
Audio Sample
Victor Hugo
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Read by Bill Homewood
abridged
In the grotesque bell-ringer Quasimodo, Victor Hugo created one of the most vivid characters in classic fiction. Quasimodo’s doomed love for the beautiful gypsy girl Esmerelda is an example of the traditional love theme of beauty and the beast. Yet, set against the massive background of Notre Dame de Paris and interwoven with the sacred and secular life of medieval France, it takes on a larger perspective. The characters come to life: the poet Gringoire, the tormented priest Claude Frollo, the upright, fun-loving captain Phoebus and above all Quasimodo and Esmerelda themselves. It is a tale peppered with humour but fuelled by the anguish which unfolds beneath the bells of the great cathedral of Paris.

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2 CDs
Running Time: 2 h 38 m
More product details
ISBN: 978-962-634-382-1 Digital ISBN: 978-962-954-543-7 Cat. no.: NA238212 Download size: 38 MB BISAC: FIC004000 Released: June 2006 -
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Reviews
Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
Set in 15th-century Paris, Hugo’s powerful novel evokes medieval life as it tells of the doomed love of Quasimodo, the grotesque bell-ringer at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, for Esmeralda, the beautiful gypsy. Bill Homewood’s vibrant performance captures the passion of Hugo’s characters in his spellbinding narration. Whether he’s thundering Frollo’s lust or bellowing Quasimodo’s despair, Homewood’s strong voice reveals the emotions of the characters with skill and confidence. Fine liner notes include information about Hugo and a list of the classical music skilfully selected for the narrative transitions.
P.B.J., AudioFile