For an audiobook, this took me a long while.

There's not much to judge in a classic; I can only say my personal opinion of it.

I had some issues with the narrator of this particular edition. While overall pretty good, he tended to pitch his voice strangely while doing most voices, sounding more like a Monty Python sketch than an actual narration.
I also could have lived without a lot of the things going on. I didn't mind the whole "the book has killed the edifice" thing that did drag on and repeated itself as much as I minded the constant narration of Latin and French songs and hymns throughout the audiobook, as well as the frantic monologues of the Recluse and 90% of the scene with the king. Those parts I loathed as they dragged on forever and the narration made them much worse.

I did enjoy the whole of it, however. It was interesting to see where such well-known characters started and how they've changed in the general conscience and pop culture over a couple of centuries. It was also extremely interesting to read Hugo right after Tolkien; both are incredibly angry about something they're extremely passionate about (architecture and nature), and they spend chapters upon chapters throwing sophisticated shade at the aggressors. Honestly, more books like that are needed.

I'll give the book this as a final note: despite me knowing the story pretty well, and being unaware only of very minor characters and subplots, the very ending of it is absolutely heartbreaking.

Generally, it's a book that deserves its fame and stands the test of time. Strangely, much like a building does, in Hugo's mind. This one did it.