B. J. Harrison Reads The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Written by Victor Hugo

Narrated by B. J. Harrison

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is one of Victor Hugo most popular historical novels. It follows the story of the young Quasimodo, a hunchback who lives the solitary life of an outcast in the bell tower of Notre-Dame in Paris. When his path crosses that of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, his little world is turned upside down. Quasimodo’s guardian, the Archdeacon Frollo, becomes equally obsessed with Esmeralda and tries to convince Quasimodo to kidnap her. This gothic tale full of betrayal and lust explores human condition and all those emotions and feelings that make us human. Hugo’s romantic description of the cathedral inspired a renewed interest in medieval architecture in France, and led to a wave of renovations across the country. His novel has been adapted into numerous big and small screen adaptations, most famously the 1996 Disney animated movie. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a prolific French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, and statesman. His name is often associated with the Romantic movement in France. He was also an ardent politician, supporting republicanism. His best known works include “Les Miserables”, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, “The Man Who Laughs”, witnessing countless big screen adaptations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SAGA Egmont
• Release date: Aug 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9788726572971

Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet and novelist. Born in Besançon, Hugo was the son of a general who served in the Napoleonic army. Raised on the move, Hugo was taken with his family from one outpost to the next, eventually setting with his mother in Paris in 1803. In 1823, he published his first novel, launching a career that would earn him a reputation as a leading figure of French Romanticism. His Gothic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) was a bestseller throughout Europe, inspiring the French government to restore the legendary cathedral to its former glory. During the reign of King Louis-Philippe, Hugo was elected to the National Assembly of the French Second Republic, where he spoke out against the death penalty and poverty while calling for public education and universal suffrage. Exiled during the rise of Napoleon III, Hugo lived in Guernsey from 1855 to 1870. During this time, he published his literary masterpiece Les Misérables (1862), a historical novel which has been adapted countless times for theater, film, and television. Towards the end of his life, he advocated for republicanism around Europe and across the globe, cementing his reputation as a defender of the people and earning a place at Paris’ Panthéon, where his remains were interred following his death from pneumonia. His final words, written on a note only days before his death, capture the depth of his belief in humanity: “To love is to act.”