BOOKS ADAPTED TO FILM: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (with Apologies)

You know what they say about classic novels?  They are the books that everybody has on their bookshelf at home, but nobody reads them.☺ This post has a couple of apologies.

FIRST APOLOGY:  I apologize to Victor Hugo.  I have never read any of his novels (only excerpts).  But I do know that they must have been really, really good, because a few of Hugo's novels were adapted to film.  As an adult, I've watched a few of those movies.  But as a child, I only remember one film based on Victor Hugo's iconic 1831 novel:  "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", released in 1939. 

WOW!  What a movie!  Loved that scene where Quasimodo, the hunchback (Charles Laughton), lifts the gypsy girl Esmeralda (Maureen O’Hara) into the air and shouts “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!!”  Made quite an impression on my young mind. ☺

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) | | Ffilms.org.” N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2017.

SECOND APOLOGY:  I have to apologize to those who decided on a remake of this classic, which was released in 1997. When this movie was first released, I did not watch it because I thought it would not measure up to the 1939 movie I had watched as a child. But one night, I was looking for something to watch on YouTube and found it.  I was so wrong! This remake is actually quite good.  Salma Hayek stars as Esmeralda, the gypsy woman. Mandy Patinkin is Quasimodo, and Richard Harris is Dom Claude Frollo. The supporting actors were excellent, and the scenery was awesome!

Fun Fact:
The filming locations were Budapest, Hungary; Prague, Czech Republic; and Rouen, France.

I give this 1997 film 4.5 our of 5 stars. Watch it on YouTube.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1997)

🌟 Three Fascinating Facts about Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame"

• Victor Hugo wrote the novel partly to save Notre-Dame Cathedral, which at the time was neglected and even considered for demolition. The book’s popularity helped spark a restoration movement. (Wikipedia)
• The original French title wasn’t about Quasimodo at all—it was Notre-Dame de Paris, emphasizing that the cathedral itself is the true central “character” of the story. (Britannica)

• The novel is set very precisely in the year 1482, and Hugo meticulously researched medieval Paris to recreate its architecture, streets, and social life in vivid detail. (Mental Floss)

Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris ~ The Past and the Future 

Korean Drama Review: The Three Musketeers (2014)

There is a Korean version of "The Three Musketeers" by Alexander Dumas. Spotlight on the 4th Swordsman, Park Dal-Hyang (played by Jung Yong-Hwa). My only criticism of this series is that there is no Season 2.  Season 1 left me filled with the hope that the next season would tie up loose ends.

This historical K-drama series is an excellent adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel of the same name, set in the Joseon Dynasty. It’s the story of one of Joseon’s military heroes.  In the novel by Alexandre Dumas, he would be the character named D’Artagnan, i.e., the 4th musketeer.

Park Dal-Hyang’s story begins with him preparing for his military examination. He traveled to the main city in Joseon, where the exams would be held, and paid for a room. Some ruffians broke into the room and beat up several of the people. He was told that if certain men had a good chance of passing the exam, people would hire thugs to injure them so they could not pass the exam.

Park Dal-Hyang chased after the ruffians and ran into three men on horses. He stopped them and asked if they would help him catch some criminals. At first, they were surprised and confused, but he did not give them a chance to think about whether they would help. He jumped on the horse with one of the men and prodded the horse to take off. So the other two joined the chase.

One of the men he stopped was Crown Prince Sohyeon (played by Lee Jin-Uk), and the other two were his two warrior bodyguards. They helped Park Dal-Hyang capture the criminals. He thanked them and asked their names. Rather than reveal his identity, the Crown Prince said that he should call them “The Three Musketeers”.

That was the beginning of the adventures of Park Dal-Hyang. WHOA! They were really exciting!

♦ There is a 5-Part Listing of Historical K-Dramas That Slipped Under the Radar published via PopGeeks. Click here to view the lists for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas (Wordsworth Classics)