J'accuse

by Émile Zola

En 1894, l'état-major de l'armée est secoué par une affaire qui ébranle la société tout entière : un officier a trahi. Alfred Dreyfus, juif alsacien, est le coupable idéal. Sa dégradation, sa déportation sur l'île du Diable, son retour en France, ont divisé la société. Avec J'accuse, Emile Zola symbolise l'engagement intellectuel face au pouvoir, au mensonge et à la soumission.

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics, France, History, French Literature, Politics, Literature

48 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 13, 1898

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

[Helga چـو ایـران نباشد تن من مـباد · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: My 5 star rating is for Zola's courage and sense of compassion and humanity rather than the contents of the letter or his writing proficiency.

When truth is buried underground it grows, it chokes, it gathers such an explosive force that on the day it bursts out, it blows up everything with it.

In 1894 Alfred Dreyfus, a respected Jewish officer in the French army, was accused of passing on military secrets to the German embassy. Based on unfounded allegations and false documents, he was unfairly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on the dreaded Devil’s Island penal colony.
A couple of years later and after inquiries made by Lieutenant Colonel Picquart another officer by the name of Esterhazy was identified as the true culprit. But to cover up their mistake, Esterhazy was acquitted immediately.

It is my duty to speak; I will not be an accomplice. My nights would be haunted by the spectre of the innocent man who is atoning, in a far-away country, by the most frightful of tortures, for a crime that he did not commit.

J'accuse which was published in L'Aurore newspaper in 1898 is Émile Zola’s open letter to Dreyfus’s accusers.

He addresses the letter to the President and accuses:
Lieutenant-Colonel du Paty de Clam of judicial error,
General Mercier of having made himself an accomplice,
General Billot of withholding proofs of the innocence of Dreyfus,
General de Boisdeffre and General Gonse of having made themselves accomplices
General de Pellieux and Major Ravary of having conducted only a partial inquiry
The three experts in handwriting, Belhomme, Varinard, and Couard, of having made falsified reports
The war offices, of having carried on a smear campaign to cover up their mistake.
The war council, of knowingly acquitting a guilty man.

Zola goes on to say:
"As for the people whom I accuse, I do not know them, I have never seen them, I entertain against them no feeling of revenge or hatred. They are to me simple entities, spirits of social ill-doing. And the act that I perform here is nothing but a revolutionary measure to hasten the explosion of truth and justice.
I have but one passion, the passion for the light, in the name of humanity which has suffered so much, and which is entitled to happiness. My fiery protest is simply the cry of my soul. Let them dare, then, to bring me into the assize court, and let the investigation take place in the open day.
I await it."

Émile Zola wasn’t alone in defending Dreyfus. Anatole France, Charles Péguy, Sarah Bernhardt, Georges Clemenceau, Henri Poincaré and Georges Méliès were among the "Dreyfusards".
Dreyfus was eventually exonerated in 1906.

[Piyangie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emile Zola is one of the most gifted French authors. His works won't disappoint readers who expect more than mere storytelling. Through his work, Emile Zola has demonstrated his humane side with his sincere sympathy for human misery, and his tolerance of human follies. But if one work can define the man behind them, it's his open letter to the then President of France Félix Faure, where he openly accuses the war council of its wrongful conviction of Alfred Dreyfus. His strong cry for justice, so boldly expressed, knowing that he'll be prosecuted for libel and knowing that he's exposing his person to mortal danger, is one of the best pieces of journalism from history that I've read.

Alfred Dreyfus's case divided French society like none other in history. At a time of a rise in antisemitism, many were eager to see Dreyfus as a German spy and a traitor. He was seen as a "dirty Jew", as if he, by merely being Jewish, could commit any "dirty" crime. There may have been a significant number of those who believed in his innocence, but few came forward. Zola was one of the defenders of Dreyfus and paid dearly for standing up for justice.

Alfred Dreyfus was only a scapegoat in some bigger political scheme. If you read about the Dreyfus case, you'll see that Dreyfus was later pardoned and restored to service. If indeed he was truly a traitor, that wouldn't have happened. So, it was all but right that Zola stood by his side. However, what is disturbing about the whole Dreyfus affair, apart from the injustice, is how strongly the antisemitism has shrouded the French society even as far back as the 1890s to make them absolutely blind towards the atrocious treatment of one individual just because he was Jewish. Holocaust doesn't seem surprising after all. Years and years of silent hatred have brewed some monstrous inhumans.

Zola didn't live to see the restoration of justice. His death, while in England, under suspicious circumstances only strengthens how widespread the antisemitism has been. Even offshore, he wasn't safe. Maybe it was an accident even. But one cannot deny the fact that from time immemorial, those who stood for rights and justice were always persecuted, and in many instances, paid dearly for so standing up. In any case, Zola's J'accuse, his open indictment, will be one of history's best pieces of journalism and one of the most heartfelt calls for justice.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

"J'Accuse...!" is one of the most famous newspaper headlines in world history. This is Emile Zola's epic takedown of the government of the Third French Republic, accusing them of antisemitism and miscarriage of justice in their wrongful conviction of the Jewish soldier Alfred Dreyfus during the Dreyfus Affair. The Dreyfus Affair was of the biggest and most consequential political controversies of that era.

After "J'Accuse" was published, the government retaliated by accusing Zola of libel. In order to escape prison time, Zola fled to England. A few years later, Zola was killed from carbon monoxide poisoning when someone plugged his chimney at night.

