Naïs Micoulin et autres nouvelles

by Émile Zola

Naïs Micoulin, histoire d'une passion brûlante dans la lumière crue de L'Estaque, donne son titre à ce recueil de nouvelles peu connues de Zola. Fille d'un métayer qui la bat, la farouche et fière Naïs s'éprend du fils des propriétaires, Frédéric, élevé dans la crainte d'une mère autoritaire et qui mène, sous les dehors d'une vie studieuse, une jeunesse débauchée. Le temps d'un été caniculaire, la passion va consumer la jeune fille qui ira jusqu'au parricide pour protéger son amant. L'intrigue des Coquillages de M. Chabre est d'une tout autre facture : monsieur ne parvient pas à faire un enfant à madame ; le médecin prescrit à monsieur une cure de crustacés ; madame rencontre au bord de la mer un beau jeune homme et... Le lecteur suivra avec délice le dénouement de ce récit proche de Maupassant et plein d'une sensualité heureuse. Entre ces deux textes aux tonalités opposées, cinq autres nouvelles nous révèlent Zola sous un jour inhabituel, tour à tour parisien et ironique, passionnel et pathétique.

318 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 13, 2014

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.