”The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is one of Victor Hugo most popular historical novels. It follows the story of the young Quasimodo, a hunchback who lives the solitary life of an outcast in the bell tower of Notre-Dame in Paris. When his path crosses that of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, his little world is turned upside down. Quasimodo’s guardian, the Archdeacon Frollo, becomes equally obsessed with Esmeralda and tries to convince Quasimodo to kidnap her. This gothic tale full of betrayal and lust explores human condition and all those emotions and feelings that make us human. Hugo’s romantic description of the cathedral inspired a renewed interest in medieval architecture in France, and led to a wave of renovations across the country. His novel has been adapted into numerous big and small screen adaptations, most famously the 1996 Disney animated movie.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a prolific French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, and statesman. His name is often associated with the Romantic movement in France. He was also an ardent politician, supporting republicanism. His best known works include ”Les Miserables”, ”The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, ”The Man Who Laughs”, witnessing countless big screen adaptations.