1 9 th - century ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁rom antic - histor ical ▁novel . ▁Victor ▁Hugo ▁began ▁writing ▁The ▁H unch back ▁of ▁Notre - D ame ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁largely ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁contempor aries ▁more ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁Goth ic ▁architecture , ▁which ▁was ▁neglect ed ▁and ▁often ▁destroyed ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁new ▁buildings , ▁or ▁def ac ed ▁by ▁replacement ▁of ▁parts ▁of ▁buildings ▁in ▁a ▁newer ▁style . ▁The ▁action ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 4 8 2 ▁and ▁the ▁title ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁C athedral ▁in ▁Paris , ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁cent red . ▁Alexandre ▁Dum as ▁also ▁wrote ▁several ▁popular ▁historical ▁fiction ▁nov els , ▁including ▁The ▁Count ▁of ▁Monte ▁Crist o ▁and ▁The ▁Three ▁Mus k ete ers . ▁George ▁Sain ts bury ▁stated : ▁" Mon te ▁Crist o ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁at ▁its ▁first ▁appearance , ▁and ▁for ▁some ▁time ▁subsequently , ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁book ▁in ▁Europe ." ▁This ▁popular ity ▁has ▁extended ▁into ▁modern ▁times ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁" trans l ated ▁into ▁virt ually ▁all ▁modern ▁languages ▁and ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁out ▁of ▁print ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁them . ▁There ▁have ▁been ▁at ▁least ▁twenty - n ine ▁motion ▁pictures ▁based ▁on ▁it   ... ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁several ▁television ▁series , ▁and ▁many ▁mov ies ▁[ have ] ▁worked ▁the ▁name ▁' Mon te ▁Crist o ' ▁into ▁their ▁titles ."