Truth

Les Quatre Évangiles #3

by Émile Zola, Ernest Alfred Vizetelly (Translator)

In a quiet rural village in late 19th-century France, an eleven-year-old boy is found dead in his room, sexually molested and strangled by an unknown assailant. The shocked townsfolk erupt in outrage: Who could have committed this horrible crime? Rumors immediately begin to fly and suspicions shift from one person to another as ignorant conjecture begins to feed on itself.

At first a vagrant is suspected; he could have come in through the open window while passing through the town at night. But in a matter of days another story begins to circulate: the culprit must be Simon, the Jewish schoolmaster, and the murdered boy's uncle and guardian. Did he not, it is rumored, resent the fact that the boy was the product of a mixed Catholic-Jewish marriage and was raised Catholic by his now deceased mother? Despite the total lack of evidence against him, as a Jew in the midst of a predominantly Christian community, Simon is completely vulnerable to these vicious allegations. The web of mendacity that is quickly spun around him is the product of centuries of entrenched anti-Semitism and the long-standing bitter rivalry between the Catholic majority of the town and an emerging secular minority. Through political pressure by influential Catholic clergymen and the manipulation of public opinion, the Church deftly deflects the suspicions of some that the murderer is actually one of the Christian Brothers and succeeds in gaining advantage against the threat of encroaching secularism in the town.

Based on his experiences with the infamous Dreyfus case, this powerful last novel by Émile Zola about the scapegoating of a Jewish schoolteacher is a chilling depiction of anti-Semitism fully embedded in European society and an eerie presentiment of the Holocaust that would sweep across the Continent only forty years later. But this is not the whole story, for Zola also brilliantly demonstrates how truth, though suppressed for a generation, slowly but inexorably comes to light through the dedication and perseverance of a few humble defenders, who remain unswerving in their demand for justice.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, French Literature, Literature, Novels, France, Roman

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1903

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

[Pia G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

marc, adeta gerçeğin sesiydi. ne kadar yalnız kalsa da, ne kadar dirençle karşılaşsa da geri adım atmadan yoluna devam etmesi ve her şeyi sorgulamaktan vazgeçmemesi çok etkileyici. onun öğretmen olarak seçilmiş olması da tesadüf değil bence. çünkü kitapta eğitim, düşünmeyi ve sorgulamayı teşvik eden bir güç olarak karşımıza çıkıyor. bu da doğal olarak, düzenin alıştığı sessizliği bozan bir tehdit hâline geliyor.

zola, marc üzerinden bize şunu hatırlatıyor: gerçeği dile getirmek, çoğu zaman yalnız kalmayı göze almak demek. bu, kitaptaki en çarpıcı mesajdı bana göre. her ne kadar sonunda adalet yerini buluyor gibi görünse de, zola içimizi rahatlatmıyor. çünkü yaşananlar, söylenenler ve suskunluklar birikirken çok şey yitip gitmiş oluyor. gerçek ortaya çıkıyor ancak artık çok geç. ve işte bu geç kalmışlık, bana kalırsa zola’nın bu kitapta bize bıraktığı en güçlü mesaj.

[Το Άθχημο γατί του θενιόρ Γκουαναμίρου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Αυτό είναι το τελευταίο μυθιστόρημα του αγαπημένου μου Εμίλ Ζολά. Είναι το τρίτο μέρος μιας τετραλογίας που δεν ολοκληρώθηκε ποτέ. Η ιστορία ξεκινάει με μια δολοφονία κι από την αρχή φαίνεται ξεκάθαρα ποιος είναι πραγματικός δολοφόνος. Ο Ζολά δεν ενδιαφέρεται να γράψει αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα, στόχος του είναι να αναψηλαφήσει την υπόθεση Ντρέυφους, περιγράφοντας μια αντίστοιχη ιστορία, όπου, εν προκειμένω, ένας εκπαιδευτικός κατηγορείται άδικα για τον φόνο του ανιψιού του. Ο αθώος, ένας δάσκαλος ονόματι Σιμόν, συναντά την καχυποψία και το μένος της κοινωνίας, γιατί είναι εβραίος. Όλη η στενοκεφαλιά και οι προκαταλήψεις την γαλλικής επαρχίας, ο έντονος κληρικαλισμός και οι εθνικιστικές εξάρσεις συγκρούονται με την μειοψηφία εκείνη που πασχίζει κόντρα στις αντιξοότητες να αποδείξει την αλήθεια. Παράλληλα με την κεντρική ιστορία ξετυλίγεται επίσης το οικογενειακό δράμα του κεντρικού ήρωα, του Μαρκ Φρομάν, όπου όντας άθεος πρέπει να αντιμετωπίσει την ολοένα αυξανόμενη θρησκοληψία της συζύγου του.

