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Gesammelte Novellen
753 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1990
8 people want to read
About the author
Émile Zola
2,770 books4,515 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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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 26, 2017
NANA’ (*****)
Nana’ o un trattato sull’arte impressionista.
THERESE RAQUIN (****)
Se Zola avesse continuato a scrivere sulla strada introspettiva percorsa con Therese Raquin, non penso avrebbe potuto raggiungere il successo percorrendo invece la strada naturalista.
(Della ferinita’ di Therese):
Quando era sola, nell’erba in riva al fiume, si sdraiava col ventre per terra come un animale, neri e sgranati gli occhi, il corpo in agguato come per spiccare il balzo. (39)
L’idea del doppio percorre tutto il romanzo, ma se Zola avesse insistito su questo tema il titolo del romanzo sarebbe stato ‘Laurent’ dato che il doppio nasce dalle due figure di Camille (gia’ nel nome sussiste il doppio: maschio o femmina?) e Therese.
Laurent e’ colui che conduce il doppio all’unita’ della follia o delle folli decisioni.
Il personaggio di Laurent non si afferma e pertanto il titolo e’ rimasto ‘Therese’.
(Si parla di Laurent): Lo stesso incubo ritornava con insistenza: credeva di cadere dalle braccia ardenti e appassionate di Therese in quelle ghiacciate e viscide di Camille; sognava che l’amante lo avvolgeva in un abbraccio caldo e poi che l’annegato lo stringeva gelidamente a se’... (125-6)
Pellini (curatore delle note di questo Meridiani) nella nota 3 del capitolo xxiv di Therese dimentica di citare Dostoevskij con il suo Sosia (o Doppio), dove la frattura dell’intero comincia il suo itinerario.
Laurent prova ad allontanarsi, razionalmente e con la pittura, dalla angosciante divisione del doppio, ma non ci riesce:
.“Ho un’unica critica da farti, ed e’ che tutti i tuoi studi hanno un’aria di famiglia. Questi cinque ritratti si assomigliano. Anche le donne hanno un non so che di violento, le diresti uomini camuffati… Capisci?...” (177)
Nana’ o un trattato sull’arte impressionista.
THERESE RAQUIN (****)
Se Zola avesse continuato a scrivere sulla strada introspettiva percorsa con Therese Raquin, non penso avrebbe potuto raggiungere il successo percorrendo invece la strada naturalista.
(Della ferinita’ di Therese):
Quando era sola, nell’erba in riva al fiume, si sdraiava col ventre per terra come un animale, neri e sgranati gli occhi, il corpo in agguato come per spiccare il balzo. (39)
L’idea del doppio percorre tutto il romanzo, ma se Zola avesse insistito su questo tema il titolo del romanzo sarebbe stato ‘Laurent’ dato che il doppio nasce dalle due figure di Camille (gia’ nel nome sussiste il doppio: maschio o femmina?) e Therese.
Laurent e’ colui che conduce il doppio all’unita’ della follia o delle folli decisioni.
Il personaggio di Laurent non si afferma e pertanto il titolo e’ rimasto ‘Therese’.
(Si parla di Laurent): Lo stesso incubo ritornava con insistenza: credeva di cadere dalle braccia ardenti e appassionate di Therese in quelle ghiacciate e viscide di Camille; sognava che l’amante lo avvolgeva in un abbraccio caldo e poi che l’annegato lo stringeva gelidamente a se’... (125-6)
Pellini (curatore delle note di questo Meridiani) nella nota 3 del capitolo xxiv di Therese dimentica di citare Dostoevskij con il suo Sosia (o Doppio), dove la frattura dell’intero comincia il suo itinerario.
Laurent prova ad allontanarsi, razionalmente e con la pittura, dalla angosciante divisione del doppio, ma non ci riesce:
.“Ho un’unica critica da farti, ed e’ che tutti i tuoi studi hanno un’aria di famiglia. Questi cinque ritratti si assomigliano. Anche le donne hanno un non so che di violento, le diresti uomini camuffati… Capisci?...” (177)
Displaying 1 of 1 review