It tells the story of Quasimodo, the hunchback bellringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral and his devotion to the beautiful gypsy dancer, La Esmeralda. When the demented archdeacon Frollo sets out to abduct La Esmeralda, he uses Quasimodo to do the evil deed on his behalf. But the plan has unforeseen consequences and the innocent Esmeralda is charged with the murder of Phoebus, the man she was in love with.

Quasimodo, now utterly devoted to Esmeralda, determines to protect her, not only from Frollo, but from the band of gypsies who have come to reclaim her. His transformation from her captor to her saviour leads to some of the most dramatic, unforgettable scenes in literature. Dominated by the Gothic architecture of Paris's magnificent cathedral, "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" is the epitome of French romantic literature.