Πιστός στις ιδεολογικές του γραμμές, με την ίδια τεχνική, όπου η ζωή και η κοινωνία υπερβαίνει την σκιαγράφηση και απόδοση των επιμέρους χαρακτήρων, ο Ζολά δίνει ένα ακόμα πανόραμα μιας εποχής βυθισμένης στον σκοταδισμό και την αμάθεια. Όσοι ξέρουν την αλήθεια δεν μιλούν είτε γιατί φοβούνται, είτε γιατί υπηρετούν αντίθετα συμφέροντα. Όσοι επιθυμούν να πληροφορηθούν για τα γεγονότα σκοντάφτουν επάνω στην παραφιλολογία των εφημερίδων που διασπείρουν ψευδείς ειδήσεις. Όσοι θελήσουν να τα βάλουν με την πανίσχυρη καθολική εκκλησία διώκονται και εκτοπίζονται στο περιθώριο, θάβονται κάτω από τόνους λάσπης και η δικαιοσύνη δεν εθελοτυφλεί απλώς, αλλά συμπράττει σε αυτό το ανοσιούργημα και καταλήγει να στείλει έναν αθώο στην εξορία και να βυθίσει την οικογένειά του σε ένα τέλμα ντροπής και απόγνωσης. Οι πολιτικοί από την άλλη κόπτονται μόνο για την επανεκλογή τους, για την εξασφάλιση του μερτικού τους από την εξουσία, οπότε η αλήθεια είναι δευτερευούσης σημασίας για εκείνους. Υπάρχουν ωστόσο αυτοί που αντιστέκονται, άνθρωποι όπως ο Μαρκ Φρομάν που είναι κι αυτός εκπαιδευτικός και στενός φίλος του Σιμόν, ο δικηγόρος Ντελμπός όπου είναι αποφασισμένος να πετύχει την αθώωση του κατηγορουμένου, ο Σαλβάν, ο επιθεωρητής πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης όπου παλεύει για την καθιέρωση της κοσμικής εκπαίδευσης κόντρα στα εκκλησιαστικά σχολεία. “Η ευτυχίας μας θα έρθει μέσα από την ευτυχία των άλλων”, αυτό είναι το μότο όσων αγωνίζονται για την επικράτηση της αλήθειας. Και ο δρόμος που διαλέγουν είναι ανηφορικός, γεμάτος εμπόδια και πικρές απογοητεύσεις:

“Μια πηγή της εκκλησιαστικής δύναμης είναι πως υπολογίζει τις ανάγκες της σύγχρονης εποχής και δανείζεται τα όπλα μας για να μας πολεμήσει. Κατασκευάζει και εμπορεύεται. Δεν υπάρχει αντικείμενο της καθημερινής κατανάλωσης το οποίο δεν παράγει ή πουλά, από ρούχα έως ποτά. Κάμποσα μοναστικά τάγματα είναι σκέτες βιομηχανικές μονάδες που λειτουργούν ως μεσάζοντες για να εξασφαλίσουν φτηνά εργατικά χέρια κι έτσι να επικρατήσουν των ανταγωνιστών. Τα εκατομμύρια που κερδίζουν πάνε κατευθείαν στα ταμεία της Μαύρης Τράπεζας κι από εκεί ρίχνονται στον πόλεμο που μαίνεται εναντίον μας, αυξάνοντας τον ήδη τεράστιο πλούτο των παραεκκλησιαστικών οργανώσεων κι αυτό τους κάνει τόσο τρομερούς”.

