The time has come to re-read The Hunchback of Notre Dame! Every monday for a while I will blog on the novel by chapters. Since the book has like 57 chapters I will do a few at a time. I will blog on my thoughts and feeling on each chapter. Some chapters may just have their own post and some post will be a few, pending on the chapter. I going to re-red my old stand-by version, Barnes & Noble Classics Series of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These posts will be pretty off the cuff.
Book 1, Chapter 1, The Great Hall
Personally, I have never enjoyed this chapter. It’s lot of stuff that amounts to almost nothing. We are introduced to two characters, Jehan Frollo and Gringoire, though Gringoire is not named. The chapter just sets-up a scene with a a lot of chaos and noise. Tonally, it’s a good set-up for the book but with all the names you kind get bogged down with names and people you’re not going to hear from again. It give us a good look at common everyday people but it just not my favorite chapter in the book.
Book 1, Chapter 2, Pierre Gringoire
As the name of the chapter implies, in this chapter we meet Pierre Gringoie. Gringoire is putting on a morality play. This play is about Nobility, Religion, Commerce and Labour. The play is not well met by the common people and poorly met by a beggar name Clopin Trouillefou who interrupts the play. Like the last chapter it the same scene, so it’s noisy and full of people. At the end the Cardinal arrives. Like the last chapter, not favorite.
Book 1, Chapter 3, The Cardinal
With the Cardinal’s entrance, Gringoire’s play is once again interrupted. There some political stuff going on here with the Cardinal being annoyed that he has to show respected to the Flemish. Again not a fan of this chapter but I swear I do love this book just not the opening chapters.
Book 1, Chapter 4, Master Jacques Coppenole
In this chapter, Gringoire play is allowed to continue on by the Cardinal but names and titles are still being called out of people who are important enough to sit along side the cardinal so no one in the crowd is listening to the play. And just when it seems like the everyone who is anyone is there and people might start listening to Gringoire’s play, a houser named Master Jacques Coppenole, makes a speech about how this no fun and they should crown the Pope of Fools. This chapter saving grace is explains how the competition for the Pope of Fools is chosen. The speech also ends Gringoire plays. Still not my favorite but it starts us moving to the next part.
The First four chapter set-up Gringoire’s misfortune and lack of appriciation for his literally work. Poor Guy. They also shows how mad a crowd can be which a big thing later.