The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Classic Starts Series) » (Modern Retelling)

"If a writer wrote merely for his time, I would have to break my pen and throw it away," the larger-than-life Victor Hugo once confessed. Indeed, this 19th-century French master's works -- from the epic drama Les Misérables to the classic unrequited love story The Hunchback of Notre Dame -- have spanned the ages, their themes of morality and redemption ever applicable to our times.

Set in a richly rendered 15th century Paris, Victor Hugo’s powerful drama focuses on a beautiful gypsy girl named Esmeralda, the two men (including an obsessed and manipulative priest) who love her, and the pitiful hunchback Quasimodo who tries to save her. With this simplified yet spellbinding version, kids can enjoy all the excitement of Hugo’s masterful story.

Children's Literature

Another volume from the "Classic Starts" series, this story of the disfigured bell ringer is summarized so that a young reader can follow the plot. Because the original is a weighty novel to condense, the abbreviated version may suffer from choppiness and is not always easy to understand. Explanations about the characters' motivations are lacking. Still, the key players are there, and the important actions are explained. Esmeralda's end is perfunctory, but perhaps that is best, given the understanding of younger readers. As the afterword explains, it is useful for readers to try to answer the questions at the back of the book, as well as to discuss them. In doing so, they will hopefully better understand the story and be able to relate the themes to other works and to their own cultures. The illustrations give a good feel for a time period, the late fifteenth century, and a way of life far removed from today's world. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine