The novel ''Les Mystères de Marseille'' by

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

appeared as a serialized story in ''Le Messager de Provence'' in 1867, while Zola was writing ''

Thérèse Raquin ''Thérèse Raquin'' is an 1868 novel by French writer Émile Zola, first published in serial form in the literary magazine ''L'Artiste'' in 1867. It was Zola's third novel, though the first to earn wide fame. The novel's adultery and murder ...

''. As a work of his youth, it was thus also a commissioned work on which Zola cut his teeth. In it, he himself saw the amount of will and work that he had to expend to elevate himself to the literary effort of the Rougon – Macquart novels. Indeed, in this popular novel, typical of the genre in its various and unexpected twists and turns, we can already see his style, his palate for real life, his indignation about injustice, and his art of depicting social strata (the wealthy, the clergy, the deviants, the common man) as well as events (the revolution of 1848, the cholera epidemic). With this canvas as a background, e has painteda breathtaking adventure, the thrilling story of an impossible love, that resembles the love of liberty. It has been translated as ''The Mysteries of Marseilles'' (1895, London: Hutchinson) and as ''The Mysteries of Marseille'' (2008, New York: Mondial), both translations by Edward Vizetelly.

Plot introduction

''Les Mystères de Marseille'' recounts the love of Philippe Cayol, poor, untitled, republican, and of young Blanche de Cazalis, the niece of De Cazalis, a millionaire, politician and all-powerful in Marseilles. Philippe's brother, Marius devotes himself to protecting the two lovers – and the child Blanche gave birth to before entering a convent – from the anger of De Cazalis.

External links

''The Mysteries of Marseilles'', trans E. Vizetelly
at the

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''Les Mystères de Marseille''
(fr) at the

''Les Mystères de Marseille''
(fr) on

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Novels by Émile Zola 1895 French novels Novels first published in serial form Psychological novels Works originally published in French newspapers Fiction set in 1848 Novels set in Marseille Hutchinson (publisher) books {{1890s-novel-stub