Five stars for Zola for doing the right thing and standing up against hate and corruption, even if it cost him his life.

[Somormujo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
Aquí está la reseña prometida ...

"Yo acuso" es una carta abierta dirigida al Presidente de la República por un Emile Zola en la cumbre de su carrera, publicada en primera plana por el periódico L'Aurore en enero de 1898.

Lo primero que salta a la vista al lector no avisado es que la obra hace referencia al caso Dreyfus, asumiendo lógicamente que el lector conoce los pormenores de un escándalo que sacudió a la justicia militar francesa. Así, ya en el comienzo, se comprueba la alusión repetida al comandante Paty de Clam. Por ello, es totalmente recomendable revisar siquiera de manera breve lo ocurrido.

En 1894, el capitán de origen judío (esto es determinante por el antisemitismo imperante entonces en Francia) Alfred Dreyfus es acusado por el citado comandante de traicionar a Francia pasando secretos a la Embajada alemana en París, con base en la similitud de su letra con la de una nota encontrada en la papelera de la citada Embajada. Dreyfus es juzgado y condenado por alta traición a ser degradado en público y desterrado a la Isla del Diablo. Conforme se van conociendo detalles del caso, que salpican a altos mandos del ejército y, en particular, señalan al comandante Esterházy, el ejército francés boicotea las investigaciones y mantiene la condena al capitán Dreyfus. Sólo el recurso posterior de la familia, apoyada entre otros por Zola, permitirá revocar el proceso y absolver a Dreyfus en 1906, desencadenando el escándalo que afectó a la justicia militar francesa.

En cuanto a la acusación, Zola la despacha diciendo: "Nos habían hablado de catorce acusaciones y no aparece más que una: la nota sospechosa".

La carta redactada con un estilo impecable e implacable va subiendo de tono:

"Verdaderamente asistimos a un espectáculo infame; para proclamar la inocencia de los hombres cubiertos de vicios, deudas y crímenes, acusan a un hombre de vida ejemplar. Cuando un pueblo desciende a esas infamias, está próximo a corromperse y aniquilarse".
"Por lo tanto, lo repito, no puede aparecer inocente sin que todo el Estado Mayor aparezca culpable ... el placer de algunos tiranos que pisotean la nación, ahogando en su garganta el grito de verdad y de justicia bajo el pretexto, falso y sacrílego, de razón de estado"

Frases con las cuales, Zola pone el acento en el fondo del problema. Para salvar la honorabilidad del Estado Mayor francés, se mira a otro lado y se confirma la condena a un ya entonces claro inocente. Es entonces cuando Zola remata el escrito al Presidente con su famoso alegato compuesto por 8 párrafos, todos ellos empezando por la frase "Yo acuso ..."

El propio Zola reconoce al final de su carta que la acusación formulada le hace ser posible objeto de un delito de difamación, como efectivamente sucederá, siendo condenado a un año de prisión. Zola no pudo ver el final del proceso, ya que este tuvo lugar en 1906 y él ya había fallecido.

En resumen, nos encontramos ante un alegato epistolar de una de las cumbres francesas de ese período. Como obra en sí, ha perdido lógicamente mucha actualidad, lo que justifica mi valoración, pero sigue siendo muy recomendable para aquellos lectores que deseen revisar este momento histórico, así como la contundencia de la denuncia abierta de Emile Zola.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘]

Just putting this here -

"C'est un crime d'égarer l'opinion, d'utiliser pour une besogne de mort cette opinion qu'on a pervertie jusqu'à la faire délirer.
C'est un crime d'empoisonner les petits et les humbles, d'exaspérer les passions de réaction et d'intolérance, en s'abritant derrière l'odieux antisémitisme, dont la grande France libérale des droits de l'homme mourra, si elle n'en est pas guérie.
C'est un crime d'exploiter le patriotisme pour des oeuvres de haine (...)"

- 1898 -

I've read this letter years ago, but never did it depress me more than now, in 2016.

[Carlo Mascellani · Rating 5 out of 5]

La voce di Zola si alza sdegnata in un atto di condanna verso il governo francese. Prevaricazioni, malagiustizia, minacce, pregiudizio, manovre puramente politiche, la sempre tragica ricerca di un possibile capro espiatorio per placare il pubblico rancore, sono tutti elementi che contribuirono alla spicciola condanna dell'innocente Dreyfus e, anche a riabilitazione avvenuta, a macchiare ingiustamente il suo onore. Una pagina oscura nella storia di Francia. Una pagina che ogni paese del mondo ha, purtroppo, vissuto, conosciuto, scritto.

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in English (on-line) as part of the analysis for my review of "An Officer and a Spy" by Robert Harris.

[Ezgi T · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Gerçek toprağın altına kapatıldığı zaman, orada öyle bir toplanır öyle bir patlama gücü kazanır ki, patladığı gün her şeyi kendisiyle birlikte havaya uçurur."

Daha önce Emile Zola'nın hiçbir eserini okumamıştım, yani yazarlık yönüne pek aşina değilim, fakat gösterdiği cesaretle beni kendine hayran bıraktı. Dünyadan böyle insanların gelip geçtiğini bilmek bir rahatlık; bir kere gerçekleştiğine göre sayısız kere daha gerçekleşebilir.

Sadece kötü insanların güç sahibi olabildiği, kimi umutsuzluk anlarımda sık sık kapıldığım bir düşünce ve Zola, bunun aksini kanıtlayan sağlam bir karakter.

Umutluyum.

