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'문학동네 세계문학전집' 121, 122권. 자연주의 문학의 최고봉으로 꼽히는 프랑스의 대문호 에밀 졸라의 장편소설. <목로주점>의 세탁부 제르베즈의 아들과 딸이 주인공으로 등장하는 졸라의 4대 대표작 중에서도 특히 <제르미날>은 에밀 졸라 문학의 최정점을 유감없이 보여주는 작품이다. <목로주점>, <여인들의 행복 백화점>, <전진하는 진실> 등 에밀 졸라의 작품을 꾸준히 번역해온 전문번역가 박명숙이 번역했다.
프랑스 북부의 한 탄광촌을 배경으로 노동자들의 비참한 삶의 모습과 그들의 저항, 투쟁을 생생하고 사실적으로 묘사한 자연주의 문학의 걸작으로, 노동자계급을 주인공으로 내세운 최초의 소설이다.
이 작품의 출간 후 평단과 대중의 반응은 뜨거웠다. 노동자들을 폄하했다는 이유로 <목로주점>을 비난했던 좌파 언론들도 이 소설에는 찬사를 보냈다. 일부 부르주아 언론이 졸라가 현실을 과장했다며 비난을 퍼붓기도 했지만, 졸라는 "부디 통계를 확인하고 현장에 직접 가보길 바랍니다. 그러면 내가 거짓말을 한 것인지 알게 될 것입니다. 아아! 안타깝게도 나는 현실을 완화해서 이야기했습니다"라고 응수했다.
대중적 인기도 높아서 오늘날까지 <목로주점>, <인간 짐승>, <나나> 등과 더불어 가장 높은 판매 부수를 자랑하는 명실공히 졸라 최고의 대표작이며, 특히 졸라의 장례식에서 광부 대표단이 세 시간 넘게 묘혈 앞을 돌면서 "제르미날!"을 연호한 것은 노동자들이 이 위대한 리얼리스트에게 품고 있던 경의를 반증한다.
프랑스 북부의 한 탄광촌을 배경으로 노동자들의 비참한 삶의 모습과 그들의 저항, 투쟁을 생생하고 사실적으로 묘사한 자연주의 문학의 걸작으로, 노동자계급을 주인공으로 내세운 최초의 소설이다.
이 작품의 출간 후 평단과 대중의 반응은 뜨거웠다. 노동자들을 폄하했다는 이유로 <목로주점>을 비난했던 좌파 언론들도 이 소설에는 찬사를 보냈다. 일부 부르주아 언론이 졸라가 현실을 과장했다며 비난을 퍼붓기도 했지만, 졸라는 "부디 통계를 확인하고 현장에 직접 가보길 바랍니다. 그러면 내가 거짓말을 한 것인지 알게 될 것입니다. 아아! 안타깝게도 나는 현실을 완화해서 이야기했습니다"라고 응수했다.
대중적 인기도 높아서 오늘날까지 <목로주점>, <인간 짐승>, <나나> 등과 더불어 가장 높은 판매 부수를 자랑하는 명실공히 졸라 최고의 대표작이며, 특히 졸라의 장례식에서 광부 대표단이 세 시간 넘게 묘혈 앞을 돌면서 "제르미날!"을 연호한 것은 노동자들이 이 위대한 리얼리스트에게 품고 있던 경의를 반증한다.
464 pages, Paperback
Published August 8, 2014
10 people want to read
About the author
Émile Zola
2,733 books4,488 followersÉmile 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.
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.
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May 23, 2021
1885년 출간된 에밀 졸라의 소설.
생존을 위해 투쟁을 해야했던 노동자들의 삶을 그리고 있다. 장면 장면에 대한 묘사가 탁월하다.
생존을 위해 투쟁을 해야했던 노동자들의 삶을 그리고 있다. 장면 장면에 대한 묘사가 탁월하다.
Displaying 1 of 1 review