I've only read several books from all Zola had written. I had the chance to read many more of his books about 15 years ago. But I did not. And now, when reading againg some of his books I understand that at that time I did not have enough mature thinking. I am glad I've returned now to Zola's works.
In my opinion, this book is an extraordinary psichological blockbuster of the end of the 19th century. The action takes place in France. The topic is the railway between Paris and Havre. This is the 17th book in Les Rougon-Macquart Zola's series.
When reading the book I could feel the naturalism very intensively, by details that were discribing the characters and the places and their action in a way you could feel all that. I had the impression I was over there, where the actions were taking place. Zola's naturalism was almost exageratly natural. I almost was feeling the flavor and the texture of the food the characters were eating, this was hapening at the beginning of the book, where Severine and Roubaud her husband were having their dinner. Talking about food, I would mention that almost all the French writers will mention with plenty of details the food and the drink the characters are taking. To have your meal in time is very important in France. People believe that the food must be eaten in time. This aspect of life is very well put into value.
Page by page I was more and more horrified how the things developped, and how important it was to kill someone either by jelousy, either being mad, either for money, or even for love etc etc.
Especially in the second part of the book, almost everything was hapenning on the trains, and near the trains. Zola had a special talent of making the reader to feel that train, especially by the last chapers, I was feeling powerfully the speed those trains were developping.
I deeply recomend this book if you want your reading to take you out from your comforte zone. With this book, and probably all Zola's books, you'll have the impression you're over there, taking part to the actions described by the author, feeling the real life in the second part of the 19th century, in France. A kind of machine of the time. Just try it!
Belle lecture, dears friends!
Comments
Post a Comment