I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would based on people joking about Hugo’s insane attention to detail. However, I believe that people who complain or laugh at Hugo’s segues and references fail to understand that that is the point. Hugo isn’t trying to write a novel and getting sidetracked by info-dumping, he’s trying to trick you into reading an info-dump by tying it in with a novel.
People also seem to really underestimate just what a funny book this is. There’s a lot of farce that really makes it a fun read – the chapter with Quasimodo in court in particular, or when Frollo is complaining how hard he has it to Esmerelda. This is a novel info-dump with a lot of humour.
Victor Hugo really wants you to understand what Paris was like at that time. He was trying to emulate Walter Scott’s historical fiction, which was incredibly popular at the time. He wants you to come away with more knowledge about the time period, and about Notre Dame, than you arrived with. If you had fun doing it and enjoyed the story, that’s a bonus. So please, stop complaining about A Bird’s-Eye View of Paris. Victor Hugo wanted to write A Bird’s-Eye View of Paris. He needed to write the rest of the book to convince you to read it!
by SpikeVonLipwig
3 Comments
No, it isn’t underrated.
It’s considered one of the greatest books ever written and included in a number of literary cannons. It’s held in incredibly high esteem, and I don’t think I have ever heard any one whose opinion was worth a damn understate or demean it’s importance.
If *you* underrated it, that’s a you problem.
I’ll give it another try. I wasn’t in the right head space to hear about cornices on archways for 10 pages. Maybe it’s one of things you have to read when you have the bandwidth to spare.
I feel like if we have all at least heard of the book you are referencing and it was written in 1831, you can’t really claim it’s underrated.
However older humour is often lost as time goes on as culture changes. There are a few books like this where it’s actually an historical take with a loose story to keep you entertained as you learn. I love those books too.