July 2024: Émile Zola

In July we are revisiting one of the big French authors: Émile Zola (1840–1902).

His most popular works are part of his Les Rougon-Macquart series - a cycle of twenty novels, subtitled Histoire naturelle et sociale d'une famille sous le Second Empire (Natural and social history of a family under the Second Empire), it is a loosely connected saga about the lives of 2 branches of a family. In the last of the novels, Zola published a recommended reading order which can be seen here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Rougon-Macquart#List_of_novels although the novels mostly stand on their own.

He published quite a lot of works outside of the cycle, the most popular of them being Thérèse Raquin.

What do you plan to read this month? And if this is not your first Zola, what was the first one you read and which one is your favorite (if you read more than one)?

>1 AnnieMod: Really looking forward to this month's read.

I think I read my first Zola was way back when. It was either Germinal or La bête humaine - both made a huge impression on my teenage self.

More recently I read the entire Rougon Macquart cycle, rereading any I had read before.

My favourite of his novels varies with the day.

For this read, I am going with Thérèse Raquin, one I have not read as yet.

I even have Zola inspired day lilies in my garden - Zola's Pink Nightgown:

I also hope to be reading Thérèse Raquin (1867).

The only other Zola I have read is The Ladies' Paradise (1883), which I enjoyed. Watching the BBC mini-series The Paradise (2019) helped with my appreciation of the novel. It is loosely based on Zola's novel, with the setting moved to northern England.

I read Thérèse Raquin for school as a teen and remember being very impacted by the social message. I would be due for a reread but I'll pick up Germinal instead which has been at my bed stand for a decade or so.

I'll be reading His Excellency Eugene Rougon as the second in the Rougon-Macquart cycle.

I have read Therese Raquin and meh! I will begin with the first in the Rougon-Macquart cycle, The Fortune of the Rougons.

La conquête de Plassans is next on my list. I have read five of the cycle so far, and my favourite was L'argent with all the details about the Haussmann remodeling of Paris.
He has also written shorter fiction, such as the novella La fête À Coqueville. Not sure if there's an English translation, though.

>7 MissWatson: I am reading it now and enjoying it very much.

>7 MissWatson:

I'm currently reading L'argent and I unfortunately find myself quite detached from the reading experience. I don't know if it's the subject matter (creation of a bank) or my current reading mood but it's the first of the Zola cycle where I haven't been excited to pick the book back up. I think I might have to start from page 1 again to get into it better.

>9 lilisin: I had trouble with that, too, because of all the talk about money. La conquête de Plassans is very different, the social life of a small provincial town with the ladies much to the fore. I am not sure what Abbé Faujas is up to, though...

I have finished La conquête de Plassans and liked it very much, although Marthe's increasing religious fervour and frustration are a bit hard to take. The most amazing thing for me was the slow, painstaking and carefully planned campaign that abbé Faujas is waging here over a period of several years. He takes over the house of the Mourets completely and instals his sister and brother-in-law there, he gets the upper hand in the local clerical hierarchy by imposing his will on the bishop, and he gets the town's political camps who fight each other mercilessly to return a joint candidate for the national elections. Which makes for three conquests, so to speak.

The introduction did little to help my understanding of the book, but Henri Mitterrand's afterword explains the situation of Zola's life at the time of writing and how it relates to the subject matter. I was also surprised to learn that Son Excellence Eugène Rougon was written after this, because he looms, unnamed, at the background as the instigator of the political manipulation. Reading the cycle in the order of publication might offer other insights than choosing the order (apparently) suggested by Zola himself, or by following a chronological sequence. Anyway, it is a fascinating reading experience.

I completed The Fortune of the Rougons. This is the first novel in Zola's 20 novel series about the Rougons and the Macquarts following the downfall of the Second French Empire (circa 1850-1870's) The Rougons were a pretty miserable lot until the Coup d'Etat by Louis-Napoleon. Napoleon's success was also the success of the Rougons, thieving scoundrels that most were. I can't say this book was terribly interesting, it was a bit mediocre. However, I have read that this book is the historical foundation(s) for the coming novels. There was a plethora of characters, but a family tree was provided. I may have enjoyed this book more had I known more about the history of this period. I think I will read up on it before I go on to read book two. 392 pages

>12 Tess_W: You're completely right about this being the set up for the following novels, and as such, like the pilot for a TV series, it spends a lot of time establishing who everyone is, and not so much time on the actual story line, although when that appears, it is done well.

