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 ...  Read the complete review

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) ...  Read the complete review

This is a book which makes me wish my French was good enough to read it in the language it was originally written in. Although the translation is very enjoyable i'm sure some of the language specific nuances will have been lost along the way. This was Emile Zola's 13th novel, written in 1885 and part of the 20 volume collection of social reflection novels entitled Les Rougon-Macquart which featured the same family characters throughout. In this novel we follow Etienne Lantier (he previously appeared in L'Assommoir from the same series), as he arrives in the mining village of Montsou to find work as a miner. Etienne befriends the Maheu family, ...  Read the complete review

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. ...  Read the complete review

Zola's examination of life as a coal miner in 19th century Northern France is a thought provoking examination of humanity's endurance, socioeconomical divisions and the difficulty of the human experience. While one might assume such a setting would induce a dull read, on the contrary this is one of the more gripping tales I've read. Zola's portrayal of a group's passionate yearning for a better life, as well as each person's struggle to live from day to day is not only educational but also urges one to question one's own place in the world and one's contribution to society. An excellent read. ...  Read the complete review