Victor Hugo, Notre Dame, and The Power of Prose

When you think of the cathedral of Notre Dame, chances are good you imagine the modern incarnation of it. With its spires and gargoyles, its artistic splendor wowing tourists from around the world (at least before the time of Covid-19, that is). And chances are that when you see it, it immediately brings to mind one of the most memorable and tragic figures in fiction... Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame.

If you listen closely, the bells still call his name.

This tale has been so firmly lodged in our consciousness, from its original blockbuster success as a novel, to stage productions, to movies and musicals, that we all tend to forget something important... that this tragic tale of lust, greed, and longing might actually be the reason Notre Dame still exists today.

How Victor Hugo Saved an Entire Cathedral

Notre Dame the structure was first built in the 1100s, and the construction lasted for decades. When it was finally completed, it was an amazing sight to behold. However, as the Washington Post points out, the cathedral was in a shambles after the French Revolution, and when it was handed back to the Catholic Church it had become an eyesore, and it was poised on the edge of being torn down because there just wasn't the interest in saving it from the hammer.

Until Victor Hugo clapped his hands, and got everyone's attention.

All of you, listen up! I have a tale to tell...

In the 1820s, Hugo started in on the now famous tale of Quasimodo and Esmeralda. His work about finding the beauty and the heart beneath a frightening, unlovely exterior was more than just a lesson in not judging people... it was a tale about the cathedral itself. Hunchbacked and half blind, the modern dissolution of the beauty and splendor Notre Dame had once had was reflected in the book's protagonist.

Whether the readers at the time dug that deeply into the symbolism, or whether they just got wrapped up in the beautifully-told tale, Hugo's work managed to focus attention on the plight of Notre Dame. It started the avalanche of public interest, and outcry, that led to the cathedral being restored. Because now people were interested. They were paying attention, and it wasn't just an ugly old church from the medieval period anymore... now it was their cathedral. It was where a major bestseller took place. It was the epicenter of this fictional legend.

And that legend exists to this day, judging from the number of people who regard Notre Dame as a place of awe and wonder.

Your Work Can Change Things

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, it's important to point out that The Hunchback of Notre Dame was not some random, breakout novel. Victor Hugo was an established, popular writer, and he used his platform to draw attention to a cause he believed in. The fact that he had skill and passion for the project is probably one reason Quasimodo's tale resonated as hard as it did, but we must remember that he wasn't some struggling writer no one had heard of, looking up at Notre Dame from the gutter and trying to save her.

With that said, don't even let someone tell you that writing can't change things. That it can't make statements, draw attention to issues, and plant ideas into the minds of the public. The fiction we create often impacts the real world in meaningful (sometimes unexpected) ways.

Wait! I was just trying to get that fish!

As Gizmodo points out, the film Jaws terrified people so much that sharks have been killed in record numbers despite posing very little threat. Some people point out that Robin Cook's medical thriller Coma actually made people stop carrying organ donor cards because of the organ theft plot shown in the book, convincing many that it was a massive, extremely common occurrence at hospitals. To be clear, organ theft does happen, but the idea that medical personnel will just let you die so they can harvest your organs is nonsense.

So the next time someone tells you that your reader doesn't care about your book's politics, or how you depict people doesn't matter, remember that one of the best known landmarks in Paris only stands today because Victor Hugo decided to write a novel about it.

The power of writing is ephemeral, but it's no less real despite that.

Incidentally, for those interested in more unique and unusual places round the world, consider checking out some of the following:

- The Gardens of Bomarzo: A Renaissance-era park filled with bizarre statues and strange art, this Italian attraction is breathtaking.

- The Winchester Mystery House: A bizarre home in California, legends of ghosts and insanity are lurid and interesting... but it's likely they were just made up whole cloth.

- The Chicago Pedway: A series of tunnels beneath Chicago's busy streets, these tunnels are far more real than the Undertown that Jim Butcher created, and they feature prominently in my short story "Heart and Soul" found in my recent release The Rejects!

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That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

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