[Renato · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Émile Zola, famous French novelist, put together in a compilation all of the articles and letters he wrote and published about The Dreyfus Affair expanding a three years period, from December 1897 to December 1900, while the events were slowly developing.

Initially being published on the Figaro - and having so far three articles there -, Zola started to see a growing resistance from the newspaper in continuing with publication after they suffered a decrease in circulation. Believing the public was against or not interested in Zola’s views, Figaro stopped being his main venue and he had to publish himself his articles in leaflets, until L’Aurore stepped up to become his main vehicle.

Besides this collection of written articles, Zola comments one by one giving us a general context of what was going on at the time, his feelings and thoughts. The main one is, of course J’accuse…!, an open letter to President Félix Faure published by L’Aurore in 13 January 1898, that gathers all the information that was out so far - everything that led into Dreyfus’s first court martial and condemnation, major Esterhazy’s absurd acquittance and how the Army and the government fought to cover up their mistake while keeping an innocent man in preposterous conditions living in the Devil’s Island. More than laying out all the cards, Zola went as far as actually naming names: Du Paty de Clam, Mercier, Billot, Boisdeffre, Gonse among others. He would end up being tried and convicted for criminal libel in 1898. Instead of going to jail, he fled to England where he remained for almost one year.

Other highlights included in the book are:

1) Lettre à la Jeunesse, a letter to the youth where he appeals to the younger’s sensitiveness and generosity, where he asks them to open their eyes and fight for Dreyfus’s cause instead of letting the older embark on this adventure in search of humanity, truth and justice;

2) Zola’s Déclaration au jury, the declaration he read to the jury on 21 February 1898 during his trial;

3) the open letter to Mrs. Alfred Dreyfus, Lucie, when Dreyfus was granted presidential pardon by President Loubet, where he says, among other things, that it felt bitter that after physical torture came moral torture for Dreyfus was not declared innocent at that point, and that it is revolting to achieve through mercy what should’ve been achieved through justice.

Zola himself claimed that he never loved or loathed the Jews, that none of his friends were Jewish and that, to him, they were simply human beings and that was enough. He became an important asset to the Dreyfusard cause, especially when the press, mainly through the newspapers La Libre Parole - by Édouard Drumont, a big time confessed anti-Semite -, L’Eclair and L’Echo de Paris - those last two acting on behalf of the War Ministry - was playing an important role in dividing the public opinion by obscuring their awareness of the facts. Zola acted as a relevant counterpoint and stated he was ashamed of the press.

Rating: this is a nice compilation that makes research easier for those interested in Zola and the translation to Portuguese was well done: 3 stars.

[EstelleLiterature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort, complaisance, conformity come with their existential price: boredom, stagnation, itchiness. A desire to rebel. In a bourgeois society, the desired rebellion reduces to debauchery. Zola, after he earned money from The Drinking Den and moved to Medan, felt the danger of quietude. The result is this rebellion that placed him before The Tribunal of Versailles, earned him insults like "the son of an immigrant" and an order to leave France right after his judgment, loads more on his way to Gare du Nord for London in a disguised vehicle, and those accompanying him to the station getting lynched.

Was it the first time Zola did this? No. For writing Germinal, he disguised himself as a miner, worked in a mine for weeks, before getting caught and thrown out as an intruder. After moving to Medan, Zola had fallen into bourgeoisie; his mother's death before Germinal revived his rebellious instincts, which for "J'accuse" took the form of relentless investigation and fearless address to the republic.

And he paid for this with his life: "workers" asphyxiated him by clogging his hearth's chimney!

Was Zola the only writer to go to this extent? No. Victor Hugo, during The Three Glorious Days, hid behind a shop's screen at the barricade's site, to reproduce what we later see in Les Miserables. The bullet that whizzed past him and killed an unweary onlooker could have blown Hugo's head. Not so long after, when his position against The Second Empire put him on the condemned list, he hid in a worker's smock and fled with a fake passport obtained for him by Juliette Drouet, who put her life to risk by helping hungry Hugo escape France and feed him along the way wherever she found him.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Harriet Stowe risked her life for Uncle Tom's Cabin; London, for his defense of dogs; Sinclair, for his The Jungle; Steinbeck, for his The Grapes of Wrath; Hemingway, for his The Farewell to Arms. All these authors place their works above their lives. An author I look after faced several setbacks while researching for his works, a serious one before publishing his last book. A week later, he stood up, shook off everything, grabbed his manuscript like a potter grabs his clay, and finished his work. He claimed the tears streaming down were his tears of joy, but I know he was lying.

This is the third time I've read "J'accuse." Every time, I see new light and take away fresh insight. What I drew this time from "J'accuse" resonates with what the author I look after often tells me:

- a flower needs compost to feed upon and to shine her beauty by contrast
- beauty wouldn't be beautiful if it came in plenty
- longevity doesn't determine life's quality; living experience does

I chose to review the French version of "J'accuse" because it truly depicts Zola's intent.

[Nikos Tsentemeidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Περί της γνωστής υπόθεσης Ντρέιφους, που συγκλόνισε τη Γαλλία, αλλά και την παγκόσμια κοινή γνώμη την περίοδο 1894-1906.

[Konstantinos M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Το μόνο που χρειάζεται για να επικρατήσουν οι κακοί, είναι οι καλοί να μην κάνουν τίποτα"

Έντμουντ Μπερκ

Δεν μπορεί παρά να συγκλονιστεί κανείς διαβάζοντας τα βάσανα που υπέστη ο Λοχαγός Ντρέιφους, αλλά και ο Ζολά και όσοι μαζί με τον Ζολά τον υπερασπίστηκαν. Σαν ανάγνωσμα παρόλα αυτά, το βιβλιαράκι είναι μάλλον βαρετό.
Το πρώτο μισό είναι μια εκτενής ανάλυση της Υπόθεσης Ντρέιφους. Ακολουθούν το περίφημο άρθρο του Ζολά "Κατηγορώ" στη Γαλλική Αυγή, το κείμενο της πύρινης απολογίας του στη δίκη που τον υπέβαλε η "στρατιωτική γραφειοκρατία" και τέλος, άρθρα, κείμενα, επιστολές υποστήριξης πρωταγωνιστών της υπόθεσης, όπως ο Κλεμανσώ, που εξαργύρωσε απ' ό,τι φαίνεται τη δημοφιλία του αργότερα, αλλά και πνευματικών ανθρώπων από όλο τον κόσμο, συμπεριλαμβανόμενου του δικού μας Γιάννη Ψυχάρη.

Αξίζει κανείς να το διαβάσει, αν μη τι άλλο για ακαδημαϊκούς λόγους. Για να έχει υπόψη του, πόσο μακριά μπορεί να φτάσει ένα καθεστώς για να διατηρήσει τα κεκτημένα του και πόσο σημαντικό είναι σε μια δημοκρατία να υπάρχουν δικλείδες ασφαλείας και ισχυροί θεσμοί.

"Υπήρχαν άνθρωποι που αντιστάθηκαν στους ισχυρότερους βασιλιάδες. Ελάχιστοι όμως είναι εκείνοι που μπόρεσαν να αντισταθούν στα πλήθη, που όρθωσαν το ανάστημά τους, ολομόναχοι μπροστά στις παραμελημένες και συχνότατα εξαγριωμένες μάζες, που αντιμετώπισαν, άοπλοι, τις βρισιές και την οργή και που τόλμησαν να φωνάξουν 'όχι!' τη στιγμή που τα πλήθη ζητούσαν απ' αυτούς να πουν το 'ναι'.
Ένας απ' αυτούς ήταν και ο Ζολά!"

Ζωρζ Κλεμανσώ

[Lila Dimaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Διαβάζοντας αυτό το βιβλίο για τη δικαστική πλάνη της συγκλονιστικής υπόθεσης Ντρέιφους κατέληξα σε δύο συμπεράσματα: 1)τα σκατά επιπλέουν τουλάχιστον μέχρι να γίνουν αντιληπτά και 2)ευτυχώς για τις ανθρώπινες κοινωνίες που υπάρχουν άνθρωποι που δε διστάζουν να θέσουν τον εαυτό τους σε κίνδυνο χάρη μιας ιερής ιδέας,της Δικαιοσύνης και της Αλήθειας.

[Ian D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μια επιστολή κόλαφος, ένα έργο ηχηρό τουλάχιστον όσο κι ο τίτλος του, πολύ περισσότερο αν αναλογιστούμε το τεράστιο προσωπικό κόστος που είχε η σύνταξή του στον ίδιο το Zola.

[Liberty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not so much a book but rather a long article on the Dreyfus Case. In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus of the Intelligence Bureau of the French General Staff was unjustly arrested, imprisoned, tried and found guilty of high treason against his country (France), and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island, off of France Guiana. The trial of Dreyfus turned into more than a leaking of official government papers, instead it was an international affair, putting on trial the people and honor of France against the honor of Alfred Dreyfus.

Emile Zola very clearly summarizes and explains the causes of this famous case, pleading to the President of France to see past all the lies and slander that had been published against Dreyfus. Dreyfus himself was completely innocent of every charge made against himself, having a spotless record as a man devoted to the army and his family. Well written, and a very fascinating read if you are interested in famous trials.

[Vik · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are two things that astonished whole of France- Cezanne's apple and Zola's open letter in Dreyfus affair. For me, Zola is a finest example of what a singular campaign for justice can do to our conscience.

[B. Han Varli · Rating 3 out of 5]

sırtını ahlaksız basına dayamak, paris'in tüm ipsizlerince savunulmaya boyun eğmek de bir suç; işte ipsizler takımı, hukukun ve yalın gerçeğin bozgunu içinde, hayasızca utkuya ulaşıyor. o tüm dünya önünde yanlışı zorla benimsetmek gibi düşüncesizce bir komplo tezgâhlarken, kendisini özgür ve dürüst ulusların başında yiğit bir ordu olarak görmek isteyenleri fransa'yı bulandırmakla suçlamış olmak da bir suç. kamuoyunu saptırmak, yoldan çıkarılmış olan kamuoyununu, onu sabuklamaya götürecek ölçüde bir ölüm görevinde kullanmak da bir suç. içinden atamaması durumunda insan haklarının savunucusu büyük ve özgürlükçü fransa'nın ölmesine yol açacak iğrenç yahudi düşmanlığının arkasına sığınarak küçükleri ve alçak gönüllüleri zehirlemek, tutuculuk ve hoşgörüsüzlük tutkularını azdırmak da bir suç. kin yolunda yurttaşlığı sömürmek de bir suç, son olarak; tüm bilim gerçek ve adalet çağını oluşturma yolunda iş başındayken, kılıcı çağdaş tanrı yapmak da bir suçtur.

suçluyorum bir dürüstlük, bir uygarlık, bir cömertlik ve gözü peklik örneği, kendi türü içinde bir başyapıt.

