July 2026 La joie de vivre: (1884) (The Brighter Side of Life) (Joy of Life) Chapters 7-11, Conclusions
Talk Emile Zola Group Read
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2Tess_W
So I stayed up all night reading chapters 4-11, not because the book was THAT good, but like an accident, one can quit looking.
Despite its optimistic title, the book is very depressing with much suffering and disappointment. There are rays of hope, but few!
Pauline, orphaned, but with a comfortable inheritance, goes to live with her aunt, gouty uncle, and cousin in Bonneville (Arromanches {Le Bains}). The cousins spend her inheritance and Pauline becomes slavish to their wants, dreams, and needs. At the end of the novel, Pauline is almost broke financially and is heart-broken, but manages to accept the hardships of life and continues to care for those who don't deserve her loyalty. Pauline is one of Zola's characters that will be memorable as she overcomes hardships and still maintains an attitude of generosity.
Now I need to go find a book that isn't so depressing!
An interesting aside as to the setting of the book:
every year new villas rose on the cliffs at Arromanches, never a single bather made his appearance at Bonneville.
I take this to mean that Arromanches and Bonneville are separate locations. There is a Bonneville-sur-Torques in Normandy, but it would be too far inland to be the one in the book. Why was I interested in this tidbit? When I visited France I went to Arromanches, which played a significant role in the D-Day Operation (June 6, 1944). The mulberries built and used for this operation are still visible at low tide.
I feel the sea played an important part in this novel. It always had the upper hand, reminding us that IT had the power.
Despite its optimistic title, the book is very depressing with much suffering and disappointment. There are rays of hope, but few!
Pauline, orphaned, but with a comfortable inheritance, goes to live with her aunt, gouty uncle, and cousin in Bonneville (Arromanches {Le Bains}). The cousins spend her inheritance and Pauline becomes slavish to their wants, dreams, and needs. At the end of the novel, Pauline is almost broke financially and is heart-broken, but manages to accept the hardships of life and continues to care for those who don't deserve her loyalty. Pauline is one of Zola's characters that will be memorable as she overcomes hardships and still maintains an attitude of generosity.
Now I need to go find a book that isn't so depressing!
An interesting aside as to the setting of the book:
every year new villas rose on the cliffs at Arromanches, never a single bather made his appearance at Bonneville.
I take this to mean that Arromanches and Bonneville are separate locations. There is a Bonneville-sur-Torques in Normandy, but it would be too far inland to be the one in the book. Why was I interested in this tidbit? When I visited France I went to Arromanches, which played a significant role in the D-Day Operation (June 6, 1944). The mulberries built and used for this operation are still visible at low tide.
I feel the sea played an important part in this novel. It always had the upper hand, reminding us that IT had the power.
