A rather grusome story shows the reader did medieval life.

This book, I must say, is nothing like I expected it to be. I thought it would focus on the life of the Hunchback, Quasimodo, but instead it Looked at the lives of many unfortunate people along the way. Most of the characters are rather sad people; A gypsy girl taken advantage of by a crude soldier; A lustful deacon gone mad; a lonely bell ringer Persecuted by the mobs of Paris; a poet / philosopher broke and homeless. I had expected, well, brighter, different characters and storylines. One this I found amazing about this story, HOWEVER, what the shading of the characters. I expected the villain, Claude Frollo, to be black-hearted. Instead, at what parts he almost a shade of gray. Note of caution: I would not recommend this book to children. Yes, Disney made a movie out of it, but the true tale is not one for youngsters. The Entire story, Especially the end, is too sandy and dark for young readers to enjoy