Είναι τόσο παθιασμένος ο Ζολά σε αυτό το έργο του, που δεν βάζει κανένα χαλινάρι στις σκέψεις του. Αυτό, καθώς και η ενεργή ανάμειξή του στην υπόθεση Ντρέυφους κάνει για κάποιους το ποτήρι να ξεχειλίσει. Στις 29 Σεπτεμβρίου 1902 θα βρεθεί νεκρός μέσα στο υπνοδωμάτιο του. Δηλητηρίαση από μονοξείδιο του άνθρακα είναι η επίσημη γνωμάτευση. Η υπόθεση σκεπάστηκε βιαστικά. Μόνο στα 1953 θα αποκαλυφθεί η αλήθεια στην εφημερίδα Liberation, όταν πλέον το αδίκημα έχει οριστικά παραγραφεί κι έτσι θα περάσει απλά ως υποσημείωση της ιστορίας (βλεπε και Frederick Brown, Zola: A Life, σελ. 793). Ακόμα και σήμερα οι βιογράφοι του Ζολά κρατούν μετριοπαθή στάση, υποστηρίζοντας πως δεν μπορούμε να ξέρουμε, αν πράγματι ο συγγραφέας δολοφονήθηκε. Οι αδιάκοπες απειλές που δεχόταν κατά της ζωής του, η συγκάλυψη που πραγματοποιήθηκε από τον ιατροδικαστή Boursouillou, ακόμα και τα επεισόδια που συνέβησαν λίγα χρόνια μετά, κατά τη μεταφορά των οστών του συγγραφέα στο Πάνθεον, όπου παρευρισκόταν και ο ίδιος ο Ντρέυφους, εναντίον του οποίου έγινε δολοφονική απόπειρα, άρουν κατά τη γνώμη μου την παραμικρή αμφιβολία.

Το τελευταίο βιβλίο της τετραλογίας του Ζολά, αυτό που δεν πρόλαβε να γράψει κι από το οποίο σώζεται μόνο ένα μικρό σχεδίασμα, θα είχε τον τίτλο “Δικαιοσύνη”.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth was Zola's last novel written in 1902 and is based on Zola's experiences from the famous Dreyfus affair. This book, like numerous modern Zola reprints is actually an original translation by Zola's official translator E Vizetelly from that period, so is not a modern/recent translation. Vizetelly was criticised in his earliest translations for not translating but actually abridging Zola's work because it was so risque for the prudish English {I would suggest avoiding Vizetelly if you have a choice - which you don't with Truth}. I can't be sure but can imagine however that being such a late release, with public opinion moving on, that this translation is a good unabridged one.

This is the story of how a prejudiced community reacts to the brutal strangulation and molestation of a small boy in a rural French town. The initial thoughts are that a vagrant was responsible but the Christian community headed up by vested interests held by the clergy and other political motives conspire to lie (or say nothing of contrary evidence) and implicate Simon, a Jewish school teacher and uncle of the boy. The teacher has few allies who seem quickly to disappear leaving only Marc Froment, too a local teacher, to progress the case and argue against the ill-informed prejudice being swapped with the community. Froment has is own problems keeping his family and job together under all the pressures including catholic versus secular and Jesuit views. The evidence centres on how a fragment of a copy-slip (the stamp of the school is missing) ended up in the child's room and finding the facts of the issue. The clergy realises that someone from their fold may be responsible or colluding, so Froment's problem is not only one of proving innocence but overcoming the implications of someone else in the town being guilty.

The story is incredibly well constructed and detailed with many intrigues and false evidence and motives; and though Zola's longest book it is riveting through to the very end. It is dramatic, emotional and gripping. The part detective story spans some considerable years for Simon to be brought from rock bottom i.e guilty (& penal servitude abroad) to grudging acceptance (retrial), rehabilitation finally to innocence. I've read virtually all Zola's books spanning his earliest to his last - they are all brilliant and this his final novel is one of the best examples of his undoubted craft. This is a lost classic deserving of a higher profile.

[Elif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Başından sonuna kadar hiç sıkılmadım. Suçluyorum öncesinde okunursa daha kolay anlaşılacak bir roman olur. Zola'dan daha çok okumalıyım.

