Ayn Rand, speaking in sense-of-life terms, said that Hugo gave her "the feeling of entering a cathedral." In his first great novel, Hugo presented both a literal cathedral and the essence of the cathedral: the guardian of sacred value. Combining the sweep of the epic with the intensity of the drama, Hugo created a new form of literature––evoking both the ideal and the real––with an intricate plot, excruciating conflicts, colorful characterizations, and life-or-death issues at stake. Through a study of Hugo's esthetic method, this course shows how Notre-Dame became, as Hugo intended, "a drama beyond the ordinary proportions." 

(This is a substantially revised and expanded version of a course given in 1988.)