Showing results by author "Emile Zola" in All Categories

Anna Coupeau, known as Nana, makes her debut in 1867 at the Theatre de Varietes, and is an instant sensation. It is as a prostitute, however, that she becomes infamous in Paris, as a destroyer of men. She meets with an ignominious end at the very eve of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. - Summary by Mark Leder

This, the fifth novel in Zola's Rougon-Macquart Cycle, serves effectively as a sequel to "The Conquest of Plassans". Serge Mouret, the son of Francois and Marthe, is now a priest, in the little backwater of Artauds. After he suffers a breakdown, with subsequent amnesia, however, he enters into a romance with the childlike Albine, which leads to catastrophe. - Summary by Mark Leder

Gervaise Macquart runs away to Paris with Lantier, to work as a washerwoman. Lantier abandons her and their two sons. She then marries the roofer Coupeau, and has a daughter, nicknamed Nana. She opens her own laundry; then everything goes downhill, as both Gervaise and Coupeau succumb to alcoholism. - Summary by Mark Leder

"A Love Episode" ("Une Page d'Amour") is the eighth volume in Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle of novels. It deals with Helene Mouret Grandjean, a widow, her daughter Jeanne, and her love for Dr. Deberle. - Summary by Mark Leder

Covering a two-year period, Zola recounts the lives, intrigues, quarrel and loves of a group of five families all living in what was at the time an entirely new social construct, the apartment building. This marks the midpoint of Zola's immense undertaking, the Rougon-Macquart Cycle. - Summary by Mark Leder

Nana Coupeau is a beautiful woman, able to attract men of enormous wealth with the crook of her finger. Part-time prostitute, part-time actress, she makes her debut in a mediocre operetta The Blonde Venus at the bustling Paris World’s Fair of 1867. She can’t sing, act, or dance, yet she is stunning. Nana soon rockets through elite Parisian society, and, blinded by desire, men crawl to her feet, yielding to her every demand. Affections are manipulated, hearts are broken; fortunes are gutted and inheritances squandered.

Brought to you by Penguin. Considered by André Gide to be one of the ten greatest novels in the French language, Germinal is a brutal depiction of the poverty and wretchedness of a mining community in northern France under the second empire. At the centre of the novel is Etienne Lantier, a...

The first book in the 20-novel Rougon-Macquart Cycle. A monument of French naturalism. The sprawling tale of a family in Provence, during the Second Empire, the family that grew out of the liaisons between Adelaide Fouque and her husband Rougons, and the smuggler Macquart. - Summary by Mark Leder

A jealous husband sets out to murder his wife's lover, setting in motion an unstoppable series of events. Witness to the murder is a train driver who struggles to resist his uncontrollable desire to kill women. - Summary by Aaron Hackett

Here, in Zola's sixth novel in the Rougon-Macquart series, we get to know Pierre and Felicite's eldest son, Eugene. He's the son that made good, and stands at the pinnacle of power, at the very ear of the Emperor. But power carries with it its own perils, and so Eugene must face all manner of downturns and reversals to his fortune, and must encounter obstacles of all kinds, the chief of which being Clorinde Dalbi, an Italian beauty with the ambition and deviousness to match his own. - Summary by Mark Leder

Sous le Second Empire, au cœur des Rougon-Macquart, Zola nous entraîne dans l’univers haletant des chemins de fer. Des logements étouffants d’employés aux profondeurs de la gare, tranchée béante du quartier de l’Europe où passent les trains de la Compagnie de l’Ouest, le fer bat la mesure des passions. Sous le fracas des locomotives, des vies se frôlent et s’enrayent; jalousie, désir et vertige de la vitesse font remonter la bête tapie en chacun.

Emile Zolas klassiske roman om den purunge prostituerede Nana, hendes opstigning og fald, der samtidig er et billede på datidens Frankrig.

Nana una cortesana que domina a todos, ella en realidad es la victima de una sociedad corrompida. Nana es de todos, pero no pertenece a ninguno y su desnudez que exhibe sin inhibiciones en el teatro de variedades, hace que se disimule su voz ronca y desagradable y sus ningunas cualidades artisticas.

Emile Zola, along with fellow novelists Honoré de Balzac and Gustave Flaubert, was an early realist in French literature. In novels such as Flaubert's Madame Bovary and Zola's Nana, sex and violence were examined with vivid clarity. These realists soon adopted the word naturalism to describe their writings.

In a dingy apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille. The numbing tedium of her life is suddenly shattered when she embarks on a turbulent affair with her husband's earthy friend, Laurent. But their passion for each other soon compels the lovers to commit a crime that will haunt them forever.

Once upon a time, a teenaged Kate Winslet (The Reader, Titanic, Revolutionary Road) received a gift that would leave a lasting impression: a copy of Emile Zola’s classic Thérèse Raquin. Six Academy Award nominations and one Best Actress award later, she steps behind the microphone to perform this haunting classic of passion and disaster.

In this compelling excerpt from the introduction, we explore Nana, a novel that ranks third in popularity among Zolas works. It offers a poignant examination of the life of a prostitute and paints a vivid portrait of the glittering yet gritty underbelly of Parisian theaters and nightlife. While Zolas relentless pursuit of Nanas story culminates in a hauntingly symbolic depiction of her demise, the novel remains a powerful testament to the interplay of truth and beauty—even amidst a backdrop of drabness and despair. Summary by Burton Rascoe / Celine Major.

Step into the enchanting world of The Ladies Paradise, where the lives of remarkable women intertwine, revealing their triumphs, struggles, and the bonds that unite them. This podcast delves into their extraordinary stories, celebrating their resilience and the vibrant tapestry of their experiences. Join us on this journey of empowerment and inspiration!

In a gripping tale of natures wrath, a prosperous French farming family finds their lives shattered by an unforeseen flood. Told through the eyes of the familys 70-year-old patriarch, this story captures the deep vulnerability of humanity when faced with the overwhelming forces of nature. Join us as we journey through their harrowing experience, filled with suspense and emotional depth until the very last moment. (Summary by Karen Merline)

Immerse yourself in The Markets of Paris, a captivating novel that Émile Zola himself considered his finest work, surpassing even the acclaimed L’Assommoir. This extraordinary narrative is rooted in Zolas early experiences as a young man living among the vibrant communities of Paris, where he gathered the rich insights that breathe life into these pages. Picture him rising before dawn, wandering through bustling markets, and absorbing the unique customs and ways of life of a distinct class of people. Meet the Parisian charcutier and his enchanting mistress, La Belle Lina, who connects us to...