I think just going on with the next book, rather than getting bogged down in the history will work better, especially if you get an edition with good notes. It only gets better from here!

I went from this book, the first in both the suggested and the chronological order, to the third book in the suggested reading order, second in the publication order - La Curée, and found it really engrossing. The only reason I skipped the second one in the suggested reading order His Excellency Eugène Rougon, was that there was not a recent English translation at the time. In retrospect I'm glad it worked out this way, as it would probably slowed down my pursuit of the rest of the series.

>13 SassyLassy: I'll be reading His Excellency Eugene Rougon next after my current read. I re-read Fortune of the Rougons last year ten years after first reading it and don't want to leave another very long gap.

>13 SassyLassy: Thanks for the hints. Can you recommend a good edition with notes?

>15 Tess_W: unfortunately not. I read the Delphi Classics ebook editions, which don't generally have notes.

>15 Tess_W: Both Penguin and Oxford have great notes in their paperback editions. Oxford seems to have been behind the recent spate of translations, with the intent of translating the entire series. They have a unified format with introductions, translator's notes, great footnotes which you can read or ignore. It is these which will help with the history if you are so inclined.

Once again, I would recommend these modern translations, as the earlier ones have often left out parts of the original which were deemed somewhat unsalubrious for their times.

>17 SassyLassy: TY for the info. I will most definitely try for an Oxford for the next Zola I read.

ETA: Just purchased His Excellency Eugène Rougon in the Oxford edition.

I had to stop reading Therese Raquin. I made it half-way through. It is very dark and miserable, and I could see where it was heading. The writing was brilliant; so brilliant, that it put me on edge, and that's something I don't need right now.

>19 kac522: Oh dear, I'm just about to start it when I finish my current book.

>20 SassyLassy: It's very much a psychological thriller, more than anything else. It's well done and believable, but I'm not big on those and especially right now.

I immediately started reading All Creatures Great and Small to clear out my brain 😊The tension of cows giving birth is more my speed.

I have read His Excellency Eugene Rougon, the second volume in Zola's sweeping Rougon-Macquart cycle. This is rather different from its predecessor The Fortune of the Rougons. It is really a political study of the rise and fall and partial rise of the title character under the rule of Emperor Napoleon III. It contains a lot of wry observations about political patronage and the mutual dependency between patrons and clients, still very relevant today. The characters are generally based on amalgamations of real historical personages during the early rule of the Emperor, and the events depicted closely mirror reality, according to the translator's preface in this Delphi ebook version. That said, I did find the narrative dragged in places and I found myself skimming considerable chunks, and, while it's cleverly constructed, I can't say I really enjoyed it as a novel.

>22 john257hopper: I'd agree with your thoughts on His Excellency Eugene Rougon. As mentioned above, I'm glad I couldn't find a current translation until well into the series, as it would have slowed me down.

However, now you get to go on to The Kill, which is full of action!

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I started Therese Raquin yesterday, and am really enjoying it, however I can see how the darker aspects of life would be depressing if read at the wrong time.

I had visitors staying for ten days and therefore little time for reading. I won't be able to finish another novel from the cycle in July, but will definitely return later this year.

Would there be any interest in a group read of the Rougon-Macquart series? I'm thinking one every other month, or 6 per year? Let me know if you might be so inclined! I'm going to ask over in my home group, also. (Category Challenge)

>25 Tess_W: Nice idea, I'm up for it in principle, though what reading order would we follow? I'm going by Zola's preferred order where His Excellency Eugene Rougon is book 2.

>26 john257hopper: That's the order I would also prefer, but I think we need to have group input/discussion.

>23 SassyLassy: Have to tell you Sassy, that the difference between the Oxford edition of Zola and the version that I purchased on Kindle, is the difference between night and day! By the time I finished the preface, the introduction, and the note from the translator, I felt as if I was well versed and steeped in the history of the time. The notes are incredible. I will read all my Zola's (and probably a few others henceforth) in the Oxford editions.

>25 Tess_W: In principle yes. I'm reading it in Zola's preferred order and am ahead of you, though.