[Laman Samadzada · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sorrow of not having discovered this author untill now…
His writing style, the depth of the themes, and the social value of the work are simply outstanding.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zola's final work, Truth, is a truly amazing read in 2015. It is based in part on the Alfred Dreyfus trial, but is also reminiscent of the Beilis blood libel (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menahem...). I found it particularly timely considering the rise of anti-antisemitism in France. I strongly recommend Truth as a MUST READ for those interested in historic fiction that is both factually based as well as dramatically developed. Emile Zola is an author who gave his life for speaking out against the wrongful indictment of Colonel Dreyfus. Although a believing Jew myself, I greatly appreciate the dramatization of the conundrum of church-state education in France and its recurring relevance in today's world. As both an educator and a patriotic American, I consider Zola's point concerning the necessity of reiterative anti-bias education in each generation to be spot-on. One cannot assume that lessons learned by many in the latter 20th Century will necessarily live on in future generations without the intentional inclusion of multi-cultural studies in school curriculum from elementary school onwards. Study of non-revisionist history, philosophy, art and music are all vital pedagogical tools for the promotion of critical thinking and the suspension of judgment in civilized society. I view the tragic and worsening down-spiraling of social and racial tolerance to be at catastrophic proportions. Zola's depiction of religious clerics and educators as pedophiles (and murderers) strikes a painfully acute chord. How difficult it is to confront this age-old conflict of faith and abuse of power! It is sad, but best dealt with, as his protagonist does, with honesty, integrity and perseverance. I read the novel first in English in order not to miss a single word. I am now reading it in the original French. The novel thankfully ends on a relatively upbeat note. Zola believed then, as I endeavor to today, that humanity is inherently good. I have loved every novel that I have read by Zola and encourage the general reading public to sample his work. This is an excellent title if you have not read any of his other fiction. For a century, Zola’s writing has been appreciated by a wide and discerning public. Most, if not all, of the author’s work has been translated into many languages and is available in a variety of formats. Please--read this and share! Its message is a call to action, but an affirmation for all mankind.

[Andrew Noselli · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this fable about the triumph of intellect over moral turpitude, Zola describes a society that overcomes racial prejudice through legal redress and juridical revisionism. Set in the France during the late-nineteenth century, this novel depicts a Jewish man convicted of a murder he did not commit, despite extenuating circumstances which today, one hopes, would cause a jury to find him innocent. However, this is not only a novel about the evolution of the modern legal system, but it is also a novel which is concerned about the development of the modern educational system. Obviously, Zola has a dual-purpose here, and Truth is a most apt title for this book. What one could summarize as the social consequences and political fallout from an unusual murder becomes, in Zola's hands, a sweeping indictment of the modern world's resistance to change despite advances in literacy and technology. Reading this book, Zola got me thinking about how, for untold generations, children were educated and brought up to be exactly like their parents; that was the established tradition. For our parent's parents, it was accepted as fact that there was neither truth nor justice on this side of heaven. This novel, which at some level recapitulates the gripping scandal that was the Dreyfus affair, was Zola's penultimate work of literature. J'accuse, written in defense of Alfred Dreyfus, saw him shaking a finger in the face of those who stood opposed to the contested freedom of the wrongly imprisoned Jewish military figure. For these outrageous wrongdoings, Zola blamed not only anti-Semitism but equivocation among his European peers on intellectual and as well as moral grounds. However, "J'accuse" is only a prosaic substitute for the final work in the sequence of the four Evangelicals, which Zola planned to write as the culmination of his artistic career. His final novel, which he was never to pen, he planned to call "Justice." In his depiction of the characters of Marc and Genevieve Froment, Zola creates a world that is in stark contrast to that of the business leaders, who preserve and protect the shameful structure of previous history; in Zola's literary universe, only the liberated woman can liberate man: this constitutes the highest act of patriotism in a world where ethics is replaced by the drive to consolidate power. Three stars.

