The novel's French title, Notre-Dame de Paris, refers to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Frederic Shoberl's 1833 English translation was published as … See more

In 1482 Paris, during the reign of Louis XI, 10 years before Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas, sixteen-year-old Roma dancer … See more

The novel's original French title, Notre-Dame de Paris, indicates that the cathedral itself is the most significant aspect of the novel, both the main setting and the focus of the story's themes. The building had fallen into disrepair at the time of writing, which … See more

Allusions to actual history, geography and current science
In The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo makes … See more

Victor Hugo initially agreed to write Notre-Dame de Paris in 1828. Due to Hugo's other literary projects, the novel fell by the wayside until 1830. … See more

Major
• Esmeralda (born Agnès) is the novel’s protagonist. She is a beautiful 16-year-old Roma street dancer (referred to in the text by "Gypsy") who is … See more

Hugo introduced with this work the concept of the novel as Epic Theatre. A giant epic about the history of a whole people, incarnated … See more