çağının romancısı émile zola, xıx. yüzyılın sonlarına doğru fransa'da, yahudi kökenli bir subayın, yüzbaşı alfred dreyfus'ün, haksız yere casusluk ile suçlanmasıyla patlak veren dreyfus davası üzerine l'aurore gazetesinde bir yazı yayınladı.

yüzbaşı alfred dreyfus neyle suçlandığını bile söylenmeden tutuklanmıştır ve sağcı basın büyük bir karalama kampanyası başlatmıştır. yalnız dreyfus'u değil, tüm yahudileri, fransa'daki tüm yahudi topluluklarını suçlamıştır hatta.

askeri mahkeme kamuya kapalı olarak yapılan bir duruşma ile dreyfus'ün rütbesinin geri alınmasına ve yaşam boyu sürgün edilmesine karar vermiştir basının haberlerine paralel olarak.

bir şekilde gerçek suçlunun yargıç önüne çıkarılması sonucu dreyfus üç dakika içinde oy birliğiyle aklanır.





tüm bu olanlardan sonra emile zola cumhurbaşkanına mektup başlığı ile müthiş bir başkaldırı örneği gösterir.

mektup, çağının aydınlarının sesi niteliğindedir ve fransa'nın tarihinde önemli bir dönüm noktası olmuştur.

gerçeğin su yüzüne çıktığını ve hiçbir şeyin onu durduramayacağını söyleyen yazar, mektubunda da edebi bir dil kullanmış, dava çerçevesinde önemli noktalar hakkında sorgulamalarda bulunmuştur.

suçladığım insanlara gelince: onları tanımıyorum, hiçbir zaman görmedim, kendilerine ne hıncım var ne de kinim. benim için önemsiz varlıklar, toplumsal kötülük ruhlarından başka bir şey değiller. burada yerine getirdiğim edimse, gerçeğin ve adaletin patlamasını çabuklaştırmak için başvurduğum devrimsel bir yol yalnızca

birkaç sayfalık bir kitap haline zar zor gelen mektubu bir edebi klasik yapan ise isimleri değiştirdiğimiz zaman günümüzdeki birçok durum karşısında geçerliliğini sürdürmesi ve haksızlığa karşı hala cesur kalemlerin olmaması sayılabilir.

can yayınları'nın dokuzuncu basımından yaptığımız alıntılar da gösteriyor ki medyanın ahlaksızlığı ya da korkak gazetecilerin varlığı hiçbir zaman değişmedi, her şey aynı döngüde sürüklenip günümüze kadar geldi.

''suçluyorum''u okumak bu anlamda biraz üzücü, biraz da cesaretlendiren türden bir deneyim

[Yani · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡La verdad! ¿En qué concepto la tenéis, en todo este episodio que sacude por entero a una vieja organización, para creer que es un objeto sencillo y manejable, que se pasea por la palma de la mano y que se pone a voluntad en la mano de los demás como un guijarro o una manzana?

Este libro resulta curioso porque consiste en una reunión de los artículos que publicó Emile Zola durante el caso Dreyfus y tienen una potencia atroz. Algunos pasajes hasta podrían resonar todavía en nuestros tiempos, como aquellos en los que se expone el intento de iniciar una guerra religiosa. Resumo rápidamente el caso: en 1894, el Ministerio de Guerra francés acusó al capitán Alfred Dreyfus de haber facilitado documentos confidenciales a los alemanes. La prueba contundente nunca se hizo pública y se absolvió al verdadero traidor, un hombre llamado Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. Así, Dreyfus sufrió una especie de re-acusación, en donde además pesa el hecho de que era judío y alsaciano en un contexto antisemita y nacionalista. No es un dato menor. El pedido de la familia de Dreyfus para que se revise el juicio fue tomado en cuenta por mucha gente. Francia se dividió en dos: los que estaban a favor de Dreyfus y los que no. Hay unos cuantos nombres conocidos en ambos bandos. Zola (que pertenecía al primer grupo) se comprometió tanto con el tema que sus artículos lo llevaron a la cárcel y al exilio, debido a que las figuras públicas a las que él responsabilizó del escándalo judicial, político y social tomaron medidas y lo denunciaron por difamación.

Lo interesante se contempla en cómo este escritor se dirige hacia las partes involucradas y utiliza la palabra para provocar un cambio. Se exalta al defender y defenderse, tratando de dar un “golpe” que despierte a esa Francia que tanto bregaba por los derechos del hombre. Zola ataca al antisemitismo (le quedó claro que, si se continuaba con la acusación a Dreyfus, era más por motivos religiosos que convicciones judiciales), a la prensa (la titiritera de los humildes, según su percepción, y la que echaba leña al fuego), a las autoridades y hasta llega a enviarle una carta a los presidentes. Yo acuso resulta ser un texto muy bueno por la claridad con que se pinta el día a día del caso y de la opinión pública, que sacaba de quicio a Zola. Él se ofrece como sacrificio en pos de la verdad y de la justicia y tal vez suene un poco grandilocuente. Lo cierto es que su análisis, por más molesto que sea (lo digo refiriéndome a la subestimación que hace de la inteligencia del pueblo, no a la defensa en sí), pone en el tapete muchos asuntos para pensar. Uno de ellos es el concepto de la verdad. Y, si bien el indulto a Dreyfus se otorgó mucho tiempo después, dejó al desnudo la doble cara de Francia.

