Les Rougon-Macquart, Tome 2: La faute de l'abbé Mouret / Son excellence Eugène Rougon / L'assommoir / Une page d'amour

Les Rougon-Macquart #5-8

by Émile Zola, Colette Becker (Editor)

Saint-Aubin, 3 septembre 1875

Mon cher directeur,
Je viens de terminer un roman, Son Excellence Eugène Rougon, le sixième de ma série des Rougon-Macquart. Les personnages sont pris dans le haut monde politique du second Empire, des députés, des sénateurs, des ministres, de grands fonctionnaires ; et les principales scènes ont pour cadre des séances au Corps législatif, le baptême du prince impérial, les fêtes d'automne à Compiègne, des conseils de ministres à Saint-Cloud, etc. Je crois que ce livre est un des plus curieux que j'aie encore écrits, par le côté essentiellement moderne et naturaliste des peintures, par le monde nouveau qu'il ouvre au roman. Je m'attends à un grand bruit autour de sa publication.

Or, ma proposition est celle-ci : voulez-vous le publier dans votre revue, comme vous avez publié La faute de l'abbé Mouret ? Et, dans le cas ou cette affaire vous sourirait, à quelle époque la plus prochaine pourriez-vous en commencer l'insertion ?

Lettre adressée par Emile Zola au directeur du Messager de l'Europe.

1357 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Émile Zola was a prominent French novelist, journalist, and playwright widely regarded as a key figure in the development of literary naturalism. His work profoundly influenced both literature and society through its commitment to depicting reality with scientific objectivity and exploring the impact of environment and heredity on human behavior. Born and raised in France, Zola experienced early personal hardship following the death of his father, which deeply affected his understanding of social and economic struggles—a theme that would later permeate his writings.
Zola began his literary career working as a clerk for a publishing house, where he developed his skills and cultivated a passion for literature. His early novels, such as Thérèse Raquin, gained recognition for their intense psychological insight and frank depiction of human desires and moral conflicts. However, it was his monumental twenty-volume series, Les Rougon-Macquart, that established his lasting reputation. This cycle of novels offered a sweeping examination of life under the Second French Empire, portraying the lives of a family across generations and illustrating how hereditary traits and social conditions shape individuals’ destinies. The series embodies the naturalist commitment to exploring human behavior through a lens informed by emerging scientific thought.
Beyond his literary achievements, Zola was a committed social and political activist. His involvement in the Dreyfus Affair is one of the most notable examples of his dedication to justice. When Captain Alfred Dreyfus was wrongfully accused and convicted of treason, Zola published his famous open letter, J’Accuse…!, which condemned the French military and government for corruption and anti-Semitism. This act of courage led to his prosecution and temporary exile but played a crucial role in eventual justice for Dreyfus and exposed deep divisions in French society.
Zola’s personal life was marked by both stability and complexity. He married Éléonore-Alexandrine Meley, who managed much of his household affairs, and later had a long-term relationship with Jeanne Rozerot, with whom he fathered two children. Throughout his life, Zola remained an incredibly prolific writer, producing not only novels but also essays, plays, and critical works that investigated the intersections between literature, science, and society.
His legacy continues to resonate for its profound impact on literature and for his fearless commitment to social justice. Zola’s work remains essential reading for its rich narrative detail, social critique, and pioneering approach to the realistic portrayal of human life. His role in the Dreyfus Affair stands as a powerful example of the intellectual’s responsibility to speak truth to power.

Reviews

[ℳatthieu]

* La Faute de l'abbé Mouret:
Autant le livre précédent était génial, autant celui-ci était ennuyeux! Spécifiquement la seconde partie dans le Paradou, l'énumération de la nature est interminable!
Dur dur donc :-) J'ai hâte de retourner à Paris pour la suite..

* Son excellence Eugène Rougon:
A lire...