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Ratings: ★★★★★ (4.9/5)
Genre: Classic Literature / Historical Romance / Gothic Fiction / French Literature (English translation)

Book Review:
Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) is a sweeping, tragic novel set in medieval Paris. At its heart is the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda, who is loved by three very different men: the gentle but grotesque bell-ringer Quasimodo, the obsessed and pious Archdeacon Frollo, and the handsome but shallow Captain Phoebus. As their passions collide, Esmeralda is caught in a web of false accusations, torture, and a death sentence — with Quasimodo making a heroic but ultimately heartbreaking attempt to save her from the gallows. Hugo’s novel is not just a love story; it is a powerful social critique, a celebration of Gothic architecture, and a meditation on fate (the Greek word Ananke carved into the cathedral walls). This Rupa Classics edition offers an accessible English translation at an affordable price.