Zola shares with us a deep and intimate relationship he had with Paul Cezanne and Baptistin Baille. "The Masterpiece" is a story about a brilliant and talented young painter Claude Lantier who has many ideals of what a masterpiece should be. Unfortunately, the public fails to appreciate/understand his vision. His pieces are ridiculed and laughed at the exhibition year after year. Claude retreats to the countryside but fails to create a painting that lives up to his expectation. Suffering mental breakdown, his wife and son Jacques become the ultimate sacrifice of his obsession with his arts. Zola tells Claude story and yet at the same time, portrays the bohemian lives of artists in the 19th century Paris quarters. He also shows many sides of other artists who lived in that period. A Journalist turned novelist Sandos (himself), as Claude's best friend; Fargerolles, equivalent to modern days "commercial artists"; Bongrand, whom I suspect to be the character for Pissaro (just my guess); Dubuche (modeled after Baille), the former art student who later despises bohemian lives when he joins a prestigious architectural firm; Mahodeau, the starving artist; Jori, the desperate journalist which would be known as "the tabloid reporter" in today's world and a few others. Zola's story is true and relevant in real life today. A true master in naturalism, Zola has done it again! An excellent portrait of the art world, it has a great unexpected ending as well. The story is quite depressing but I love it!

This book is most likely overlooked as compared to some of Zola's other novels due to the fact that it includes many incidents and themes drawn from his previous works. Zola tends to include "courtesans" in most of his books, and this is no exception; with a scene in which the main chracter (Claude) has a nightly adventure with Mathilde (one such courtesan). About twenty pages dealing with this incident seem transcribed directly from his previous work Nana. Other such examples exist, which may have helped keep the book from universal recognition as compared to others. Another "discrepancy" being detrimental overrall is the ending which, although emotionally packed by naturalist standards, still is in some ways unfulfilling. A reader gets the impression that no other way existed for the book to end, and in fact the best climaxes are about halfway through the work. Misfortunes abound, yet individual incidents do not so much sadden and shock by themselves, only when taken with the rest of the book (it must be the "naturalist technique"). What was most enjoyable about the entire novel is not so mcuh the act of creating as its effect upon Claude (a painter) and his relationship to his wife (Christine), which ranges from idylls during summer to a secluded winter atmosphere. Most of the themes in the book are grand; anything from what makes a genius to the change in people and landscapes over time. Some have charged The Masterpiece with attempting to undermine the Impressionist art movement of the time and to show the failings existent in its practitioners. This must seem absurd, if only for the fact that Claude (said to based upon Zola's friend Cezanne) is described with more sympathy than any other tragic hero of Zola's I have ever read of. In fact, if one reads this book, one feels as though one truly understands Impressionism. Here, we have Claude explaining to his wife why he has used the color blue when painting a tree. He shows her a spot where the sun's light is distilled in such a way as to appear blue. And in fact, many other such modern concepts are explained by Claude to the benefit of Impressionism. All in all, the ending may be unfulfilling precisely because Zola must have thought too well of this particular hero and there truly was no other way, with as much didgnity, to end his existence. Read this novel (to fully appreciate it) before reading other more famous works by Zola. Many modern readers may not appreciate the main message of the book: That genius must be chaste.

This book is most likely not as well known as some other of Zola's novels due to the fact that it draws too much upon subject matter from his previous works or fails to elaborate upon some themes expressed. Zola tends to include a "courtesan" in almost all his novels, and this is no exception; with one incident pertaining to the main character's adventure with one such courtesan named Mathilde included which could very well have been transcribed from Nana. Other such examples abound, therefore to a certain extent this book has some unoriginal incidents included which are detrimental overall. Another "discrepancy" is the ending, which is in many ways unfulfilling, although emotionally packed by naturalist standards. It is as if there was no other way to end this book which also happens to contain most of its best cliamxes about halfway through. Otherwise, the book is a great read; with the most enjoyable passages relating to Claude (a painter and the main character) and his relationship with his wife. Of course, misfortunes abound, but described in a such a way (it must be the "naturalist" technique) that they don't so much sadden the reader individually, but only after the book is read and taken as a whole. Most of the themes in the book are grand, anything from what makes a genius to the change produced in people or landscapes during the space of a few years. Some have charged the book with attempting to undermine the Impressionist art movement of the time and to prove the flaws existent in its practitioners. This must seem absurd, as the portrait we get of Claude (said to be based upon Zola's friend Cezanne) is the most sympathetic of any tragic hero of Zola's I have read of. And, in fact Zola even uses impressionistic techniques to describe scenery, and one feels as if one understands impressionism by reading this work. In one instance we have Claude explaining to Christine (his wife) why he has included blue when painting a tree. He shows her the spot where the sun's light is distilled blue and extols many such modern ideas. All in all, the unsatisfying ending could be caused by Zola's affection for this particular hero and he simply didn't know how to have him end his existence in a more dignified manner.

