I just finished The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Aside from a classic, this really is an epic novel! I loved it! So funny and yet so well crafted! Such depth of imagery and casual insertion of mythic symbolism. The dialogue was superb, the narration insightful without being dry or invasive. The plot incredible.
I love the combination of Church and gangster scandals, which is why one of my favorite contemporary authors is Arturo Perez-Reverte!
I especially enjoyed how all the characters and events were interconnected, sometimes obviously, sometimes loosely, and how there was a syncretic blend of sociopolitical commentary merged with the sheer audacious fun of the Roman Noir era of French literature
The ending was perfectly tragic as well. While I usually read novels too deeply like an English Lit teacher, I just enjoyed this one for what it was. Maybe after a second read I will reflect better on what the novel means to me and what the symbolism expresses, but for now, reading was just fun enough
of course, I love the disillusionment reflected so much in the greats Hugo and Dumas, I think their post-Revolution world was just as spiteful and jaded to politics and societal norms as we are in the post-punk/post-modern world