La edición (por si alguien tiene la misma o piensa adquirirla) está parcialmente incompleta. “El juicio”, “Carta a la juventud”, “Carta a Francia”, “Yo acuso” y “Declaración ante el jurado” son los únicos textos que se reproducen en su totalidad. Los demás, como la carta que le escribió a la esposa de Dreyfus, están constituidos por una selección de fragmentos.


Reseña en Clásico desorden

[Joana Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se eu já gostava de Zola como escritor, agora, ainda o admiro mais enquanto pessoa.

Este livro é uma pequena preciosidade de que já há algum tempo andava à procura. Desde que comecei a ler “Em Busca do Tempo Perdido” de Proust, que tomei consciência do caso Dreyfus e as suas repercussões por toda a França, tanto no que concerne à sua política, como à sua justiça, e à sua imprensa.

Com uma introdução muito boa e explícita dos contornos que o caso tomou, enquanto Dreyfus era acusado e sentenciado, o clímax é, sem dúvida, a carta que dá o nome ao livro,“J’accuse…”.

“Há muitas maneiras de servir a França. Podemos servi-la pela espada e pela pena. O Sr. general de Pellieux tem, sem dúvida, alcançado estrondosas vitórias. Eu ganhei as minhas. Pelas minhas obras, a língua francesa tem sido levada ao mundo inteiro. Tenho as minhas vitórias. Lego à posteridade o nome do general de Pellieux e o de Émile Zola: ela escolherá!” p.92

“Tudo parece estar contra mim, as duas câmaras, o poder civil, o poder militar, os jornais de grande tiragem, a opinião pública que eles envenenaram. E só tenho por mim a ideia, um ideal de verdade e de justiça. E estou muito tranquilo, vencerei. Não quis que o meu país ficasse na mentira e na injustiça. Podem bater-me aqui. Um dia, a França agradecer-me-á por a ter ajudado a salvar a sua honra.” p.98

Um livro que todos deveriam ler, adorei.

[misael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neste livro, Emile Zola, autor de livros como “Germinal” ou “A Besta Humana” faz a defesa de Dreyfus, um jovem judeu, que é acusado de conspiração e espionagem contra a França pelo Estado-Maior Francês numa tentativa declarada de afastar as culpas dos verdadeiros autores do crime e de colocar um judeu, através da técnica do bode expiatório, atrás das grades por um crime que não cometeu.
Emile Zola, tomando conhecimento do caso, e num acto corajoso, decide escrever uma carta aberta ao Presidente da República de França expondo o caso, juntamente com o seu ponto de vista, defendendo Dreyfus e acusando, nome por nome, os verdadeiros criminosos, audácia que lhe valeu, também a ele, a cadeia acusado de difamação.
Todos os meandros deste processo, que Zola apelidou da maior mancha na imaculada democracia francesa e do processo mais fraudulento de que há memória, podem ser entendidos através da leitura desta carta.

[Pinar · Rating 4 out of 5]

“...Dreyfus’un suçsuz olduğunu biliyorlar ve bu tüyler ürpetici şeyi kendilerine saklıyorlar. Üstelik bu insanlar uyuyabiliyorlar, eşleri ve çocukları var, onları seviyorlar!”

“Ey adalet, ne korkunç bir umutsuzlukla sıkılıyor insanın yüreği!”

“Evet! Bu utanç verici gösteriyi izliyoruz, borçlar ve suçlar altında ezilmiş kişiler suçsuz ilan ediliyor; buna karşılık, onurun ta kendisi, yaşamı lekesiz bir adam cezalandırılıyor. Bir toplum bu noktaya geldiği zaman, artık çürümeye başlamış demektir.”

“Ah! Birkaç rütbelimin, Devlet’in güvenliğini saygısızca bahane ederek, çizmeleriyle ulusun üstüne basarak gerçek ve adalet çığlığını gırtlağına tıkamaları, bütün bu çılgınlıklar ve saçmalıklar, çılgınca düşmeler, yoz polis uygulamaları, engizisyon ve zorba uygulamalar!”

[Derrymaine14 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια πολύ καλή συλλογή από μαρτυρίες, αποσπάσματα, ομιλίες, άρθρα, και φυσικά το κατηγορώ του Ζολά σχετικά με την υπόθεση Ντρέιφους. Καλό για εγκυκλοπαιδικές γνώσεις, παρέχει σχετικά ολοκληρωμένη γνώση σε σχέση με την ιστορία της υπόθεσης. Αξίζει διπλά σαν εγχειρίδιο δημοσιογράφων, τόσο για την ενδελεχή παράθεση πληροφοριών, όσο και σαν υπενθύμιση ότι πρέπει να χει ο καθένας το θάρρος της γνώμης του, με όποιο κόστος.

[Rosanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resoconto puntuale e appassionato dell’ Affare Dreyfus.
Zola prese da subito le parti di Alfredo, ufficiale di Stato Maggiore francese, accusato di alto tradimento per aver venduto segreti militari alla controparte tedesca (era il 1894). Ci racconta il processo, l’umiliante cerimonia con cui fu degradato, la deportazione all’Isola del Diavolo, ci riporta gli stati d’animo e fisici di Alfredo, i tentativi della famiglia di riabilitarlo, ancora il nuovo processo e poi la grazia. Ci fa i nomi, Zola. E accusa.