I found myself enthralled in this book, and I must credit Zola for his unflinching, often brutal realism. However, the story left me feeling very sad; there was so much blatant inhumanity. The tragic rape scene near the end left me horrified and numb, as did numerous passages throughout. Zola really captures a dark side of life in the country.

The ultimate naturalist novel. It may sound corny, but if ever a book was "earthy", this one certainly is. Many people, including Zola's fellow naturalists, have been disgusted by the scenes of rape, murder and general bad behaviour in it, but in fact none of them are included solely for their shock effect. The characters are all too true to life, and although they may be brutish, they are not all stupid, as is shown in the cafe discussions about the agricultural market and the threat from cheap American grain imports (remember, this is in the 1860s). One of the few Zola books where the member of the Rougon-Macquart family in it is not one of the main characters, and in fact his role in the action is almost accidental. For him, and perhaps for most readers, the farmers are aliens from another world but this book is an excellent work and one of Zola's best, though it may make you think twice about buying that nice little house in the country, especially in France.

Zola's novel is set during a pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes, site of the Virgin Mary's supposed appearance before the child Bernadette Soubirous, and thereafter believed to be a place where miracles occurred. The young priest, Pierre Froment, travels from Paris to Lourdes with the ailing Marie de Guersaint, her family and other people beset by incurable illnesses.

The novel includes particularly fine descriptions of the train journey made by the pilgrims, and their response to the town when and after they arrive. Indeed, much of the book reads like an investigative report: Zola includes descriptions of the events surrounding Bernadette's vision and her subsequent life in order to give the reader a context in which to appreciate the history of the town.

Zola lays bare the problems with the pilgrimage and with the Lourdes phenomenon: the ruination of the old town; the sheer commercialisation of religion; the hypocrisy of the local clergy and townspeople. I think it's important to bear in mind that anitclericalism was rife in French intellectual and political circles in the nineteenth century - indeed if memory serves the Catholic Church was disestablished in 1905 - and as such Zola's stance in this novel may form part of that current of thought.

Nonetheless, Zola's position, as projected I think through the character of Froment, is not completely dismissive. There is an understanding that there is a value in places like Lourdes, that people "beyond" hope of a medical cure sometimes need to cling to faith in order to prop up their reason for living:

"... it seemed that science alone could not suffice, and that one would be obliged to leave a door open on the Mysterious."

Interesting stuff.

LOURDES tells the story of a four day pilgramage to the famous shrine in the late 19th century from the point of view of an abbe who has lost faith. He accompanies a childhood friend and her father as they seek a cure for her paralysis and pain. The abbe is no believer in miracles and his story is about the faith of those who have no where else to turn. Still powerful today, as many turn from a science-based medical establishment, when it offers no cures, to faith healings which heal, if not always the physical symptoms, the anguish and pain of hopelessness, this book explores the hearts and minds of the faithful with respect and insight. Zola's descriptions of trains and hospitals full of the diseased hopeful are overwhelming to read. His mixing of the political, the spiritual and the personal is well-balanced and provides a great tale. You will find the story of Bernadette and the Lady of Lourdes here, but if you are looking for inspirational reading about miraculous cures, you should look elsewhere. This book is about the very human side of a place usually known only for its miracles.

Le Reve's theme, I think, is how addiction to fantasy and castles of air can sap one's life, to the extent that, if one is sufficiently far gone, one may be better off dying while believing in them than living while having the illusions destroyed. The protagonist of Le Reve has such an obsession with saints and religious imagery that every occurrence of every day, to her, is miraculous, willed by god specifically for her individual benefit. This makes her first love a life or death affair - since, she thinks, said love was heaven-sent and personally ordained by all her favourite saints, an end to the love would not only mean a human crisis, but it would also mean a fatal conflict of faith. To better examine it, Zola projects this mindset onto the prose itself, such that Angelique's revival is made to appear as a miracle. (Most curiously, though, she is only revived when the Bishop says "I wish it," and not during any of his supplications to the heavens.) When the book is so permeated with her single-minded fixation (seriously, she never expresses a single thought about _anything else in the world_ in the whole book), her death appears as a mercy killing, as if Zola just had too much pity for her to let her live on to ever see her castles of air come tumbling down.

