The priest Pierre Froment, hero of Zola's novels "Lourdes" and "Rome", is back in Paris, struggling with his lack of religious faith. Froment is surrounded by a nervous city because of the treat of Anarchist attacks, a city divided between extremes of grinding poverty and irresponsible, corrupt wealth.

This is an angry novel. Zola tilts at political cynicism, the duplicity and insincerity of organised religion, and the social and economic inequities of the time.

Much of the novel is really a rehash of themes Zola explored in his "Rougon-Macquart" novel cycle - so there's little original here, and at its worst, the style becomes annoyingly preachy.

There is an interesting sub-plot in which Pierre's brother, Guillaume, develops a new explosive powder of enormous power - many of the issues raised by Zola about how that invention should be best put to use seemed to me to anticipate debates about nuclear power.

Paris is the third volume of the Three Cities trilogy that began with Lourdes and continued with Rome. Published in 1898, Paris is Zola's summation of the 19th Century and his predictions and hopes for the 20th Century. In this work Zola gives a splendid portrayal of social life in Paris at the end of the century. He takes us into the lives of men and women of the upper classes, the working class, and even revolutionary Anarchists. This work is of particular interest to readers today who face the future of a new Milennium since Zola looks at the accomplishments of his century and projects his hopes for a new century ruled by Reason and Justice. We can see how we of the 20th Century have failed and succeeded in bringing Zola's vision of the future to life. Zola spent his career portraying the 19th Century France through the lives of his characters. In this final work of the Century, he uses his story telling powers to create a portrait of the time through the lives of his characters.

The French priest Pierre Froment, hero of Zola's novel "Lourdes", arrives in Rome seeking an audience with the Pope. The reason for this is that Froment's book "New Rome" has been placed on the Papal Index, and Froment wants the Pope to intercede in order to get the book removed from the Index.

Froment is frustrated by the inertia of the conservative Papal bureaucracy and with the ins and outs of Italian and Church politics. At times, the novel felt like a work by Kafka (a pre-echo of Kafka, you might say) in that Froment is lost amid a seemingly meaningless and endless process: the Church absorbs his efforts.

What really made me struggle with the novel though was Zola's lack of focus - had he concentrated on Froment's experiences,it would have been a better novel, but he meandered for very long stretches: his descriptions of Rome become travelogues, the main plot just disappears. There are other long rambling passages too, for example on Church history, which although not irrelevant to the context of the story, go on far too long, and there is a pot-boiler of a sub-plot about two "star-crossed lovers".

In all, a disappointment compared to "Lourdes".

Rome is the second book of a trilogy that started with Lourdes and concludes with Paris. Often called the Three Cities trilogy, the books could also be called Faith, Hope, and Charity. Rome picks up the story of a disillusioned priest as he goes to Rome to defend his book which is to be placed on the Index of Prohibited Books. The story explores his hope for a new Christianity that will meet the needs of modern society and his confrontation with a religious organization unable to change with the times. Zola's critical description of Papal bureaucracy will not endear this work to devout Catholics, but his description of the inner workings of the Vatican is informative and fascinating.

Just like Goethe's "Werther", this book also gave rise to a series of suicides committed by yooung and romantic folks. But instead of being a novel, it is a play in three acts. Chatterton is an 18-year old poet, who lives in the house of John Bell, a rich businessman. He is in love with Kitty Bell, but to no end, as well as sunk in debt. When he gets convinced that young poets in love can not be happy at all, he kills himself. Poor guy.