''Raudsed käed'' (Iron Hands) is an 1898 novel by

Eduard Vilde Eduard Vilde ( – 26 December 1933) was an Estonian writer, a pioneer of critical realism in Estonian literature, and a diplomat. Author of classics such as ''The War in Mahtra'' and ''The Milkman from Mäeküla''. He was one of the most revere ...

. It is the first Estonian worker's novel, and its action takes place in

Narva Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, Ida-Viru county, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which ...

. The protagonist of the novel is Villem, who comes from the countryside to the city to work at the Kreenholm Manufacturing Company. At first, the city and factory work seem promising, but over the years life goes downhill due to hard work, and Villem is no longer able to take care of his family or himself. The highly tragic final events of the novel bear a noticeable resemblance to

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 ...

's work '' Thérèse Raquin'', published in 1867. In Vilde's works, Zola's influence is evident elsewhere.

References

Estonian novels Novels set in Estonia 1898 novels {{1890s-novel-stub