book is much more tragic than the light-hearted movie. It is beautifully written and would recommend it to everyone that thinks it is on his or her level.
Rating: 4
Summary: Disturbing yet enjoyable.
Comment: Contrary to popular opinion the novel Le Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo is not primarily about the deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo. Quasimodo's role is actually surprisingly small in the story, which makes you wonder why the English translater's chose "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" as the translation for the title. Actually, as the original French title would indicate, it is the cathedral itself that is the focus of the book. This is why in the unabridged editions of this book you will find numerous chapters that seemingly have nothing to do with the plot of the story. This is the books weakest point, and it may turn many people away from the book. Once you get into the plot, however, it is iimpossible to put the book down. The characters are intriguing: composer Pierre Gringoire, archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, once a paragon of virtue now tormented by his corrupt love for a gipsy girl, L'Esmerelda, the naive gipsy dancer, Phoebus, the selfish, egotistical captain of the guards, and of course Qausimodo, a deaf, deformed bellringer. The relationships between these characters are complex and dark but they make an unforgettable story. The story is never, from front to back, a happy one, so if you are looking for a book that makes you "feel good" this is not the one for you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a good book to read, that is unafraid to deal with the darker side of reality, I highly recommend "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
Rating: 1
Summary: Shouldn't a writer know how to write?
Comment: I stopped reading on page three. This poorly rewritten story contained numerous incomplete sentences, going against everything I am trying to teach my kids (9 and 5). Children deserve to have proper modeling of sentence structure, and this book doesn't cut it.
Yes, this book by Tim Wynne-Jones might have a great story, but it's overshadowed by the author's sloppy attempts in the retelling. Don't your children deserve more?
I would instead recommend Jimmy Symonds' version of this story by Eyewitness Classics. Mr. Symonds excellently condensed this marvelous story, and we enjoyed the sidebars giving additional information into the time the story was written. The quality of the book was carried through to ALL aspects of the book--including grammar.
Don't underestimate your kids.
 |
Title: Les Miserables a New Unabridged Translation (Signet Classics) by Victor Hugo, Lee Fahnestock, Norman MacAfee ISBN: 0451525264 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: March, 1987 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
 |
Title: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas ISBN: 0140367470 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: November, 1995 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
 |
Title: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens ISBN: 0812580036 Publisher: Tor Classics Pub. Date: 15 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
 |
Title: Great Expectations by Monica Kulling, Charles Dickens ISBN: 0679874666 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Pub. Date: 19 November, 1996 List Price(USD): $3.99 |
 |
Title: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Frederick Busch ISBN: 0451526562 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: August, 1997 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
