Fiction Daily.
A blog on writing, writers and why we read. Posted most mornings by Marion Blackburn. www.marionblackburn.net
Victor Hugo, Part 2
Gene Downs' post yesterday about reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame brought to mind my reading of this great novel.

I was living in Paris, working on my master's in French, and read the novel in French. It was just as long as you can imagine, and I especially remember a detailed section, "A Bird's Eye View of Paris." It described the city as seen by Quasimodo from the top of the great cathedral Notre Dame. It situated you squarely in the mind of Quasimodo, yet it was also traditionally third-person and objective as it roamed the angled streets and buildings as seen by Hugo.

Like Gene, I was deeply affected by the book and I remember crying at the end. Yes, I was 24, and crying over a novel.

Before leaving Paris, I spent some time at Victor Hugo's house on the Right Bank, where I learned about his great love of mankind, his political activity, his dark ink drawings.

Later that spring, 1985, I also attended a production of Hugo's "Hernani" staged by Antoine Vitez, the director I was studying for my master's degree.

It was a precious opportunity to better know this great human being, Victor Hugo.
2008-01-17 12:32:23 GMT
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