▁words ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁French . ▁Hugo ▁explained ▁his ▁amb itions ▁for ▁the ▁novel ▁to ▁his ▁Italian ▁publish er : ▁ ▁Dig ress ions ▁ ▁More ▁than ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁novel — by ▁one ▁count ▁ 9 5 5 ▁of ▁ 2 , 7 8 3 ▁pages — is ▁devoted ▁to ▁ess ays ▁that ▁argue ▁a ▁moral ▁point ▁or ▁display ▁Hugo ' s ▁en cyc lop edic ▁knowledge ▁but ▁do ▁not ▁advance ▁the ▁plot , ▁nor ▁even ▁a ▁sub plot , ▁a ▁method ▁Hugo ▁used ▁in ▁such ▁other ▁works ▁as ▁The ▁H unch back ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁and ▁To ilers ▁of ▁the ▁Sea . ▁One ▁bi ograph er ▁noted ▁that ▁" the ▁dig ress ions ▁of ▁genius ▁are ▁easily ▁p ardon ed ". ▁The ▁topics ▁Hugo ▁addresses ▁include ▁clo ister ed ▁religious ▁orders , ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Paris ▁se wers , ▁arg ot , ▁and ▁the ▁street ▁ur ch ins ▁of ▁Paris . ▁The ▁one ▁about ▁convent s ▁he ▁titles ▁" Par enth esis " ▁to ▁alert ▁the ▁reader ▁to ▁its ▁irre lev ance ▁to ▁the ▁story ▁line . ▁ ▁Hugo ▁dev otes ▁another ▁ 1 9 ▁chap ters ▁( Volume ▁II , ▁Book ▁I ) ▁to ▁an ▁account ▁of — and ▁a ▁med itation ▁on ▁the ▁place ▁in ▁history ▁of — the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Water lo o , ▁the ▁battle field ▁which ▁Hugo ▁visited ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁and ▁where ▁he ▁finished ▁writing ▁the ▁novel . ▁It ▁opens ▁volume ▁ 2 ▁with ▁such ▁a ▁change ▁of ▁subject