[Yasin S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okuduğum 5. Emile Zola romanıydı. İlki olmaması güzel çünkü yazarın diğer eserleri hakkında önyargıya sebebiyet verebilirdi. Diğer eserlerinin aksine oldukça ağır ve zor okunan bir roman. Kitabın küçücük yazıları da okumayı iyice zorlaştırıyor.
Emile Zola ile dine ve dinzel yobazlığa bakış açımız tamamen eşit olmasına rağmen kitabı tamamen kendi fikirlerinin bir manifestosu olarak yazdığı için bu aşırı taraflılık beni biraz sıktı. Eğitimin önemi, dinin toplumu zehirleyip cahilleştirmesi, ibadethanelere ve dini liderlere köle olan aciz halk ve bütün bunların ardından gelen adaletin ve toplumsal huzurun ölmesi günümüz Türkiye'sinden oldukça fazla örnekler gösteriyor. Okurken insanı gülümseten benzerlikler oluyor. Özellikle şu kasabanın gazetesi ve yazdıkları bugünün yandaş basının tıpatıp aynısı.Kitapta da geçen ve zaman zaman körüklenen yahudi düşmanlığı çok kısa bir süre önce her yeri kaplayan ve şu anda unutulan boykot kampanyalarını ve felaketzede halkına "Yahudi dölü" diyerek tekme tokat girişen devlet büyüklerimizi hatırlatıyor. İlköğretimlerin imam hatipleştirilmesi ve küçük yaşta çocukları zorla dindarlaştırıp beyin fonksiyonlarını erken yaşta kaybetmelerine yol açan yeni eğitim sistemimiz de Emile Zola'nın bize 100 yıl önce anlatmak istediği şeyin hala yaşandığını gösteriyor. Dini kurumlara ayrılan akıl almaz devlet bütçelerini de sanki bugünleri görürmüş gibi kıyasıya eleştiriyor Emile Zola. Kadının erkeğin ve dini kurumların kölesi ve köpeği haline getirilip tamamen toplum hayatından çıkartılması 100 yıl öncesinin Fransa'sında ne ise şu an Türkiye'de de malesef o şekildeymiş bunu anlıyor okuyucu. Emile Zola'nın deyişi ile " Çünkü sadece kurtulan kandın erkeği de özgürlüğe kavuşturabilir. Kadının tutsaklığı bizim tutsaklığımızdır"

Kitabın sonları biraz ütopik olmuş. Ama hayal ürünü de olsa çok güzel bir ülkeye dönüştürüyor Fransa'yı. "Canı isteyen tiyatroya gider gibi parasını ödeyip kiliseye gidiyordu....Kubbelerin altını doldurmak için gereksinime duydukları müminleri aptallaştıran zavallı yaratıkları artık kendileri imal etmiyorlardı"

[Kezia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zola's final novel feels rather like a first novel, without the polish and charisma of his Rougon-Macquart series, though to be fair it was published posthumously and a different translation would help.

Readers who are unfamiliar with the Dreyfus Affair may read Truth and say "cool story, bro," but I gather it's fairly meticulous in its retelling (though the crime and perpetrators have been changed). One translator's note calls out the fact that Zola has repeated a plot point, but says in the case of Dreyfus, history really did repeat itself just as Zola described, so it isn't narrative sloppiness on his part.

I especially loved his rampages against the church, which are so lovely and vitriolic that I'm shocked this book was ever published in the first place.

At times Zola lets his idealistic impulses overtake the story. Every villain gets what's coming to him in the end, and every hero is rewarded. He creates great social change in a matter of a few decades. He holds up public schools, and teachers, as the saviors of the nation. He emancipates women (somewhat, at least...come on, it was a long time ago) and eradicates anti-Semitism.

I finished this book at the same time gunmen killed several staffers of the French political magazine Charlie Hebdo, ostensibly in retaliation for offensive satirical cartoons of Muhammed. While the subject of the conversation may have changed since the Dreyfus affair, the nature of it has not. France has yet to achieve the liberté, égalité, et fraternité that Zola promised in Truth, and still must confront - or confront anew - its racism, classism, and xenophobia.

