Victor Hugo, the author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, was reportedly such a regular patron of Parisian brothels that many of them closed for a day after his death as a sign of respect and mourning. Facing an impossible six-month deadline to complete The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo reportedly locked away all of his clothes except for a large shawl. With nothing suitable to wear outdoors, he effectively confined himself to his home, eliminating the distractions of Parisian social life and focusing almost entirely on writing. The tactic worked. Hugo finished the manuscript in January 1831, and the novel was published just a few months later. It became an immediate success, reigniting public interest in medieval Gothic architecture at a time when many historic French landmarks were neglected or facing demolition. The novel’s popularity also helped fuel the movement to restore Notre-Dame Cathedral, eventually leading to the landmark 19th-century restoration directed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.