Notre-Dame de Paris (annotated)

At the center of Hugo's classic novel are three extraordinary characters caught in a web of fatal obsession. The grotesque hunchback Quasimodo, bell-ringer of Notre-Dame, owes his life to the austere archdeacon, Claude Frollo, who in turn is bound by a hopeless passion to the gypsy dancer Esmeralda. She, meanwhile, is bewitched by a handsome, empty-headed officer, but by an unthinking act of kindness wins Quasimodo's selfless devotion...

Alban Kraisheimer's new translation offers a fresh approach to this monumental work by France's most celebrated Romantic authors.

Set in medieval Paris, Victor Hugo’s powerful historical romance The Hunchback of Notre-Dame tells the story of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, condemned as a witch by the tormented archdeacon Claude Frollo, who lusts after her. Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral, having fallen in love with the kindhearted Esmeralda, tries to save her by hiding her in the cathedral’s tower. When a crowd of Parisian peasants, misunderstanding Quasimodo’s motives, attacks the church in an attempt to liberate her, the story ends in tragedy.

Frommer's France 2011

Updated annually, Frommer's France features in-depth coverage of the sights and experiences that await you plus background on French food, wine, film, and musicOur authors draw on decades of experience in France to blend late-breaking developments, including the best new restaurants in Paris and Lyon, with tips for visiting France's most enduring attractions, such as Notre-Dame, Mont-St-Michel, Loire Valley chateaux, and the vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy among other wine regions.