>28 Tess_W: So glad the Oxford edition worked for you. Another benefit of this series is that there is only a few translators, so they read fairly consistent across the series.

>25 Tess_W: Great idea. I have read the series, as well as a couple of rereads along the line. While I wouldn't be rereading the whole series if this goes ahead, I would be happy to reread a few here and there.

As for reading order, I think it should be Zola suggested order, after all, he's the expert!

>21 kac522: Have finished it now, and like you have moved on to a light book, after three in a row of heavy reading: Philip Roth, Ai Weiwei and Emile Zola. You may have a whole different view of farm life though after reading La Terre!

Just in case anyone is wondering about the two orders, from Wikipedia here they are:

Publication order

La Fortune des Rougon (1871)
La Curée (1872)
Le Ventre de Paris (1873)
La Conquête de Plassans (1874)
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret (1875)
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon (1876)
L'Assommoir (1877)
Une page d'amour (1878)
Nana (1880)
Pot-Bouille (1882)
Au Bonheur des Dames (1883)
La joie de vivre (1884)
Germinal (1885)
L'Œuvre (1886)
La Terre (1887)
Le Rêve (1888)
La Bête humaine (1890)
L'Argent (1891)
La Débâcle (1892)
Le Docteur Pascal (1893)

A recommended reading order

La Fortune des Rougon The Fortune of the Rougons (1871)
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon His Excellency Eugène Rougon (1876)
La Curée The Kill (1872)
L'Argent Money (1891)
Le Rêve The Dream (1888)
La Conquête de Plassans The Conquest of Plassans (1874)
Pot-Bouille Pot Luck (1882)
Au Bonheur des Dames The Ladies Paradise / The Ladies' Delight (1883)
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret The Sin of Abbé Mouret (1875)
Une page d'amour A Love Story (1878)
Le Ventre de Paris The Belly of Paris (1873)
La joie de vivre The Bright Side of Life (1884)
L'Assommoir The Drinking Den (1877)
L'Œuvre The Masterpiece (1886)
La Bête humaine The Beast Within (1890)
Germinal (1885)
Nana (1880)
La Terre The Earth (1887)
La Débâcle The Debacle (1892)
Le Docteur Pascal Doctor Pascal (1893)

My next one will be Pot-Bouille.

I'm on the series reading journey and I could be up to picking up the pace a bit so I'd be happy to join along even if not at the same pace as a book every two months. I've been reading in the recommended reading order so once I finish L'argent (which should be this week) I can start Le Reve next. I have read others in the series before but the idea would be that I'd reread them once they pop up in the series order.

I'm not sure how to create the group. Do I create a new group with the title Zola Group Read, or do I just make it a discussion within another group?

Since it's an idea created by members of this group, I would just create a thread within this group.
Otherwise, creating another group for something so specific means the likelihood of the group going dormant and dying increases.

The Kill would be my next one, I think I'm behind most of you probably.

I did read Germinal many years ago though.

>35 lilisin: It's just not for this group, I've also recruited members from the 75 group, The Category Challenge Group, and the Reading Through Time Group. I would expect the group to go dormant after we are finished.

I think we are all going to be starting in different places. For example, Paul (75's) will be beginning at book 1. Since I just read book 1 for July, I'm not going to re-read, but I might join in the discussion when appropriate. I'm currently half way through Eugene Rougon (2nd book), so I might hold off reading the 2nd half until we get there.

Tentatively, this year we would be reading:
Sept-The Fortune of the Rougons
Nov-His Excellency Eugene Rougon

2025
Jan-The Kill
March-Money
May-The Dream
July-The Conquest of Plassans
Sept-The Ladies of Paradise/The Ladies Delight
Nov-Potluck

Does this sound logical?

>37 Tess_W: makes sense to me, thanks Tess. I may contribute views in Sept and Nov on the ones I've read and then take part fully from Jan.

Zola group read here: Zola group read begins in September here: https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24460

>39 Tess_W: Thanks so much for setting it up. Just had a peek and it looks as if it will work really well.

Well, I finally made it to Zola with Germinal. It was pretty harrowing with some very disturbing scenes and a strong social message. Certainly makes me appreciate my computer all the more. I'm definitely feeling a bit frazzled after this intense read.