ecco una parte della lettera aperta di Émile Zola al Presidente della Repubblica Francese Félix Faure.
«Io accuso...!
"Signor Presidente, mi permettete, pur grato per la benevola accoglienza che un giorno mi avete fatto, di preoccuparmi per la Vostra giusta gloria e dirvi che la Vostra stella, se felice fino ad ora, è minacciata dalla più offensiva ed inqualificabile delle macchie? Avete conquistato i cuori, Voi siete uscito sano e salvo da grosse calunnie. Apparite raggiante nell'apoteosi di questa festa patriottica che l'alleanza russa ha rappresentato per la Francia[2] e Vi preparate a presiedere al trionfo solenne della nostra Esposizione universale, che coronerà il nostro grande secolo di lavoro, di libertà e di verità. Ma che macchia di fango sul Vostro nome – stavo per dire sul Vostro regno – è questo abominevole affare Dreyfus! Per ordine di un Consiglio di Guerra è stato scagionato Esterhazy, ignorando la verità e qualsiasi giustizia. È finita, la Francia ha sulla guancia questa macchia, la storia scriverà che è sotto la Vostra Presidenza che è stato commesso questo crimine sociale. E poiché è stato osato, oserò anche io. La verità la dirò io poiché ho promesso di dirla, se la giustizia non l'avesse stabilita, piena ed intera. È mio dovere parlare, non voglio essere complice. Le mie notti sarebbero ossessionate dallo spirito di un uomo innocente che espia, lontano, nella più spaventosa delle torture un crimine che non ha commesso. Ed è a Voi, signor Presidente, che io griderò questa verità, con tutta la forza della mia ribellione di uomo onesto. In nome del Vostro onore, sono convinto che la ignoriate. E a chi dunque denuncerò l'accozzaglia dei veri colpevoli se non a Voi, il primo magistrato del paese?”

[Jfmarhuenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta más Émile Zola cuando escribe ficción. Pero Yo acuso es un alegado histórico lleno de mensajes imprescindibles para nuestro tiempo. Y eso es difícil de obviar.
Lo principal, en mi opinión, es el compromiso. El compromiso de Zola no es con Dreyfus sino con la verdad, con sus creencias y con la justicia. Lo que ocurre es que el caso Dreyfus, un amaño torticero para condenar a un judío alsaciano, da pie a una posición que invita a la épica. Dreyfus es condenado por espionaje simplemente con un informe caligráfico. Pero esto no es lo peor. Cuando se descubre el autor de la filtración de información militar a Alemania (Esterhazy), no solamente indultan a este último, sino que degradan a los que instigaron la investigación y reafirman la condena a Dreyfus.
El compromiso de Zola lo es frente a unos tribunales militares que dictan sentencias a sabiendas de que son injustas, lo es ante buena parte del pueblo de Francia que, intoxicado por la prensa, entiende la condena como algo absolutamente justificado, y lo es ante la juventud que se permite ser antisemita. Las consecuencias de su compromiso pronto cobran su precio. Zola es condenado por su carta al Presidente de la República y debe salir al exilio, lo que no evita que sus bienes sean embargados y se le retire la Legión de Honor.
Aún habiéndose descubierto la inocencia de Dreyfus, pasaran años hasta que sea indultado, y otros para que Zola sea declarado inocente. Algo que no llegará a ver puesto que le alcanzará la muerte antes.
¿Qué nos dice Zola? Que el compromiso con la verdad, con la justicia, con la libertad, la igualdad y la fraternidad de los seres humanos debe ser algo permanente. Que los triunfos pretéritos pueden ser pisoteados por la religión y por los sistemas políticos imperfectos. Y que la actitud que merece ese compromiso es de entrega absoluta, aún a precio de perder todo aquello que ha sido alcanzado a lo largo de una vida. Ahora que vengan intelectuales contemporáneos y nos expliquen que es el compromiso.
Para finalizar, dos párrafos que me han levantado del sillón:
"La prensa inmunda ha descarriado a la nación y un acceso de perversión y de corrupción está extendiendo la úlcera, a pleno sol". Aquí me acuerdo de toda la prensa en su conjunto y en el papel tan sucio que ha adoptado en nuestras sociedades como simples voceros del poder.
"Antisemitas jóvenes. ¿Existen, pues, esas cosas? ¿Hay cerebros nuevos, almas nuevas desequilibradas por ese veneno idiota? Qué triste, que inquietante para el siglo XX que va a iniciarse!
Cien años después de la Declaración de los Derechos del Hombre, cien años después del acto supremo de tolerancia y emancipación, volvemos a las guerras de religión, el más odioso y necio de los fantasmas. Eso es comprensible en algunos hombres que desempeñan su papel, que tienen que mantener una actitud y satisfacer una ambición voraz. Pero en los jóvenes, en los que nacen y ayudan a que se desarrollen y expandan todos los derechos y libertades que habíamos soñado ver surgir, fulgurantes, en el próximo siglo! Eran los trabajadores que esperábamos y, en cambio, se declaran ya antisemitas, o sea, que comenzarán el siglo exterminando a todos los judíos porque son ciudadanos de otra raza y de otra fe". Y aquí me acuerdo del siglo XX.

[BrokenTune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review first posted on BookLikes:
http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/...-


When it comes to French literature and history I am a little out of my depth. The reason for this, I suspect, is that I was put off French literature by the people who tried to introduce it to me. It's the old familiar story shared by people who say that they have been put off classics or science in high school, except that it was not school who spoiled French literature for me. It was a handful of pretentious people I briefly knew socially. There is an element of snobbishness to this story - probably on both sides.

