I'm a fan of the French opera Notre Dame de Paris. We know it as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and probably as a Disney movie. In the opera, religion is a huge part of the plot. Frollo will condemn sinners and bring death upon them. The titular church will not let the foreigners, poor, and starving in their doors. Religion is such a negative force in this opera. I'm assuming this is the same for the book.
I've read a little of Hugo's Les Miserables. In the novel, religion is a good thing. The ex-convict Jean Valjean is rejected by everyone but a bishop. This man shows the criminal some kindness. He even helps Valjean turn his life around. Without the kindness of the religious man, Valjean would not have surivied and he wouldn't be able to help many others around him.
What changed for Hugo? Les Miserables was written first, so what changed for him in the twenty years between Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
Very interesting observation! I have seen both movie portrayals of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. I did not realize they were both books by Victor Hugo. In regards to your question, maybe Hugo was trying to make a point. I don't necessarily think that his thoughts about religion changed; I think he was trying to portray in his books two different ideas about religion.
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