[seryal olcay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a lot of resemblance to the current Turkey of today where there is also religious wars against secular Republic after almost 80 years. So the book talks about politically on this with little literature pleasure in according to me. I was able to finish the book which was a big one but I did not enjoy fully as a novel. However there are some nice thoughts sucha s : how women had been misused in dious acts much easily than men and how difficult this is to change. Transformation of Louise , though not very convincing , was to me the essence of the whole story. So although it is a famous classic, I only give 3

[Caterina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bir dostun önerisiyle okumaya başladığım, kurguda ilerledikçe "nasıl olmuş da bu zamana kadar okumamışım?" diyerek hayıflandığım Gerçek nihayet bitti. Genelde inceleme yazmadan önce eser hakkında biraz araştırma yaparım. İnternette dolaşırken gördüğüm bir metni şuracığa iliştirerek başlayayım:

"7 Ağustos 1902-15 Şubat 1903 arasında Paris’te Aurore’da tefrika edilen Gerçek, Zola’nın Quatre Evangiles (Dört İncil) dizisinin üçüncü kitabı olan yapıt, doğrudan doğruya Dreyfus olayına bağlıdır; Simon-Dreyfus kahramanlarından Gorgias-Esterhazy kahramanlarına kadar bu olayın serbest uyarlamasıdır."

Dreyfus olayına dair ilk bilgi edindiğimde kendi kendime, nasıl oluyor da böyle şeyler yaşanabiliyor diye sormuştum... Gerçek'te de aynı soru aklımdaydı. Finali az çok öngörebilsem de olayların ilerleyişi, bugün, içinde yaşadığımız günlerde yaşanan bazı şeyleri de göz önüne alınca düşündürdü...

Bu yüzden, herkesin ölmeden önce vicdanını terazisini eline alıp bu eseri okumasını öneririm.

[Nonethousand Oberrhein · Rating 4 out of 5]

L’importance de l’instruction
Si l’ombre de l’Affaire Dreyfus bien présente dans le roman, l’auteur nous transporte dans tout autre milieu social pour dénoncer les danger d’une structure sociale qui conditionne le bien de l’homme à des valeurs facilement manipulables par une minorité intéressée. Les thèmes de Fécondité et Travail sont sublimé dans ce troisième des Quatre Évangiles consacré à la lutte pour l'enseignement laïque et à l'idéal de l'école comme formatrice de société.
C’est le Zola socialiste et anticlérical qui prend la parole et tisse une histoire efficace aux teintes sombres qui envoûte le lecteur et le force à réfléchir. Des longueurs à la fin du roman sont à signaler, mais l’impact du message n’en est pas amoindri.

[Kitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how you write a book that spans decades - where not much really happens - and you just can't put it down because it's so gripping.

I love Zola - no one does human nature in the absolute like he does. This one is a little different as it does not have the base poverty and wickedness that some of his other novels have - it's there - but it's not in the front of it all.

The personal interactions - the 'rules' of the church - the elected officials - the 'uneducated' - the women - and the why we have to improve on it - change it and be better. Completely fascinating. The mayor and his cronies - I would - but there is an election coming could be now - today

What is chilling is that - right now - November 2024 - a bishop has just had to resign over abuse not called out. Exactly the same actions / inactions are happening still over 100 years later.

Zola is a stunning reflection on humanity.

100 Years ago this was considered shocking

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Главной виновницей случившегося на страницах «Истины» является католическая церковь, уверившая людей в возможности прощения грехов при покаянии. Совершая преступление, человек замаливал проступок, чем очищал совесть и продолжал спокойно жить, не опасаясь снова преступить заповедь, так как всё равно будет прощён. Знание этого допускало вседозволенность, продолжавшую сопровождать деятельность католической церкви. Поэтому, когда истина будет установлена, виновный в преступлении продолжит считать себя честным членом общества, заслуживающим места в раю.

(c) Trounin

[Sinemayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tek kelimeyle çoook güzel bir kitap. Acaba diye soruyorsanız, sormayın direk okumaya başlayın derim.

#tatkaçıran içerir#



Büyük bir suçlama,haksızlık... Deliller tam olarak değerlendirilmeden suçlanan Simon. Bu haksızlığa karşı durup uğraşan çok az kişinin (Marc, Delbos,David) adaleti sağlamaya çalışması. Gerçek er ya da geç gün yüzüne çıkacaktır. Simon karakterinin "Ben masumum" diye bağırması hala kulaklarımda.

