Émile Zola
Émile Zola (Paris, April 2, 1840 – Paris, September 29, 1902) was a French writer, journalist, and literary critic, and one of the most significant representatives of naturalism in 19th-century European literature. He grew up in Aix-en-Provence, where he became friends with the painter Paul Cézanne. After his father's death, the family fell into financial hardship. Zola moved to Paris and took a job at the Hachette publishing house, subsequently dedicating himself to literature and journalism.
He began his literary career with the short story collection Stories for Ninon (1864) and attracted public attention with the novel Thérèse Raquin (1867). His most important achievement is the monumental Rougon-Macquart cycle (1871–1893), comprising twenty novels that depict French society during the Second Empire. Among the cycle's best-known works are L'Assommoir (1877), Nana (1880), The Ladies' Paradise (1883), Germinal (1885), The Beast Within (1890), and The Debacle (1892).
In his novels, Zola explored the influence of heredity, social environment, and life circumstances on human behavior. He devoted special attention to poverty, the working class, social injustices, and the moral hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie. He outlined the principles of naturalist poetics in his theoretical work The Experimental Novel (1880).
Following the Rougon-Macquart cycle, he wrote the Three Cities trilogy (1894–1898) and began the Four Gospels cycle. As a socially engaged intellectual, he gained renown for his open letter J’accuse…! (1898), in which he defended the unjustly convicted Alfred Dreyfus and condemned antisemitism. Due to this stance, he was forced to leave France temporarily.
He died in Paris from carbon monoxide poisoning under unexplained circumstances. His remains were transferred to the Panthéon in Paris in 1908. Zola left an indelible mark on world literature by combining the artistic power of the novel with a critical observation of society.
Naslovi u ponudi
Trovačnica
The novel The Poisoner was published in sequels during 1876, and in book form in 1877. It is the story of a woman's struggle for happiness in the working class of Paris.
Trovačnica
The novel Trovačnica was published in sequels during 1876, and in book form in 1877. It is a story about a woman's struggle for happiness in the working class of Paris.
U ključalom loncu
The main character, Jean Makar, is a poor laborer who works on the Paris railway. Through his story, the novel explores the themes of social inequality, the struggle for survival and the influence of the environment on the individual.
Uspon Rugonovih
The novel deals with the nature and social history of a family during the Second Empire. The main characters are members of the Rugon and Makari families, and the action takes place in France.
Zemlja
The Country is a social novel published in 1887, part of the "Rougon-Macquart" cycle, in which Zola depicts the brutal reality of life among French peasants.
Žerminal
In his best work, Germinal, Émile Zola realistically, in minute detail, described the inhuman living and working conditions of miners in northern France in the 1860s.
Žerminal
In his best work, Germinal, Émile Zola realistically described the inhuman living and working conditions of miners in northern France in the 60s of the 19th century.
Žerminal
In his best work, Germinal, Émile Zola realistically described the inhuman living and working conditions of miners in northern France in the 60s of the 19th century.
Zver-čovek
The novel explores the destructive forces of inheritance, passion, and violence in modern industrial society. The action takes place largely on the railroad, a symbol of speed, destiny, and inevitable doom. “Beast Man” is the first description of crime in