Due to the aforementioned qualities, Angelique is probably the least striking of all of Zola's heroines (and is oddly possessed of the odd combination of pious intentions and a mercenary bent - she says many a time that Felicien's money is an important motivation for her love). Felicien himself is totally insipid, but that is after all perfectly realistic. As a result of that, however, their love doesn't really inspire any reader involvement. Still, the supporting cast - the Bishop and Angelique's foster parents, all torn by a desire for redemption in their own eyes - is all great. No less could be expected from the master. And the conflict, despite the lack of said involvement, is still as tense as can be, the more amazingly given that this tension is pulled out of absolutely nowhere. Indeed, Zola's prose is exquisite, but that's just par for the course when reading his works. This time around, though, it's somewhat muted, and refrains from trying to scale the impossible heights that other works by him ascended. In Les Rougon-Macquart, it's sandwiched right between The Earth and La Bete Humaine, and it's certainly far lighter fare than either of them, making me think that Zola just wanted a brief respite.

The book ends with the observation that "Everything is but a dream." This is obviously a commentary on Angelique's Ophelia-like fragility, both physical and mental, and it also is very reminiscent of classical Japanese literature. Japanese culture was all the rage in Paris at the time, so Zola may have indeed been reading just that. Le Reve is an appropriately wispy, ethereal little book, though ultimately it's got its feet firmly on the ground. In a way, it's a kind of extension of the themes of The Sin of Father Mouret - as in that book, religion first brings the lovers together, then pulls them apart. Of course, The Sin of Father Mouret unquestionably had by far the more powerful and intense drama, but Le Reve is a worthy book in its own way.

In the light of the other Rougon-Macquart, LAssommoir, Germinal, La Bete Humaine and La Faute de lAbbe Mouret, among the twenty,this is pretty small potatoes. The heroine is light and insubstantial, almost by definition, and the story other-worldly. But this is Zola and his abilities shine through even this light canvas. The best characterizations are those of the adoptive parents,who in the end discover that they have gained forgiveness for their head-strongness in getting married over her mother's objections by adopting the saintly Angelique.

I just couldn't stop reading this book, by the more I read I discovered more secret wishes in my soal, you just gotta love it.

Stories are well written by known authors. Many people might love this book. I am not one of them, however.

If you want real erotica instead of the so-called erotica of today, then this is the book for you. Steamy, steamy, steamy!

A superb step-by-step account of how to win the hearts and minds of the voters in a small country town. An atmosphere of brooding menace pervades the book as a "creeping Jesus" of a priest is brought in to swing the forthcoming election in favour of the government party. The short chapters make the book highly readable and wind up the tension marvellously. The one person who sees through the priest is powerless to act as his house and his whole life are gradually taken over - until the final cataclysmic scene when .... but I won't spoil it all by telling you what happens. A merciless and meticulous portrayal of the intrigues in a small French provincial town that deserves to be much better known than it is, this early work forms a pair with the following volume (number five) in the Rougon-Macquart saga "La Faute De L'Abbé Mouret/The Sin Of Father Mouret". The subject matter may not be attractive, but Zola has made it compelling reading.

This really is an excellent book. It doesn't get the play of some of Zola's other works but it is an excellent view of the food markets and the people who work in and around this very small section of Paris. It is a sometimes sad and sometimes comical view of the shortcomings of everyday working people - just as true today as when it was written. I found myself mapping the actions of the central characters to people I had encountered through the years. If you read it I promise you'll find that you have met these people in your life as I had in mine. It's lighter that Zola's other work but just as real. Enjoy!

Zola paints a picture of obsessive religious fervor, followed by utopian love in a garden of Eden, and then the expulsion from the garden by a misogynistic avenging angel. The entire series to which this book belongs is a vast painting, from Zola's caustic point of view, of France in the latter half of the 19th century, and fascinating for that. Descriptions are vivid and detailed. Recommended.

A much underrated work of Zola's, this book is a fascinating mixture of steamy sex and high finance, worthy of the best TV soap operas. It gives you all the tricks of insider dealing and how to take the risk out of real estate speculation. All this against the backdrop of the building of the modern Paris, the "City of Lights" we admire so much today. This is the world of "get-rich-quick" with a vengeance. Also possibly the first recorded use of a bearskin rug for illicit sex (between teenage son and father's second wife). A big improvement on Zola's first book, it deserves to be much better known than it is. A must for everyone who wants to be upwardly mobile.

Mark Twain mentioned this book in a collection of shorts and random musings. He characterized it as a work that would not stand translation into english with out the extensive use of blanks. That interested me.