The Fortune of the Rougons (Oxford World's Classics) Paperback – September 7, 2012

**"The Fortune of the Rougons": The Dark Origins of a Family and a Nation's Struggles.****"The Fortune of the Rougons"** by Émile Zola is the captivating first entry in the renowned **Rougon-Macquart** series, intricately detailing the violent and ambitious beginnings of a family's legacy amidst the political turmoil of 19th-century France. Set in the fictional Provençal town of Plassans, the novel follows idealistic youths Silvère and Miette as they align themselves with the republican resistance against Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup d'état in December 1851. Their quest for change pits them against Silvère’s uncle, Pierre Rougon, a staunch Bonapartist, illustrating the deep divisions within the family that echo the broader societal conflict.Zola’s narrative is imbued with themes of murder, treachery, and greed, revealing how the Rougon family's fortunes are inextricably linked to bloodshed and betrayal. Through a sharp and gritty portrayal of the characters and their motivations, Zola expertly examines the hereditary weaknesses that shape their destinies against the backdrop of a tumultuous political landscape. This edition, translated by Brian Nelson, provides not only an accessible rendition of Zola's classic work but also enriches the reading experience with a comprehensive introduction, chronology, bibliography, and extensive notes. **"The Fortune of the Rougons"** remains a poignant exploration of the dark undercurrents of ambition and the struggle for power, setting the stage for the unfolding saga of the Rougon-Macquart family.

I've read precious little 19th-century Continental fiction apart from the classic Russian authors, but since I spotted this a new world has opened up--I now have something French to add to the Russian. I've also never been able to get into Proust, but I now own all 20 of this series, Les Rougon-Macquart, of which "The Fortune of the Rougons" is the first. So, this is my my third-person À la recherche du temps perdu.I'm amazed I'd never heard of this series of books, all featuring members of a family whose environment and inherited traits lead, inexorably, to suffering and destruction. This first book doesn't fail to disappoint in that way and is the foundation for all the volumes that follow. Through assiduous research and amazing descriptive ability, Zola has managed to capture some of the more viciously ambitious and mentally unbalanced citizens of Second Empire France, but also a variety of settings, social institutions, and, of course, other people of the time. But even though many characters are unsavory, the book is a gem, laying a fine story out in rich but penetrable prose. Zola has succeeded in emulating Balzac, laying down tale after tale of an era that he'd lived through and had, thankfully to his mind, just passed.The book opens with a long description à la Dickens' "Bleak House," and there is an idyllic section in the book's middle that lags a bit or can seem a bit cloying, but it's all for a purpose and well worth getting through--an excellent exercise for our modern minds in letting our imaginations open themselves up to lengthy depictions of scenery and relationships. But most of the tale moves swiftly enough and the characters are not the most complex created, so we do get caught up in the plot which is peppered with bits of humor and symbolism, keeping things compelling.A caution: don't read the introduction or even look at the family tree included in the preface of the book if you want to be unaware of the its outcome, although foreshadowing may help you, of course. Zola's not that mysterious! I can reveal a couple of basics of the intro, though, in that this book satirizes the advent of Napoleon III (1848-1851) pretty zestily and carries mythic resonance. Translator and editor Brian Nelson provides some helpful footnotes as well, listing where various characters mentioned in the text will appear later in the series.A bonus: the book's cover, a detail from a contemporary painting by Frédéric Bazille, "Family Reunion," depicts a convincingly possible Rougon family with the two parents, three sons, and daughter-in-law. Nice touch, Oxford. The paintings they have chosen for the covers have been excellent so far, not that there's a shortage of splendid French paintings from this era to choose from. Fitting, too, that Bazille died in the war that ended Napoleon III.I hope Oxford will translate the entire series, even the shorter pieces like "Une Page d'Amour" and "Le Rêve." Some have not been translated in a century or more. I have various versions of the books: old, new, good, bad, Oxford, Penguin, other. If French was less laborious for me to get through I'd be much better off, but at least I can glance at the French in online versions now and then and see what the translators are up to and pick a version I prefer. This version seems excellent, so if you love Manet's era and attitude, give it a try.

I recently had some spare time on my hands and decided to start the Rougon-Macquart series by Zola. So far I have read this book and the volume that followed, The Kill. Let me start out by giving a word of warning. If you like your reading to be "neat and tidy" with likeable characters, these ain't the books for you. The writing is descriptive but somewhat rambling and the characters are, to quote the line from Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, "Mean and nasty and ugly". To say the main people are despicable would be to insult despicable people everywhere. You'll rarely see such a bunch of losers, whiners, rogues, and cheaters in such a short period of time. That said, I found them fascinating and like watching a train wreck, you'll find yourself unable to look away. There are a couple of characters that you find yourself pulling for, but unfortunately they are dead by book's end.A few words about the Oxford University Press edition and Brian Nelson's translation. It is exquisite, with helpful notes. Many of Zola's works have not seen a new translation in a century, so it is my hope that there are more volumes to come from Mr Nelson. Read this book, you'll be pulled in by the middle of the first chapter and take a ride you'll never forget.

The first volume of Zola's Rougon-Macquart series begins by building a solid foundation which takes time and patience and attention to detail. By Chapter 6, the fact that this volume is a masterpiece is clear. The final chapter, 7, is as moving as any I have read, and I cried for pages.

Zola's writing is universal. He develops his characters thoroughly. This is an entertaining look at French culture during the Two Napoleons.