[Dilek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dreyfus, taciz edilmiş ve boğularak öldürülmüş şekilde manastır okulundaki yatakhanesinde bulunur. Bu olay araştırılırken: Fransız eğitim sistemi (cumhuriyetçi okullar ve dini okullar), kadın erkek eşitsizliği, ırk (yahudi) ayrıştırıcılığı bilgisi de veriliyor. Mark'ın, (haksız yere yargılanan) Simon'u aklama çabasına şahit oluyoruz.

*"Birbirinizi seviniz."
*"Masum olmak için yahudi olmak yeterli midir?"
*"Mutluluk için tek enerji kaynağı çalışmadır."

[Sam Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style and theme of this book. But found it a bit pomp and preachy for the book to really flow. Well worth reading and full of ideas to think about. Recommended if you can commit to the book.

[Didem Can (itspreaklypear) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tek kelimeyle mükemmeldi. Çok sürükleyici çok gerçek. Bağnazlığın ne kadar tehlikeli olduğunun basit ama gayet etkili anlatımı.

[Serhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerçekçiliğin dibine vurulmuş bir eser, okunmalı.

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Köy enstitülerinde yahudi mağduriyeti

[Michel Van Goethem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meer dan 1000 blz., zwart-wit, naïef geloof in de nieuwe mens bevrijd van kerk en geloof. De mens is bedorven door eeuwen misbruik en onwetendheid, maar zal door voortgezet lekenonderwijs stilaan maar zeker terechtkomen in de Stad of Staat van Waarheid en Recht (Vérité et Justice wordt bijna op elk blad herhaald). waar geluk en vrede zullen heersen. Zoals bij Rousseau is de mens vervreemd en geperverteerd door de 'beschaving', maar hier gaat het om de 'katholieke beschaving', de 'zwartrokken' (in dienst van de bourgeoisie). Enerzijds de lekenonderwijzers, bevrijd van infantiel geloof, allemaal een soort heiligen, anderzijds de gelovigen, verdwaasd, slachtoffers van een misdadig systeem waarvan de actoren allemaal inslecht of aartsdom zijn. Het verhaal zelf is interessant, een analogie met de affaire Dreyfus, waarbij een jood beschuldigd wordt van misbruik van en moord op een kleine jongen, in feite het werk van een klerikaal. De (plaatselijke) kerk tracht de zaak in de doofpot te steken en laat er de jood Simon voor opdraaien. Marc, de lekenonderwijzer, gaat in de verdediging, wat hem uiteindelijk zijn positie, zijn verbanning uit de (schoon)familie en zijn vrouw kost. Na veel vijven en zessen komt alles terecht, maar het boek was beter maar 1/3 van de huidige omvang geweest, zonder de zeer onnatuurlijke betogen die mensen van vlees en bloed zogezegd in familiaal verband tegen elkaar afsteken. Het zijn geen mensen van vlees en bloed, maar ideeën die een lichaam zoeken, of eerder een naam, die zichzelf eindeloos herhalen. Het werk is daardoor minder boeiend, maar het maakt nieuwsgierig hoe er in de tijd op gereageerd is en ook hoe Zola zou gereageerd hebben op de 'verwezenlijkingen'van de 20ste eeuw, met twee wereldoorlogen, de joden als collectieve zondebokken, ondanks de vooruitgang van het (niet-katholiek) onderwijs.

[Steve Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have somewhat mixed feelings on Truth, Zola's final novel. If he had concentrated the plot on the crime, its aftermath, and Marc's relationship with Genevieve, this novel would have been an absolute masterpiece. But, Zola chose to mimic the other two novels of his "Gospels" by drawing the story on for many years to prove his point about truth and education. I really can't fault him too much though - because the ideas he promotes are still absolutely true, and absolutely necessary.

[Kerem · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5tan 4 veriyorum bu kitaba... hikayesi ve orgusu genel olarak guzel, okunmasi cok rahat diger Zola diger kitaplari gibi, Fransa'nin karanlik tarihine (ve ordan nasil gelistigine) de isik tuttugu icin yararli bir kitap (150 yil onceki Fransa'nin gunumuz Turkiye'sini de animsatmasi ayri bir aci tabii ki). Romanin kisileri gercekten cok canli, sadece Zola'nin biraz egitim ve laiklik konularinda manifesto gibi yazdigi kisimlari kitabi kuru yapmis arada sirada, yoksa cok guzel bir kitap.