Germinal - Emile Zola

Nighttime Etienne Lantier arrives in the North of France. It is after a crossing of the Hexagon that he poses his bag in Montsou. Seeking employment he profits from the death of a workman to take his place. His initiation in the world of the mine is done on the heap in company of Maheu and his children. After his first working day, he decides to remain. This decision is undoubtedly influenced by the attraction that he feels for Catherine, Maheu’s daughter. Little by little Etienne is accustomed to his work and becomes a skilful workman. The misery, which prevails behind the novel, launches Etienne in great social speeches and, pushes him to ...

My word, this is a big, frenetic, gripping tale in the best traditions of Zola the storyteller. It may not please the purists with its total disregard for certain conventions of Naturalists, but if you want a rattling good read then this could well be for you. Zola's tale of the mining town, and its flawed hero Etienne Marcel, is part of his huge Rougon-Macquart series, and contains the usual descriptions of dirty, squalid,, hard-drinking lives of the poor. I won't go into the plot too much: just to say that it features an uprising against the owners of the mine led by a newcomer to the town, with plenty of angry mob scenes and some graphic(and gripping) ...

Excellent book with very graphic images of life of the miners in 19th century. I wouldn't advise it for people with weak stomach as some parts might be a little bit disturbing. Zola as every naturalist wasn't afraid to describe every aspect of life without shame (somethimes you wish he had some though). He shows how the life really was those days, there aren't any pretty pictures there or fancy ball, just a down to earth truth about poverty,hunger and sexual behaviour. A book for people who not always look on the World through the colored glass. ...