64 pages 2 hours read

Victor Hugo

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1831

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Books 8-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 8, Chapters 1-3 Summary

At the Court of Miracles, Gringoire and others fear for Esmeralda’s safety. She and Djali have been missing for several weeks. Only when he encounters Jehan outside a busy court does Gringoire discover more. Jehan, broke again, is annoyed that Frollo is taking so long to charge a woman with murder. Gringoire enters the busy courtroom, still unaware of who is on trial. The landlord gives testimony, describing two men who booked a room and the woman and her devilish goat who arrived a short time later. After seeing a ghostlike figure leap into the river amid a terrible commotion, the landlord entered the room and found a naked young woman and a man with a knife in his neck. Horrified, Gringoire and others in the crowd consider the possible involvement of the phantom monk, a well-known local legend. However, when the accused woman jumps up to defend herself, Gringoire is stunned to see Esmeralda. She is silenced as the next witness is called: Djali the trained goat. As Djali shows off his tricks, the crowd becomes convinced that he is a demon. Gringoire calls out that the goat is merely trained, but the crowd ignores him.

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By Victor Hugo