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Quasimodo: A Prequel
It’s 1456, Paris, France. A young girl's life is hurled into despair by the dark and evil Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Her only hope is the help of a midwife, and a witch or two. This historic Gothic fiction tale tells the untold beginning, before Victor's Hugo's, Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is the tragic story of how Quasimodo came to be.
148 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2020
2 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Graf
3 books4 followersSusan was raised in Southern California, before moving to the East coast, where she completed graduate school, married, and had two children. She has a longtime love of Gothic literature. Susan's debut publication, a novella titled, "Quasimodo, a Prequel" is the untold story of how Victor Hugo's, Quasimodo the bell-ringer, came to be.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 12, 2020
WOW, what a huge undertaking! Kudos to author S.L. Graf for taking us back in time and shedding light on a story we know, and that I personally, have loved for some time. Did I automatically think of the amazing Disney movie? Yes, but then all the depressing aspects of life in 15th century Paris is brought to the reader's attention. THIS IS also a great read at this time to remind us of the beauty and power of the recently burnt Notre Dame. People died for it, prayed to it, lived their lives for it, surrendered their children to it. Imagine living your whole life in the walls of such a holy, worshipped place.
Not only is this a historical novel it reads as though it WAS written in the late middle ages when Paris and the rest of Europe came into the Modern Era. I often wonder about the amazing minds that died too soon in time such as the European plague. But this story isn't about them it's about Jacquette and her life of submission to the world around her and life-saving friendship with Agnes.
I don't want people to get look at this novel and then pass it up thinking it will be a long history lesson. In fact, for a historical novel it comes off as short. Regardless of how long it is, IT is a wonderful piece of women's fiction .
Not only is this a historical novel it reads as though it WAS written in the late middle ages when Paris and the rest of Europe came into the Modern Era. I often wonder about the amazing minds that died too soon in time such as the European plague. But this story isn't about them it's about Jacquette and her life of submission to the world around her and life-saving friendship with Agnes.
I don't want people to get look at this novel and then pass it up thinking it will be a long history lesson. In fact, for a historical novel it comes off as short. Regardless of how long it is, IT is a wonderful piece of women's fiction .
February 13, 2020
WOW, what a huge undertaking! Kudos to author S.L. Graf for taking us back in time and shedding light on a story we know, and that I personally, have loved for some time. Did I automatically think of the amazing Disney movie? Yes, but then all the depressing aspects of life in 15th century Paris is brought to the reader's attention. THIS IS also a great read at this time to remind us of the beauty and power of the recently burnt Notre Dame. People died for it, prayed to it, lived their lives for it, surrendered their children to it. Imagine living your whole life in the walls of such a holy, worshipped place.
Not only is this a historical novel it reads as though it WAS written in the late middle ages when Paris and the rest of Europe came into the Modern Era. I often wonder about the amazing minds that died too soon in time such as the European plague. But this story isn't about them it's about Jacquette and her life of submission to the world around her and life-saving friendship with Agnes.
I don't want people to get look at this novel and then pass it up thinking it will be a long history lesson. In fact, for a historical novel it comes off as short. Regardless of how long it is, IT is a wonderful piece of women's fiction .
Not only is this a historical novel it reads as though it WAS written in the late middle ages when Paris and the rest of Europe came into the Modern Era. I often wonder about the amazing minds that died too soon in time such as the European plague. But this story isn't about them it's about Jacquette and her life of submission to the world around her and life-saving friendship with Agnes.
I don't want people to get look at this novel and then pass it up thinking it will be a long history lesson. In fact, for a historical novel it comes off as short. Regardless of how long it is, IT is a wonderful piece of women's fiction .
August 17, 2023
I'm a LONG term Hunchback fan and collect various copies and spinoffs.
Honestly, I found it by accident, ordered it and went in thinking it was going to be bullshit knock off, barely about the characters but their universe, or like an ableist rewrite or something.
Good gods y’all it’s AMAZING. It’s short, only about 150 pages, but holy crap. The characters are canon, detailed and heavily influenced by history. It’s a story about Quasimodo’s lineage and how his family has been long term destroyed by Frollo even before his birth.
It actually paints Frollo as the monster he is, rather than trying to dismiss it or romanticise it, how he’s destroyed so many lives and people always made excuses for him for their own selfish reasons.
The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was the deeply upsetting subjects that hit without warning. Frollo in the books was a racist, misogynist, murderer, and pedophile, but this fucking slams it in your face and shows you the worst of his soul without making excuses. It makes the story richer (it's not gratuitous) I just wasn't prepared.
This author is clearly a devoted fan and has seen all the adaptations because there’s nods toward various media versions.
As someone obsessed with the original, I highly recommend reading.
Honestly, I found it by accident, ordered it and went in thinking it was going to be bullshit knock off, barely about the characters but their universe, or like an ableist rewrite or something.
Good gods y’all it’s AMAZING. It’s short, only about 150 pages, but holy crap. The characters are canon, detailed and heavily influenced by history. It’s a story about Quasimodo’s lineage and how his family has been long term destroyed by Frollo even before his birth.
It actually paints Frollo as the monster he is, rather than trying to dismiss it or romanticise it, how he’s destroyed so many lives and people always made excuses for him for their own selfish reasons.
The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was the deeply upsetting subjects that hit without warning. Frollo in the books was a racist, misogynist, murderer, and pedophile, but this fucking slams it in your face and shows you the worst of his soul without making excuses. It makes the story richer (it's not gratuitous) I just wasn't prepared.
This author is clearly a devoted fan and has seen all the adaptations because there’s nods toward various media versions.
As someone obsessed with the original, I highly recommend reading.
November 21, 2019
This story is very intriguing. It is history come to life in a story filled with danger and real life issues. Presented beautifully, this well thought out tale is of the lives that came before the story of Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame. Author puts in tidbits of the past with precision and intrigue, prompting for you to look up things like is that what they said when they threw the chamber pots out the window. Other tidbits added to the story you didn’t have to look up to know what they were because it was woven so well into what was happening in the story. Also the story was so capturing that you didn’t want to pull yourself out of the book. The story is filled with real life heartache of that time period showing you the hard life of a young woman that was dealt blows but handled it like her own type of hero.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews