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''Les Rougon-Macquart'' is the collective title given to a cycle of twenty novels by
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
writer
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 ...
. Subtitled ''Histoire naturelle et sociale d'une famille sous le Second Empire'' (''Natural and social history of a family under the Second Empire''), it follows the lives of the members of the two titular branches of a fictional family living during the
Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France. Historians in the 1930s ...
(1852–1870) and is one of the most prominent works of the French naturalism literary movement.


Influences

Early in his life, Zola discovered the work of
Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...
and his famous cycle ''
La Comédie humaine LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
''. This had a profound impact on Zola, who decided to write his own, unique cycle. However, in 1869, he explained in ''Différences entre Balzac et moi'', why he would not make the same kind of book as Balzac:
In one word, his work wants to be the mirror of the contemporary society. My work, mine, will be something else entirely. The scope will be narrower. I don't want to describe the contemporary society, but a single family, showing how the race is modified by the environment. (...) My big task is to be strictly naturalist, strictly physiologist.
As a naturalist writer, Zola was highly interested by science and especially the problem of
heredity Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informa ...
and
evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
. He notably read and mentioned the work of the doctor Prosper Lucas,
Claude Bernard Claude Bernard (; 12 July 1813 – 10 February 1878) was a French physiologist. Historian I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard "one of the greatest of all men of science". He originated the term '' milieu intérieur'', and the ...
, and
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
as references for his own work. This led him to think that people are heavily influenced by
heredity Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informa ...
and their environment. He intended to prove this by showing how these two factors could influence the members of a family. In 1871, in the preface of ''
La Fortune des Rougon ''La Fortune des Rougon'' ''(The Fortune of the Rougons)'', originally published in 1871, is the first novel in Émile Zola's monumental twenty-volume series ''Les Rougon-Macquart''. The novel is partly an origin story, with a large cast of charac ...
'', he explained his intent:
The great characteristic of the Rougon-Macquarts, the group or family which I propose to study, is their ravenous appetite, the great outburst of our age which rushes upon enjoyment. Physiologically the Rougon-Macquarts represent the slow succession of accidents pertaining to the nerves or the blood, which befall a race after the first organic lesion, and, according to environment, determine in each individual member of the race those feelings, desires and passions—briefly, all the natural and instinctive manifestations peculiar to humanity—whose outcome assumes the conventional name of virtue or vice.


Preparations

In a letter to his publisher, Zola stated his goals for the Rougon-Macquart: "1° To study in a family the questions of blood and environments. ..2° To study the whole Second Empire, from the coup d'état to nowadays." :Image:Plan Rougon 1860.jpg. Text available online her

/ref>


Genealogy and heredity

Since his first goal was to show how heredity can affect the lives of descendants, Zola started working on the Rougon-Macquart by drawing the family tree for the Rougon-Macquart. Though it was to be modified many times over the years, with some members appearing or disappearing, the original tree shows how Zola planned the whole cycle before writing the first book. The tree provides the name and date of birth of each member, along with certain properties of his heredity and his life: * Th
prepotency
: The prepotency is a term used by Prosper Lucas, the doctor Lucas. It is part of a biological theory that tries to determine how heredity transmits traits through generations. Zola apply this theory to the mental state of his protagonists and uses terms from the work of the doctor Lucas: ''Election du père'' (Prepotency of the father, meaning the father is the main influence on the child), ''Election de la mère'' (Prepotency of the mother), ''Mélange soudure'' (Fusion of the 2 parents) or ''Innéité'' (No influence from either parent). * Physical likeness: Whether the member looks like his mother or his father. * Biographical information: his job and important facts of his life. Additionally, for members still living at the end of ''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'', their place of living at the end of the cycle may be included. Otherwise, the date of death is included. Image:Zola - Arbre généalogique.jpg, The 1878 tree, published in a note included in ''
Une Page d'amour ''Une page d'amour'' is the eighth novel in the ' Rougon-Macquart' series by Émile Zola, set among the petite bourgeoisie in Second Empire suburban Paris. It was first serialised between December 11, 1877, and April 4, 1878, in ''Le Bien public, ...
'' Image:Arbre genealogique des Rougon-Macquart annoté.jpg, The 1892 and final tree, annotated by Zola and which published in 1893 with his final novel ''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'' Image:Tableau heredite.jpg, A late "mathematical" tree drawn by Georges Pouchet. This was included in Zola's preparatory dossier for the final novel ''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'' published in 1893 . Each ancestor has a color, and each child is influenced by one or more of their ancestors.
''Note : The gallery does not include the tree made for '' La Bete Humaine'' which included for the first time Jacques, the main protagonist of the book'' For example, the entry for Jean Macquart on the 1878 tree read : ''Jean Macquart, né en 1831 - Election de la mère - Ressemblance physique du père. Soldat'' (Jean Macquart, born in 1831 - Prepotency of the mother - Physical likeness to his father. Soldier)


The study of the Second Empire

To study the Second Empire, Zola thought of each novel as a novel about a specific aspect of the life in his time. For example, in the list he made in 1872, he intended to make a "
political novel Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantast ...
", a "novel about the defeat", "a scientific novel", and a "novel about the war in Italy". The first three ideas led to ''
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon ''Son Excellence Eugène Rougon'' is the sixth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was serialized in 1876 in ''Le Siècle'' before being published in novel form by Charpentier. It was translated into English by Brian Nelson ...
'', ''
La Débâcle ''La Débâcle'' (1892), translated as ''The Debacle'' and ''The Downfall'', is the penultimate novel of Émile Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, which first appeared as a serial in ' from 21 February to 21 July 1892, before being publish ...
'', and ''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'', respectively. However, the last idea would never be made into a book. Indeed, at the beginning, Zola didn't know exactly how many books he would write. In the first letter to his publisher, he mentioned "ten episodes". In 1872, his list included seventeen novels, but some of them would never be made (such as the one on the war in Italy), whereas others were to be added later on. In 1877, in the preface of ''
L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and p ...
'', he stated that he was going to write "about twenty novels". In the end, he settled for twenty books.


Story

Almost all of the main protagonists for each novel are introduced in the first book, ''
La Fortune des Rougon ''La Fortune des Rougon'' ''(The Fortune of the Rougons)'', originally published in 1871, is the first novel in Émile Zola's monumental twenty-volume series ''Les Rougon-Macquart''. The novel is partly an origin story, with a large cast of charac ...
''. The last novel in the cycle, ''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'', contains a lengthy chapter that ties up loose ends from the other novels. In between, there is no "best sequence" in which to read the novels in the cycle, as they are not in chronological order and indeed are impossible to arrange into such an order. Although some of the novels in the cycle are direct sequels to one another, many of them follow on directly from the last chapters of ''La Fortune des Rougon'', and there is a great deal of chronological overlap between the books; there are numerous recurring characters and several of them make "guest" appearances in novels centered on other members of the family.


The Rougon-Macquart

The Rougon-Macquart family begins with Adelaïde Fouque. Born in 1768 in the fictional Provençal town Plassans to middle-class parents (members of the French "
bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...
"), she has a slight
intellectual disability Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signif ...
. She marries Rougon, and gives birth to a son, Pierre Rougon. However, she also has a lover, the smuggler Macquart, with whom she has two children: Ursule and Antoine Macquart. This means that the family is split in three branches: * The first, legitimate, one is the Rougons branch. They are the most successful of the children. Most of them live in the upper classes (such as Eugene Rougon who becomes a minister) or/and have a good education (such as Pascal, the doctor who is the main protagonist of ''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
''). * The second branch is the low-born Macquarts. They are urban working-class (''
L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and p ...
''), farmers (''
La Terre ''La Terre'' (''The Earth'') is a novel by Émile Zola, published in 1887. It is the fifteenth novel in Zola's '' Rougon-Macquart'' series. The action takes place in a rural community in the Beauce, an area in central France west of Paris. The n ...
''), or soldiers (''
La Débâcle ''La Débâcle'' (1892), translated as ''The Debacle'' and ''The Downfall'', is the penultimate novel of Émile Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, which first appeared as a serial in ' from 21 February to 21 July 1892, before being publish ...
''). * The third branch is the Mourets (the name of Ursule Macquart's husband). They are a mix of the other two. They are middle-class people ( ''bourgeois'') and tend to live more balanced lives than the others. Because Zola believed that everyone is driven by their heredity, Adelaide's children show signs of their mother's original deficiency. For the Rougon, this manifests as a drive for power, money, and excess in life. For the Macquarts, who live in a difficult environment, it is manifested by alcoholism (''
L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and p ...
''), prostitution ('' Nana''), and homicide (''
La Bête humaine ''La Bête humaine'' (English: ''The Beast Within'' or ''The Beast in Man'') is an 1890 novel by Émile Zola. The story has been adapted for the cinema on several occasions. The seventeenth book in Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, it is b ...
''). Even the Mourets are marked to a certain degree; in ''
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret ''La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret'' (1875) is the fifth novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Viciously anticlerical in tone, it follows on from the horrific events at the end of ''La Conquête de Plassans'', focussing ...
'', the priest Serge Mouret has to fight his desire for a young woman.


View of France under Napoleon III

As a naturalist, Zola also gave detailed descriptions of urban and rural settings, and different types of businesses. ''Le Ventre de Paris'', for example, has a detailed description of the central market in Paris at the time. As a political reflection of life under
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...
, the novel ''La Conquête de Plassans'' looks at how an ambitious priest infiltrates a small
Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bo ...
town one family at a time, starting with the Rougons. ''La Débâcle'' takes place during the 1870 Franco-Prussian War and depicts Napoleon III's downfall. ''Son Excellence'' also looks at political life, and ''Pot-Bouille'' and ''Au Bonheur des Dames'' look at middle class life in Paris. Note that Zola wrote the novels after the fall of Napoleon III.


List of novels

In an "Introduction" of his last novel, ''Le Docteur Pascal'', Zola gave a recommended reading order, although it is not required, as each novel stands on its own.The reading order recommended by Zola can be found in
Ernest Alfred Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
's
Emile Zola, novelist and reformer: an account of his life & work
' (1904),
ppg.348-364
Publication order #''
La Fortune des Rougon ''La Fortune des Rougon'' ''(The Fortune of the Rougons)'', originally published in 1871, is the first novel in Émile Zola's monumental twenty-volume series ''Les Rougon-Macquart''. The novel is partly an origin story, with a large cast of charac ...
'' (1871) #''
La Curée ''La Curée'' (1871–72; English: ''The Kill'') is the 2nd novel in Émile Zola's 20-volume series Les Rougon-Macquart. It deals with property speculation and the lives of the extremely wealthy Nouveau riche of the Second French Empire, against ...
'' (1871–2) #''
Le Ventre de Paris ''Le Ventre de Paris'' (1873) is the third novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. It is set in and around Les Halles, the enormous, busy central market of 19th-century Paris. Les Halles, rebuilt in cast iron and g ...
'' (1873) #''
La Conquête de Plassans ''La Conquête de Plassans'' (1874) is the fourth novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series Les Rougon-Macquart. In many ways a sequel to the first novel in the cycle, ''La Fortune des Rougon'' (1871), this novel is again centred on the fictiona ...
'' (1874) #''
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret ''La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret'' (1875) is the fifth novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Viciously anticlerical in tone, it follows on from the horrific events at the end of ''La Conquête de Plassans'', focussing ...
'' (1875) #''
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon ''Son Excellence Eugène Rougon'' is the sixth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was serialized in 1876 in ''Le Siècle'' before being published in novel form by Charpentier. It was translated into English by Brian Nelson ...
'' (1876) #''
L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and p ...
'' (1877) #''
Une page d'amour ''Une page d'amour'' is the eighth novel in the ' Rougon-Macquart' series by Émile Zola, set among the petite bourgeoisie in Second Empire suburban Paris. It was first serialised between December 11, 1877, and April 4, 1878, in ''Le Bien public, ...
'' (1878) #'' Nana'' (1880) #'' Pot-Bouille'' (1882) #''
Au Bonheur des Dames ''Au Bonheur des Dames'' (; ''The Ladies' Delight'' or ''The Ladies' Paradise'') is the eleventh novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was first serialized in the periodical '' Gil Blas'' from December 17, 1882 to March 1, 18 ...
'' (1883) #'' La joie de vivre'' (1884) #'' Germinal'' (1885) #'' L'Œuvre'' (1886) #''
La Terre ''La Terre'' (''The Earth'') is a novel by Émile Zola, published in 1887. It is the fifteenth novel in Zola's '' Rougon-Macquart'' series. The action takes place in a rural community in the Beauce, an area in central France west of Paris. The n ...
'' (1887) #'' Le Rêve'' (1888) #''
La Bête humaine ''La Bête humaine'' (English: ''The Beast Within'' or ''The Beast in Man'') is an 1890 novel by Émile Zola. The story has been adapted for the cinema on several occasions. The seventeenth book in Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, it is b ...
'' (1890) #''
L'Argent ''L'Argent'' ("Money") is the eighteenth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was serialized in the periodical ''Gil Blas'' beginning in November 1890 before being published in novel form by Charpentier et Fasquelle in March ...
'' (1891) #''
La Débâcle ''La Débâcle'' (1892), translated as ''The Debacle'' and ''The Downfall'', is the penultimate novel of Émile Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, which first appeared as a serial in ' from 21 February to 21 July 1892, before being publish ...
'' (1892) #''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'' (1893) A recommended reading order #''
La Fortune des Rougon ''La Fortune des Rougon'' ''(The Fortune of the Rougons)'', originally published in 1871, is the first novel in Émile Zola's monumental twenty-volume series ''Les Rougon-Macquart''. The novel is partly an origin story, with a large cast of charac ...
'' (The Fortune of the Rougons) (1871) #''
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon ''Son Excellence Eugène Rougon'' is the sixth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was serialized in 1876 in ''Le Siècle'' before being published in novel form by Charpentier. It was translated into English by Brian Nelson ...
'' (His Excellency Eugène Rougon) (1876) #''
La Curée ''La Curée'' (1871–72; English: ''The Kill'') is the 2nd novel in Émile Zola's 20-volume series Les Rougon-Macquart. It deals with property speculation and the lives of the extremely wealthy Nouveau riche of the Second French Empire, against ...
'' (The Kill) (1871-2) #''
L'Argent ''L'Argent'' ("Money") is the eighteenth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was serialized in the periodical ''Gil Blas'' beginning in November 1890 before being published in novel form by Charpentier et Fasquelle in March ...
'' (Money) (1891) #'' Le Rêve'' (The Dream) (1888) #''
La Conquête de Plassans ''La Conquête de Plassans'' (1874) is the fourth novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series Les Rougon-Macquart. In many ways a sequel to the first novel in the cycle, ''La Fortune des Rougon'' (1871), this novel is again centred on the fictiona ...
'' (The Conquest of Plassans) (1874) #'' Pot-Bouille'' (Pot Luck) (1882) #''
Au Bonheur des Dames ''Au Bonheur des Dames'' (; ''The Ladies' Delight'' or ''The Ladies' Paradise'') is the eleventh novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was first serialized in the periodical '' Gil Blas'' from December 17, 1882 to March 1, 18 ...
'' (The Ladies Paradise/The Ladies' Delight) (1883) #''
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret ''La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret'' (1875) is the fifth novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Viciously anticlerical in tone, it follows on from the horrific events at the end of ''La Conquête de Plassans'', focussing ...
'' (The Sin of Abbé Mouret) (1875) #''
Une page d'amour ''Une page d'amour'' is the eighth novel in the ' Rougon-Macquart' series by Émile Zola, set among the petite bourgeoisie in Second Empire suburban Paris. It was first serialised between December 11, 1877, and April 4, 1878, in ''Le Bien public, ...
'' (A Love Story) (1878) #''
Le Ventre de Paris ''Le Ventre de Paris'' (1873) is the third novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. It is set in and around Les Halles, the enormous, busy central market of 19th-century Paris. Les Halles, rebuilt in cast iron and g ...
'' (The Belly of Paris) (1873) #'' La joie de vivre'' (The Bright Side of Life) (1884) #''
L'Assommoir ''L'Assommoir'' , published as a serial in 1876, and in book form in 1877, is the seventh novel in Émile Zola's twenty-volume series '' Les Rougon-Macquart''. Usually considered one of Zola's masterpieces, the novel — a study of alcoholism and p ...
'' (The Drinking Den) (1877) #'' L'Œuvre'' (The Masterpiece) (1886) #''
La Bête humaine ''La Bête humaine'' (English: ''The Beast Within'' or ''The Beast in Man'') is an 1890 novel by Émile Zola. The story has been adapted for the cinema on several occasions. The seventeenth book in Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, it is b ...
'' (The Beast Within) (1890) #'' Germinal'' (1885) #'' Nana'' (1880) #''
La Terre ''La Terre'' (''The Earth'') is a novel by Émile Zola, published in 1887. It is the fifteenth novel in Zola's '' Rougon-Macquart'' series. The action takes place in a rural community in the Beauce, an area in central France west of Paris. The n ...
'' (The Earth) (1887) #''
La Débâcle ''La Débâcle'' (1892), translated as ''The Debacle'' and ''The Downfall'', is the penultimate novel of Émile Zola's '' Les Rougon-Macquart'' series, which first appeared as a serial in ' from 21 February to 21 July 1892, before being publish ...
'' (The Debacle) (1892) #''
Le Docteur Pascal ''Le Docteur Pascal'' ''(Doctor Pascal)'' is the twentieth and final novel of the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola, first published in June 1893 by Charpentier. Zola's plan for the ''Rougon-Macquart'' novels was to show how heredity and ...
'' (Doctor Pascal) (1893)


English translations

All of the twenty novels have been translated into English under various titles and editions. For many years, the novels were best known in
bowdlerized Expurgation, also known as bowdlerization, is a form of censorship that involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work or other type of writing or media. The term ''bowdlerization'' is a pejorative term for the practi ...
editions of the late 19th and early 20th century, especially those published by Vizetelly & Co. Although the more well-known novels in the series received 20th century translations, and
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
published 11 new translations during the 1950s, many of the volumes remained largely out-of-print in the English language for decades after Zola's death. For instance, ''The Fortune of the Rougons'' was translated in 1898, and then not again until 2012. ''The Kill'' was translated in 1895, and then not again until 2004. After about 1970, modern translations of the more famous novels in the series, such as ''L'Assommoir'' and ''Germinal'', were released by publishers like Penguin and Modern Library. Between 1993 (''The Masterpiece'') and 2020 (''Nana'' and ''Doctor Pascal''),
Oxford World's Classics Oxford World's Classics is an imprint of Oxford University Press. First established in 1901 by Grant Richards and purchased by OUP in 1906, this imprint publishes primarily dramatic and classic literature for students and the general public. ...
published a complete run of all 20 novels in modern translation. This list comprises first-edition English translations. Later reprints in different years or under different titles or publishers generally not included. Source for early translation information: 1. ''La Fortune des Rougon'' :* ''The Fortune of the Rougons'' (1886, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''The Fortune of the Rougons'' (1898, tr. unknown edited by
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''The Fortune of the Rougons'' (2012, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) 2. ''La Curée'' :* ''The Rush for the Spoil'' (1886, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''The Kill'' (1895, tr. A. Teixeira de Mattos, Lutetian Society) :* ''The Kill'' (2004, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) :* ''The Kill'' (2004, tr.
Arthur Goldhammer Arthur Goldhammer (born November 17, 1946) is an American academic and translator. Early life Goldhammer studied mathematics at MIT, gaining his PhD in 1973. Career Since 1977 he has worked as a translator. He is based at the Center for Europ ...
, Modern Library) 3. ''Le Ventre de Paris'' :* ''La Belle Lisa'' or ''The Paris Market Girls'' (1882, tr. Mary Neal Sherwood, T. B. Peterson Bros.) :* ''The Fat and the Thin'' (1888, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''The Fat and the Thin'' (1896, tr.
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''Savage Paris'' (1955, tr. David Hughes & Marie-Jacqueline Mason,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''The Belly of Paris'' (2007, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) :* ''The Belly of Paris'' (2009, tr. Mark Kurlansky, Modern Library) 4. ''La Conquête de Plassans'' :* ''The Conquest of Plassans'' (1887, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''A Priest in the House'' (1957, tr. Brian Rhys,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''The Conquest of Plassans'' (2014, tr. Helen Constantine, Oxford University Press) 5. ''La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret'' :* ''Abbé Mouret's Transgression'' (1886, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''Abbé Mouret's Transgression'' (1900, tr. unknown edited by
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''The Sin of the Abbé Mouret'' (1904, tr. M. Smyth, McLaren & Co.) :* ''The Abbé Mouret's Sin'' (1957, tr. Alec Brown,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
, republished as ''The Sinful Priest'' in 1960) :* ''The Sin of Father Mouret'' (1969, tr. Sandy Petrey, Prentice-Hall) :* ''The Sin of Abbé Mouret'' (2017, tr. Valerie Minogue, Oxford University Press) 6. ''Son Excellence Eugène Rougon'' :* ''Clorinda'' or ''The Rise and Reign of His Excellency Eugène Rougon'' (1880, tr. Mary Neal Sherwood, T.B. Peterson & Bros.) :* ''His Excellency Eugène Rougon'' (1886, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''His Excellency'' (1958, tr. Alec Brown,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''His Excellency Eugène Rougon'' (2018, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) 7. ''L'Assommoir'' :* ''L'assommoir'' (1879, tr. Mary Neal Sherwood, T.B. Peterson & Bros.) :* ''Gervaise'' (1879, tr. E. Binsse, G. W. Carleton & Co.) :* ''The ‘Assommoir’'' (1884, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''L'Assommoir'' (1895, tr. Arthur Symons, Lutetian Society) :* ''The Dram Shop'' (1897, tr. unknown edited by
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''Drink'' (1903, tr. S.J.A. Fitzgerald, Greening & Co.) :* ''The Dram Shop'' (1951, tr. Gerard Hopkins, Hamish Hamilton) :* ''The Gin Palace'' (1952, tr. Buckner B. Trawick, Avon Publications) :* ''L'Assommoir'' (1962, tr. Atwood H. Townsend, New American Library) :* ''L'Assommoir'' (1970, tr. Leonard Tancock, Penguin Books) :* ''L'Assommoir'' (1995, tr. Margaret Mauldon, Oxford University Press) :* ''The Drinking Den'' (2000, tr. Robin Buss, Penguin Books) :* ''The Assommoir'' (2021, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) 8. ''Une Page d'amour'' :* ''Hélène: A Love Episode'' (1878, tr. Mary Neal Sherwood, T.B. Peterson & Bros.) :* ''A Love Episode'' (1886, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''A Love Episode'' (1895, tr.
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Hutchinson & Co.) :* ''A Page of Love'' (1897, tr. T. F. Rogerson, Geo Barrie & Son) :* ''A Love Episode'' (1905, tr. C. C. Starkweather, Société des Beaux-arts) :* ''A Love Affair'' (1957, tr. Jean Stewart,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''A Love Story'' (2017, tr. Helen Constantine, Oxford University Press) 9. ''Nana'' :* ''Nana'' (1884, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''Nana'' (1895, tr. Victor Plarr, Lutetian Society) :* ''Nana'' (1926, tr. Joseph Keating, Cecil Palmer) :* ''Nana'' (1953, tr. Charles Duff, William Heinemann) :* ''Nana'' (1964, tr. Lowell Blair, Bantam Books) :* ''Nana'' (1972, tr. George Holden, Penguin Books) :* ''Nana'' (1992, tr. Douglas Parmee, Oxford University Press) :* ''Nana'' (2020, tr. Helen Constantine, introduction and annotation by Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) 10. ''Pot-Bouille'' :* ''Piping Hot!'' (1885, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''Pot-Bouille'' (1895, tr. Percy Pinkerton, Lutetian Society) ::* ''Restless House'' (other versions of Pinkerton's translation) :* ''Pot Luck'' (1999, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) 11. ''Au Bonheur des Dames'' :* ''Shop Girls of Paris'' (1883, tr. Mary Neal Sherwood, T.B. Peterson & Bros.) :* ''The Ladies' Paradise'' (1883, tr. Frank Belmont, Tinsley Bros.) :* ''Ladies' Delight'' (1957, tr. April Fitzlyon, John Calder) :* ''The Ladies Paradise'' (1995, tr. Brian Nelson, Oxford University Press) :* ''Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies' Delight)'' (2001, tr. Robin Buss, Penguin Books) 12. ''La joie de vivre'' :* ''How Jolly Life Is!'' (1886, tr. unknown for H. Vizetelly, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''The Joy of Life'' (1901, tr. unknown edited by
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''Zest for Life'' (1955, tr. Jean Stewart,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''The Bright Side of Life'' (2018, tr. Andrew Rothwell, Oxford University Press) 13. ''Germinal'' :* ''Germinal'' (1885, tr. Carlynne, Belford, Clarke & Co.) :* ''Germinal'' (1886, tr. Albert Vandam, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''Germinal'' (1894, tr.
Havelock Ellis Henry Havelock Ellis (2 February 1859 – 8 July 1939) was an English physician, eugenicist, writer, progressive intellectual and social reformer who studied human sexuality. He co-wrote the first medical textbook in English on homosexuality i ...
, Lutetian Society) :* ''Germinal'' (1954, tr. L. W. Tancock, Penguin Books) :* ''Germinal'' (1962, tr. Willard R. Trask, Bantam Books) :* ''Germinal'' (1970, tr. Stanley Hochman, New American Library) :* ''Germinal'' (1993, tr. Peter Collier, Oxford University Press) :* ''Germinal'' (2004, tr. Roger Pearson, Penguin Books) 14. ''L'Œuvre'' :* ''The Masterpiece'' (1886, tr. G. D. Cox, T. B. Peterson & Bros.) :* ''His Masterpiece'' (1886, tr. Albert Vandam, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''His Masterpiece'' (1902, tr. Albert Vandam edited by
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''The Masterpiece'' (1946, tr. Katherine Woods, Howell Soskin) :* ''The Masterpiece'' (1950, tr. Thomas Walton,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''The Masterpiece'' (1993, tr. Roger Pearson's rev of Thomas Walton's tr., Oxford University Press) 15. ''La Terre'' :* ''The Soil'' ( 1888, tr. G. D. Cox, T. B. Peterson & Bros.) :* ''The Soil'' (1888, tr. unknown for
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Vizetelly & Co.) :* ''La Terre'' (1895, tr. Ernest Dowson, Lutetian Society) :* ''Earth'' (1954, tr. Ann Lindsay,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''Earth'' (1962, tr. Margaret Crosland, New English Library) :* ''The Earth'' (1980, tr. Douglas Parmee, Penguin Books) :* ''The Earth'' (2016, tr. Brian Nelson and Julie Rose, Oxford University Press) 16. ''Le Rêve'' :* ''The Dream'' (1893, tr. Eliza E. Chase, Chatto & Windus) :* ''The Dream'' (2005, tr. Michael Glencross, Peter Owen) :* ''The Dream'' (2005, tr. Andrew Brown,
Hesperus Press Hesperus Press is an independent publishing house based in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 2001. The publisher's motto, "Et Remotissima Prope," is a Latin phrase which means "Bringing near what is far". Hesperus Press has published som ...
) :* ''The Dream'' (2018, Paul Gibbard, Oxford University Press) 17. ''La Bête humaine'' :* ''The Human Beast'' ( 1891, tr. G. D. Cox, T. B. Peterson) :* ''The Monomaniac'' (1901, tr. Edward Vizetelly, Hutchinson & Co.) :* ''The Human Beast'' (1937, tr. Louis Colman, Julien Press) :* ''The Human Beast'' (1954, tr. Frances Frenaye, Avon Publications) :* ''The Beast in Man'' (1958, tr. Alec Brown,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''La Bete Humaine'' (1977, tr. Leonard Tancock, Penguin Books) :* ''La Bete Humaine'' (1999, tr. Roger Pearson, Oxford University Press) :* ''The Beast Within'' (2008, tr. Roger Whitehouse, Penguin Books) 18. ''L'Argent'' :* ''Money'' (1891, tr. Benjamin R. Tucker, Benjamin R. Tucker) :* ''Money'' (1894, tr.
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''Money'' (2014, tr. Valerie Minogue, Oxford University Press) :* ''Money'' (2016, tr. André Naffis-Sahely, Alma Books) 19. ''La Débâcle'' :* ''The Downfall'' (1892, tr.
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''The Downfall'' or ''The Smash-up'' (1898, tr. E. P. Robins, The Cassell Co.) :* ''The Downfall'' (1902, tr. W. M. Sloane, P. F. Collier & Son) :* ''The Debacle'' (1968, tr. John Hands,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''The Debacle'' (1972, tr. Leonard Tancock, Penguin Books) :* ''La Débâcle'' (2000, tr. Elinor Dorday, Oxford University Press) 20. ''Le Docteur Pascal'' :* ''Doctor Pascal'' (1893, tr.
E. A. Vizetelly Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (1853–1922) was an English journalist and author. Life He was a son of the English publisher Henry Vizetelly, by his first marriage to Ellen Elizabeth Pollard. He was known as a war correspondent. Ernest was present wi ...
, Chatto & Windus) :* ''Doctor Pascal'' (1901, tr. Mary J. Serrano, MacMillan Co.) :* ''Doctor Pascal'' (1957, tr. Vladimir Kean,
Elek Books Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...
) :* ''Doctor Pascal'' (2020, tr. Julie Rose, Oxford University Press)''Doctor Pascal'', first trans. by Julie Rose in 2020. Oxford World's Classics.


Adaptations

The BBC adapted the novels into a 27-episode (20 hour) radio drama series called ''Blood, Sex and Money by Emile Zola''. The "radical re-imagining" was broadcast in three seasons on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
between November 2015 and October 2016.


References


External links


''The Rougon-Macquart'' Novels of Emile Zola (for English-speaking Readers)
provides an American enthusiast's introduction, insights and synopses.
Le Compagnon des Rougon-Macquart
: 1300+ pages (in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rougon-Macquart Novel series