There is no element of snobbishness in J'Accuse. Zola's letter is an elegant and eloquent expression of his intolerance towards an establishment who believes that blaming a scapegoat for the treason committed in its own ranks is acceptable. An establishment who believes that bullying and perverting the course of justice is a an acceptable course of action to preserve its role in society. It is by taking into account the deceit and power of this establishment, which through a web of lies condemned an innocent Alfred Dreyfus to a penal colony, that I am impressed by Zola. Not by his outrage against the establishment. I'm impressed by the risk he took to publicly denounce the wrong that was done against Dreyfus.

Of course, I am aware of Zola's personal legal battle that followed the publication of J'Accuse and the efforts of the Dreyfusards to appeal against Dreyfus' sentence, and it was somewhat humbling to read the text which is so seminal in the rift in French society that ensued from the arrogance of an establishment that seemed to have forgotten the principles of equality and liberty on which it was supposed to have been founded.

[Burak Kuscu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ne ara başladı, ne ara bitti, ne anlattı....

İnsan farketmiyor gibi oluyor ama çok önemli bir kitap. Literatür'e "Dreyfus Davası" diye bir tabiri sokmuş bir eserdir başlıbaşına. Gerçek bir olaydan hareketle yazılmıştır(mektuptan diyelim)

Her şeyiyle ve kolay okunmasıyla kesinlikle kaçırılmaması gereken bir kitap.

[Gülşen Ç.Ç. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zamana bu kadar dayanmış ve bu kadar iz bırakmış bir eserin gazetede yayınlanmış olması çok etkileyici geliyor bana.

[Gökhan Gök · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunuş, Öncesi ve Sonrası bölümleriyle yayınlanan bu baskıda Zola’nın meşhur mektubunu ve dönemini daha iyi algılıyoruz. Zola romanlarını okumak için bu mektubu okumakta fayda var.

[Christelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je n’avais jamais lu la célèbre lettre de Zola dans le texte.
C’est encore une fois grâce à l’accessibilité Kindle des oeuvres tombés dans le domaine public que je me suis lancée.

J’ai rapidement constaté que je ne connaissais en fait rien de cette fameuse « affaire Dreyfus ».
J’ai eu la sensation inattendue d’un fait divers intriguant et romanesque (machinations, conseil de guerre, mystères, trahisons…) mettant en scène une galerie de personnages aux noms savoureux (Esterhazy, le lieutenant-colonel du Paty de Clam, Forzinetti, M. Scheurer-Kestner…) et une flopée de généraux de l'état-major (Sandherr, Mercier, Boisdeffre, Gonse, Pellieux…).

Plus courte que je ne l’imaginais, la lettre est construite en deux parties plus ou moins structurées selon la chronologie des évènements.
Impossible de passer à côté de l’écriture passionnée de l’écrivain révolté : « Comprenez-vous cela! Voici un an que le général Billot, que les généraux de Boisdeffre et Gonse savent que Dreyfus est innocent, et ils ont gardé pour eux cette effroyable chose! Et ces gens-là dorment, et ils ont des femmes et des enfants qu'ils aiment! »

Je me suis surprise plusieurs fois à songer aux erreurs judiciaires de notre système actuel, à penser au système de chaîne de commandement des fonctionnaires d’état, à réfléchir au pouvoir > qui manipule les médias > qui manipulent les masses…
C’est un écho intéressant et des passages entiers résonnent dans notre actualité : « C’est un crime d'empoisonner les petits et les humbles, d'exaspérer les passions de réaction et d'intolérance, en s'abritant derrière l'odieux antisémitisme, dont la grande France libérale des droits de l'homme mourra, si elle n'en est pas guérie. C'est un crime que d'exploiter le patriotisme pour des oeuvres de haine »

J’admire le refus de complicité passive de Zola, son engagement assumé dans ces accusations nominatives et cette exposition volontaire au délit de diffamation.

Citations

« Ah ! tout ce qui s'est agité là de démence et de sottise, des imaginations folles, des pratiques de basse police, des moeurs d'inquisition et de tyrannie, le bon plaisir de quelques galonnés mettant leurs bottes sur la nation, lui rentrant dans la gorge son cri de vérité et de justice, sous le prétexte menteur et sacrilège de la raison d'État! »

« J'accuse le lieutenant-colonel du Paty de Clam d'avoir été l'ouvrier diabolique de l'erreur judiciaire, en inconscient, je veux le croire, et d'avoir ensuite défendu son oeuvre néfaste, depuis trois ans, par les machinations les plus saugrenues et les plus coupables(…)
J’accuse le général Billot d'avoir eu entre les mains les preuves certaines de l'innocence de Dreyfus et de les avoir étouffées, de s'être rendu coupable de ce crime de lèse-humanité et de lèse-justice, dans un but politique et pour sauver l'état-major compromis (…)
J’accuse enfin le premier conseil de guerre d'avoir violé le droit, en condamnant un accusé sur une pièce restée secrète, et j'accuse le second conseil de guerre d'avoir couvert cette illégalité, par ordre, en commettant à son tour le crime juridique d'acquitter sciemment un coupable. »

[Noah Goats · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t read much French history without hearing about J’accuse, and I decided that after having read about it a dozen times, it was time to go ahead and read the piece itself. I wasn’t disappointed; it still has power.

Zola’s defense of Dreyfus lifted him from the ranks of great French writers and added him to the ranks of heroes. J’accuse is more than a historical document. It still has the power to move and inspire, and its call for honesty and justice is as vital now as ever.

I struggle to read Zola’s novels in the original French, but J’accuse is very accessible to students of the language.