Project Re-Read! Book 1 Chapters 5-6 to Book 2 Chapters 1-2

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Book 1, Chapter 5, Quasimodo

The contest for the Pope of Fools begins and ends in this chapter. We are treated to a very detailed description of to what Hugo’s Quasimodo looks like. The men reveal in Quasimodo’s ugliness and the women fears it. One women even claims that Quasimodo practices witchcraft. I feel like this chapter finally starts the story going. It also shows off Quasimodo’s impressive collection of nicknames.

Book 1, Chapter 6, Esmeralda

While the Pop of Fools contest goes one, Grigoire and his actor continue on with their play as a few people are still sort of listening. The final nail in the play’s coffin comes when someone says that Esmeralda has entered the square. This chapter is interesting because in the last paragraph we get two references to the Virgin Mary. So even before we meet Esmeralda, she already aligned to the Virgin.

Book 2, Chapter 1, From Charybdis to Scylla

Between Scylla and Charybdis is an Idiom that comes out of Greek Mythology that means ” having to choose between two evils.” It’s like “between a rock and a hard place.” Charybdis and Scylla are both sea monsters.

Now that Gringoire’s play is dead, he finds himself in a pickle. He’s broke so he can’t return to his lodging as he own them money and he can’t seem to find a quiet place to sleep because of the feast. In the end Gringoire says “Fuck it” and heads over to the The Place de Grève because it you can’t beat them join them. I liked this chapter, I know hoe Gringoire feels here. I feel your pain Pierre.

Book 2, Chapter 2, The Place de Grève

This Chapter describes The Place de Grève it also foreshadows the pillory and the giblet. It’s a short chapter filled with description but not wholly dull just a little.

Project Re-Read! Book 1 Chapters 1-4

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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.

You are Tearing me apart, Quasimodo!

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The Disaster Artist picture image

The Disaster Artist

Recently, I read The Disaster Artist which is an inside look at the making of The Room, which is called the Citizen Kane of bad films. If you haven’t seen it, see it! The Disaster Artist is also a very compelling read.

Tommy Wiseau the Room picture image

Tommy Wiseau

Fairly early in the book authors Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell liken The Room’s mastermind Tommy Wiseau to Quaismodo saying that Wiseau looks like “the Hunchback of Notre Dame following corrective surgery.” This is allegory is almost too true. Could you imagine Tommy Wiseau playing Quasimodo? That would amazing!

Disney’s Mix and Match Villains Book

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I mentioned Disney’s Mix and Match Villains Book in a post about the villain line but since then I have found my copy of it. Oh the fun of this thing.

The book is a game where you flip segments of a pictures and words to form absurdities.

Frollo's page Disney's Mix and Match Villains Book pictureimage

Frollo’s page

So for example the Hunchback page features Frollo holding a book with Quasimodo and Hugo off to the side and the text reads “Frollo sneered, I’m very disappointed in you Quasimodo.

With a few flips I can change it to this.

Ursula demands that only love's first kiss will awaken Quasimodo Disney's Mix and Match Villains Book picture image

Ursula demands that only love’s first kiss will awaken Quasimodo

Oh such fun. Though I confessed as child I loved using Alice’s Head in the mix.

Frollo wants to marry Alice's Head Disney's Mix and Match Villains Book picture image

Frollo wants to marry Alice’s Head

(sorry for the bad pictures)

The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Review

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The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame

One of the best companion pieces to the Disney version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame is The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney Miniature).

Concept art of Quasimodo saving Esmeralda from the Art of the Hunchback , picture image

Concept art of Quasimodo saving Esmeralda from the Art of the Hunchback

It’s for all intended purpose thisis an art book. It has tons of concept art, production stills, sketches, illustrations from the novel, and art by Victor Hugo. (Hugo’s own art work is gorgeous). However the major flaw with it is its size. It’s tiny for something that is an art book. Here’s a picture of it compare to my Final Fantasy IX art book (I had this book for a while).

Size comparison of The Art of the Hunchback of Notre to The Art of Final Fantasy IX picture image

Size comparison of The Art of the Hunchback of Notre to The Art of Final Fantasy IX

The Hunchback art book is 5.6 inches by 4.3 inches compare to the art Final Fantasy IX which is 11.8 inches by 9.3 inches. However I think this isn’t suppose to be a true art book as much a more in depth look behind movie’s creation.

Concept Art for Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Concept Art for Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The book has a ton of information about the background on the book, characters and a lot of how the movie art plays with light and shadows. It’s a very interesting read although Stephen Rebello does make one big generalization. In the Quasimodo chapter page 57, he writes ” Victor Hugo probably never imagined his malformed, melancholy creation breaking forth into song.” Hugo himself wrote a libretto for Louise Bertin’s opera La Esmeralda . Making Hugo the first person to adapt the novel. Considering Hugo wrote Quasimodo an aria, I think it’s safe to say that he did imagine him breaking out into song. On a side note, that aria  was only piece people liked from the opera. You can listen to it here

Concept Art of Quasimodo from the Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Concept Art of Quasimodo from the Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame

Anyway despite that generalization it is well researched and an interesting read with lots of great artwork. I would highly recommend it for fans of the Disney movie.

Happy Ananke Day Everyone!

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March 29 is apparently Ananke Day according to the good people at The Frollo Forum. Ananke was the original inspiration for the character of Frollo. Victor Hugo say the word carved into a wall in Notre Dame and wonder about the person who carved it.  It’s a greek concept that means roughly (very, very very roughly) “Death Destiny”.

So in honor Ananke Day here’s a video of “Anarkia” from Notre Dame de Paris peformed by Daniel Lavoie (Frollo) and Bruno Pelletier (Grongoire) Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sGpSBzuLg

Also I know I put this song as number 7 in the worst song list of Notre Dame de Paris but I really do enjoy it. So many subject changes for such a short song, I think Gringoire has ADD.

Fan-Art Friday 3/22/12

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Today’s Fan-Art was created by MimiStriped. It’s base on a scene from the book where Frollo shows Esmeralda his wounds he gave himself in reaction to her being tortured. This scene is during his confession to her in Jail and it’s my favorite scene from the book. And this is a lovely rendering.

...voi che'ntrate by mimistriped

…voi che’ntrate by mimistriped

Benjamin Lacombe’s Notre Dame de Paris

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Benjamin Lacombe is a French artist who has illustrated several books his latest is Notre Dame de Paris which was released November 30th 2011. His work has a gothic anime feel  that I find appealing but I’m not sure why. I’ve seen stuff akin to it but there is something about his work that I find appealing maybe it’s the use of color or the composition. Currently the book is only available in French. Other work by Benjamin Lacombe

Click the link to buy  Benjamin Lacombe’s Notre-Dame de Paris Part 1 from Amazon France

And now some pictures;

Benjamin Lacombe' s Cover of Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Benjamin Lacombe' s Cover of Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame and Paris by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Notre Dame and Paris by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris

Esmeralda by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Esmeralda by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris

Quasimodo by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Quasimodo by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris

Esmeralda and Djali by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Esmeralda and Djali by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris

Esmeralda by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris picture image