West: Emil Zola

The novel of the “trap” brought Emil Zola (1840-1902), the author of the famous saga about Rugon-Makkars, loud glory, immediately after the publication, withstanding more than thirty reprints. In this work, the writer carried out a kind of revolution: for the first time in French literature, he placed in the center of the narrative of ordinary people, truthfully and openly depicting all the hardships and joy of their life. Zola acted as an innovator in the language, allowing his characters to speak in the usual rude and jargon expressions for them, which deserved the violent condemnation of colleagues. Having abandoned the halftones, he with unusual realism painted a picture of a working Paris, which looks surprisingly modern. The story of the laundress of Zherveza, her struggle for well -being and happiness, told with sad irony, sounds piercing and vividly. Heroes do not even notice how they are at the bottom, and the tavern of the “trap” becomes an insidious trap, to get out of which is almost impossible.

Author
Zola Emil
Translator
Romm Mikhail Ilyich
Publisher
Ig Lenizdat, 2012
Series
Lenizza-classic