November 2024 His Excellency Eugene Rougon, Cha 4-7

Discussion

We continue to see the manipulative Eugene become more involved in the politics of the Second Empire. Chapter 6 was one of my favorites, as Eugene fails to report an assassination attempt. At first thought, I thought it would be reported in the next chapter--but then Rougon's lack of reporting for his own political gain sealed, for me, his character for the remainder of the book. He also marries for political expediency. Still watching Clorinde--a woman scorned and all that!

Have finally started His Excellency Eugene Rougon, having slogged my way through another French novel for another challenge. Hoping that political machinations will be lighter fare than WW I battlefields, but we shall see.

What a tour-de-force the account of Louis-Napoleon’s baptism is! The image of Napoleon’s (the real Napoleon’s) giant “redingote grise” which frames chapter 4 is a brilliant touch.

Again, the frank sexual tone of chapter 5 was a dramatic contrast to anything one would have found in an English novel in 1876.

>2 Tess_W: I reread chapter 6 just now, looking for the assassination attempt, without success. Who attempted to assassinate whom?
PS I see that this is in chapter 8 in my edition.

>6 booksaplenty1949: Perhaps it was a typo on my part, of perhaps my edition The Mysteries of the Court of Napoleon was different, chapter-wise. I loaned this book to a friend, so I can't quickly check!

>7 Tess_W: Chapter re-numbering that drastic on the part of the translator seems unlikely in a book with only 14 chapters. Seems more likely a typo along the lines of calling Cher Ami “she.”

>8 booksaplenty1949: Yep, you are probably correct!

Zola is such an interesting writer. I thought I wouldn't like this book, put off reading it, fell behind in our group, and now can't stop reading! Yet if I were to write what has happened so far in the book, it's a whole lot of sitting around: in sessions waiting to see Rougon, in his drawing room, in Clorinde's drawing room, at a cafe table on the street waiting for a parade, in rooms at Compienge. Even knowing nothing about the time period, I can't help being engrossed with who-said-what-about-whom. What a bunch of gossips!

>10 labfs39: Some things happened in La fortune des Rougon but the next two novels seem to consist mainly of spectacularly detailed set pieces, as you describe. Despite lack of plot I found myself completely absorbed.

>10 labfs39: I agree about this book being very interesting--like it's a human interest story, a soap opera!